straw flowers

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prairiewinds Hutchinson, KS(Zone 6a) Aug 12, 2007

if I save the dried up flowers can they be used as seeds for next year

Post #3847625
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Pagancat (Sheryl) Gainesboro, TN(Zone 6b) Aug 13, 2007

Gosh, you should be able to - I'm just not sure which part of the flower is the seed. Did you plant these from seed? If so, perhaps you will recognize the part when the flower dries - my suggestion would be allow the flower to stay on the plant at least until it wilts, remove it and stick it in a paper bag to dry out, preferably in a dry place - outside in the sun, on windowsill, whatever. It'll probably take a little bit - a few weeks, maybe. The flower must have been pollinated in order for it to have produced seed(s).

Sorry I can't be more helpful, I'm speaking rather generally because I've never grown strawflower. Good luck!

Post #3849959
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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Aug 13, 2007

Problem is strawflowers don't really fade the way normal flowers do, they kind of hang on almost forever. So I'm not sure how to tell when they've made seeds!

Post #3850410
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Pagancat (Sheryl) Gainesboro, TN(Zone 6b) Aug 13, 2007

>smile< I finally googled them to be sure of what I was talking about. Lazy, lazy...

Anywho, I'm betting that they're much like daisies, etc - the middle part of the flower, if broken in half should reveal the seeds - they would've been the upright parts whose ends made up that middle 'pad'.

Does that help? Once it's dried - either on the stalk or off - it should be fine to use.

BTW, if you're drying these for flower arrangements, it's suggested that you dry them hanging upside down - makes sense when you think about it, I guess - you don't want the flowers hanging face-downwards.... (see what happens when I start actually looking at the stuff?)

Post #3851022
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David_Paul Clinton, CT(Zone 6b) Aug 14, 2007

For drying, pick them when they look like this:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=3807096

Post #3855047
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