when and how to harvest seed pods

I haven't done anything with my seed pods yet, they are still green and I really don't have a clue as to what I am supposed to do and how. Could someone please help! Thanks very much. Meem

When they got brown and are like paper, then the seeds fell out when you touch the pod, then they are ready, as far as I know
Sylvia

hobby is right

Meem, if you are getting near to a good freeze you might want to bring them in so you don't lose them. You can cut off mature pods (with some stem) and put the stems in sugar water (like a bouquet) to finish drying out. Take them out of the seedpods when they turn brown and dry, just like the ones outside.

Meem, you are way south of me, so your killing frosts are probably not to you yet. We, in my neighborhood had them starting a month or so ago. The bad thing about the frost, is that it turns undried seeds to mush. You will get more seeds if you pick the green pods just before the killing frost and bring them inside to dry. Start drying them immediately, not procrastinator short cuts! Especially if they have been rained on.

Six weeks ago when I harvested my seeds, I gathered the pods that had been rained on and put them in a ziplock bag, thinking I would get to them soon. A week later, over 50 of the 350 seeds had germinated because the moisture was high and the temp increase from bringing them was 40 degrees higher at night, inside the ziplock bag. If I had gathered my seed into a margarine tub, I would have been better off, because the pods and seeds would be able to breath away the moisture retainied because of the cool night time temps outside.

If I have seeds that are rained on wet, they go in front of the grill at the bottom of the refrigerator, in the front. Along with wet gloves and shoes. Warm air is coming out there, and it helps to dry things. Hope this helps. Frank

I will pick some tomorrow morning and bring them in.
they are all still green but I will try some in sugar water and also in a plastic tub. Once they are dried can you just store them until next spring and then plant outside. I am sure you can tell I am a newby at this! I just love them so much I want to do this right. Thanks to all. Meem

Thank you for starting this thread. I am going out right now and rescue the rest of the heavenly blues seed I have. I'll take a pic of the ugly looking mess out there so you can see what PA. weather can do to annuals and it aint pretty;((((

UhOh, It is spitting snow outside. Here is an ugly pic.

posy, you should n't post lewd pics. LOL

HAHAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! You should see the lewd Iris I just posted on that thread! OK!OK! I'll stop it. After all, I don't want to corrupt any newbies to the wonderous morning glories. Although, I didn't sign any morals clause when I joined........

They look so naked!

LOL i just love MGs

They do look naked. I am about to go back out,pull up the whole "naked" mess and bring it inside to see what happens to the seeds as they dry in the basement. It has hundreds of seed pods, only problem is, half of them are kinda spongy and green.

I love MG's too J. That is why they are still hanging out there. This is the beginning of an all blue garden 'round the potting shed. My poor Blue Iris is a disaster too:(

Oh WOW, posy! I hope you were able to get them inside in time! Looks like you had a huge and beautiful vine before the weather changed! That's a neat photo of how they look in the cold! :-) It's still pretty warm here in Florida and I wouldn't mind a little cooler temps. Not snowing though! LOL! LOL! LOL! Stay warm!

Hey Posy, you getting snow up there in Athens yet? It's cold down here in the south eastern end. I put my Japanese MGs in the shed with a heater but my purpureas that were on the fence are goners!!

I have learned how to stay warm beckyg. I love cold weather but I hate being cold. I had a wool hat,-40F winter coat and winter boots on when I pulled out the glories today. Warm is good, but there is nothing like a crisp,Fall afternoon for me:)))

Hi luvsgtdanes, I love Great Danes too! Yep. The snow got me today. It was a light flurry at noon but more rain than snow. If I am outside, just like when I was a kid, I stick out my tongue to catch a few flakes,then I know for sure Winter has arrived. It sounds pretty cold down there in Philly for this early in November. Sorry about your plants. That is the only thing I don't like about the PA Winters. Well, bundle up and stay warm and safe.

This message was edited Nov 9, 2007 6:05 PM

Netcong,NJ had a good freeze several days ago that left an inch of ice on the top of any water containers I had outside and pretty much did in all the MG's outside on my property and around town...any seedpods that were not very dry have turned to dead mush...

I lost the several seedpods that were developing on my I.sagittata because I thought it wouldn't freeze for about another week,but the freeze arrived sooner than I expected and I should have brought the rest of the plants indoors sooner...

