Hey guys,
Okay so I have some butterfly weed in my yard and one of the plants I bought had a bunch of pods on it. So I read the post about covering the pods so the seeds do not come out. I have tied knee hi hose on a bunch of the bunches of pods but some were left out. (I loved that idea and it worked beautifully) Tonight two of the pods left out opened. One all of the seeds flew out before I knew it. The other one however had only split open. So I have it, seeds still in the pod, with a slit in it. My question is what do I do with the pod. I know I am supposed to dry it out or put it in the fridge or something to keep the seeds for next year but I cannot remember what to do. Any help would be soo appreciated.
Leslie
Help! Butterfly Weed pods???
Leslie - You can break open the seed pod and collect all the seeds out of it. You just have to separate the seed from the little floating white fluffy "parachutes"! Best way to do it is to pop the seed pod open INSIDE of a brown paper lunch bag. Let all the seeds drop to the bottom of the bag or float around inside the bag. When you clear the pod of all seeds, discard the empty pod shell. Close the bag up tight and shake vigorously. That should help the seeds separate from their little white parachutes. Then close up again except the small hole in the top corner of the bag and try "pouring" the seeds out of the bag. Hopefully, most of the fluffy white stuff stays in the bags! And don't do it inside of your house as you'll find the fluff everywhere! I learned that the hard way! =:-O
Thanks Becky. That sounds like a great idea. I have some opened up in a pair of knee hi hose right now but they are tied tight. So after I get the seeds to I just put them in something and keep them until next year or do they need to be refrigerated or what? That will be my next step.
Thanks
Leslie
I keep mine in a cool, dry, dark place. (They are in my dark closet in a box. And we do run the A/C.) A lot of folks store theirs in the fridge. I don't. Unless they are really small seeds that have a short viability time frame, most of my seeds stay good for at least a year. I have only started collecting seeds for about a year or two. I do know that a larger seed will last longer (a couple years), so you should be good if you can store them under those conditions. Your seeds should last at least a year or longer! :-)
Awesome. Thanks Becky. Just what I needed to know. You are the best.
Leslie
You're welcome! :-)
butterfly weed is a perennial, right? and will also self seed if the pods are left on?
I will be attempting to collect seeds for the first time this year, so i'm still trying to learn.
**edited to add --
so, if i see a butterfly weed along the road side [since i dont have any yet] i can just snag a seed pod and let it dry before opening - then doing what Becky said to get the seeds... or does the pod have to dry on the plant?
This message was edited Jul 7, 2007 12:33 PM
If the seed pods are brown and the stems attached to the pods are brown, then you can take it and either wait until they pop open on their own or do it yourself. I just throw them in a bag and let nature do it for me. Then shake and collect! :-) If the pods and stems are green or yellow it's too early to harvest the seeds. They need more time on the plant to mature and ripen.
I don't know if it is a perennial in your zone. But it does self-seed all over the place once the seeds catch the breeze and float to far corners of your yard and beyond! LOL!
thanks becky -- i'll have to look into if they are perennial here or not.
I've a another seed gathering method for your consideration.In a empty clean and dry with lid,Qt. size mayo jar.I just collect the pods for a week or so and put them in the jar with a few maybe 4 buttons and let them dry out with the lid off.Then I put the lid on and go outside and shake vigorously.The buttons help seperate the fuzzies from the seed.I remove the lid and tip slightly and reach in and remove pod shells,then I face towards the nieghbors I like least and blow across the top of the jar and the fuzzies just blow away into the wind and the seeds are left nicely at the bottom of the jar,then just pour them into an envolpe.I've always found I get my best percentage germination from fresh seeds.So if they are a few months old or older I just add more seeds per pots to start.
It's been a real strange year here for Monarch's,I have alot around the yard but very few eggs that turn into cats.I wonder what that means? Don
Terese - that native milkweed is perennial here and easier to seed than transplanting. I do see the red kind around too as a native perennial.
thanks Al... next time we head to Adams... i'll collect a few pods.
I bet by the time DH is ready to "flea market" again -- the pods will be ready.
>>towards the nieghbors I like least
Too funny Don!!
Maybe not that soon, certainly in time to seed them this fall though. I of course remember as a kid pulling the seeds out and letting the wind blow them everywhere.
Al - Yeah ..... they kinda remind me of dandelions! :-)
Don - I love your way of thinking when it comes to neighbors! ROFL! Good idea about the buttons! I hadn't thought of that!
All I can say is .... do NOT do this inside your house or you will have floaters everywhere! Trust me ..... been there, done that! Never again! :-D
Hilarious Don. That does sound like a great idea though. I don't really hate my neighbors but one of them has a cottonwood tree that has been blowing cotton through our yard for a month now. Maybe I can return the favor. I like the idea with the button though.
And Becky, thanks for the warning. That would be an awful mess in the house and anyone with allergies will probably be miserable.
Leslie