Good luck harvesting/rescuing any material that any of you may have...

TTY,...

Ron

Ron I save my MG because of your tip to take cuttings an put inside in a vase with water, I´ve got many seed mature this way now. It was a very good tip.
Sylvia

I pulled the morning glories up roots and all and they are in the basement hung on a hook to dry. First I had the roots in a pot of water,then I decided maybe the seeds wouldn't harden if the roots were kept wet. Now I can't decide which way to go. Any suggestions?

Posy I would put them in water... One small one Ipulled up and brought in was still getting tiny blooms on it.

Ron way to early for a freeze in this part for us don't Ya think? Just a bit ago it was 80!!!

Beth, I was wondering why the sugar?

I am on my way to the basement and put those roots right back in the water. Thanks luvs. I hope I get little blooms too because some of the thick vines that were under the dead parts are still very green.

Where do you store all the seeds that you have until next spring?? Do you have to do anything special to them??

I personally store mine in small white coin envelopes, actually just switched to them from plastic baggies. I can write little details on them. I have a box I keep them in, in alphabetical order so I can find them easier.

I don't do anything special, just make sure they are dry before I put them away. I save the little packs of silica gel you get in shoe boxes and just toss them in my seed boxes when I can.

When the drying and cleaning process is over it is safe to put the seeds into little ziplocs. I get 2" x3" ziplocks by the hundred for just a few bucks at Michaels Craft supply. I like these because you can cut
lined index cards to size, write your notes, insert them, and vwala, it is done. One nice thing is that you can make up traders in advance and already have them labled.

Then I designed an album page with 6 of these bags to a page, and used double stick tape to put them in alphabetical order. I like the album format because i can insert a picture, etc. I am always forgeting what is left for next year, and flipping pages is for me so much more convenient. My album is in 3 sections, species, japanese, all others.
Good luck,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Frank

Ronnie - Too early for a freeze(?!)...apparently not...when I lived around Maplewood,NJ it stayed warmer longer,but Netcong gets colder earlier in the Autumn and stays colder in the Springtime...there are a lot of micro-climates around here when there are a lot of various grades of hills and valleys...

All I know is my I.sagittata plant was staying green even though the temperatures were definitely getting cold and I thought that maybe it was 'tougher' than I thought...and then one morning I looked out the window and all of the leaves had shriveled and turned dark and I said to myself "Uh,Oh" (!)...I went out to investigate and when I 'saw it' I said out loud "ICE"(!?) >"Oh,No"(!)...> too late...(!)

The roots on the I.sagittata (Texas strain) are still alive but I lost the few seedpods that were developing...

posy - I'd recommend removing any dead tissue from any plants that you want to try and prolong as the dead tissue contributes to furthering decline in the parts that are still metabolically active/healthy because the living parts absorb the chemical byproducts of the necrotic tissue...

TTY,...

Ron

So sorry to hear about the loss of your vines to the ice, Ron! That's such a bummer! I hope you had some backup seeds left. I learned the hard way on that! =:-O

Here is a photo of how I keep my seed packets organized. Another DGer gave me this idea and I just love it. I don't lose or overlook seeds I wanted to plant now! :-)

Hey Becky - your seed album is great!

What are those pockets normally used for? Are they for business cards or something like that? Or are they actually for seeds? Very cool.

Joanne

Thanks Ron. I will do it right now. There is plenty of dead to remove,that's for sure. That piece of advice may have saved me big disapointment on down the road:-))))


Ummmmm......beckygardener....thinking, thinking,what could I trade for those good looking milkweed seeds. I am impressed by your organizational skills.Now I have Seed Envy;))

Joanne - The pocket pages are plastic pages for trading cards ... like baseball cards. And the binder is a 2" wide school supply binder. I get a packet of 10 sheets for about $1.60 at Wally World. I have the sections separated out with an index in-between for sections labeled butterfly host, butterfly nectar, and then also a section for MG seeds. I really love this idea and can't thank the person enough who turned me on to it! :-)

Oh if I were you, posyblossom ... jump on the Butterfly and Hummingbird Forum and join the seed swap I am doing! LOL! This week is the deadline! ;-)

This message was edited Nov 11, 2007 11:15 AM

Sure getting lots of great info hanging around you all!!!!!! Thanks....got lots more then I asked for!!! Meems