Is anyone good at this, or is it just me?
I can see the seeds, I just can't get them separated. Or should I pack them like I do Verbena bonariensis sometimes and just make a fat pack and list them as such?

They are too small in my opinion to be separated. I pack them like a tablespoon and a package and I know there's going to be probably 3 or 400 seeds in that tablespoon. When I have planted them myself, I sow them chafe and all.

Do you have any fabric with small holes in it? What is the fabric called that they make tutu's out of and crinolines in the old days? That would work. Just place the fabric over a wash pan or tub and knock the Achillea pods against the fabric and the seeds should go right through. Another way to collect microscopic seeds is to crush the dried foliage over a container and then put it through a kitchen strainer. And besides a little chafe never hurt anyone.

poisondartfrog said: Is anyone good at this, or is it just me?

It's not just you. I just sift out the big bits and save those seeds with their chaff.

Thanks, all three of you. I have only purchased these seeds, never cleaned them that I can recall. Based on your recommendations, I'm adding them to my list of seeds not to sweat over the chaff. I'll sift through them once or twice and disclose my lack of precision up front.
I appreciate you!

I'm too old to worry about seeds too tiny to separate from chaff. I say, don't make yourself crazy, just pack them as fat packs with the chaff

When I clean tiny seed like that, I use the zoom feature on my phone. It really helps my old lady eyes spot the seeds. And a pencil, toothpick, or straw cut to a point works as a seed picker.

Okie, that's a great tip! I use that feature to read instructions on pill bottles, wasn't smart enough to make the leap. 🤣

I've had success separating chaff and tiny seeds by using a bowl and blowing the chaff off. I tried to post a video I just made but it's not working. The video was of separating verbena bonariensis but it's the same method. I'll attach pictures of the yarrow seeds I'm trading and the verbena bonariensis I just separated.

This is a video I just posted on YouTube about separating tiny seeds from chaff.

https://youtu.be/ubQWw_sYQ3Q?s...

Nice Mollie!

@Mollie670 , I blow chaff off lots of my seeds BUT I use a paper plate.

I like your bowl method better!!

Has anyone else ever been dumb enough to try using an electric fan?

@poisondartfrog

I saw one of the seed companies using a fan but it was for very large seeds like pumpkin or something that would not blow away.

Did you try this recently? 😂

No, Smarty McSmarty pants. I think it was last year.

And then there was the time I took a plate of Asclepias seeds and sat down under a ceiling fan. I had to take the drapes down to get the fluff off of them.

Mollie670 said: This is a video I just posted on YouTube about separating tiny seeds from chaff.

https://youtu.be/ubQWw_sYQ3Q?s...

I came up with this same method independently (I recalled old films of winnowing grain). Initially I used a paper plate, but was losing too many seeds that way. I eventually found that a bowl is better.
Also, I bag seed heads while on the plant. When the seeds are ready to disperse naturally, I hold them upside down in a bag or bowl and shake them or beat on them a little and let the seeds drop out. My coleus and mints were easy to collect that way.

poisondartfrog said: No, Smarty McSmarty pants. I think it was last year.

And then there was the time I took a plate of Asclepias seeds and sat down under a ceiling fan. I had to take the drapes down to get the fluff off of them.

That would be so easy to do...I better not laugh so hard. I could be next!

I grab any mesh things in the kitchen - colander, sieves, filter - and try different fabrics in an embroidery hoop. Sometimes shaking in a paper bag or jar brings seeds to the bottom. I suppose you could put them in a long bag - maybe the free kind stores have for umbrellas - and swing them around and around like a human centrifuge. Or just pack them with chaff and call it a day.

If you have to resort to magnifying glasses or tweezers, you probably are OCD. Kidding - some people get extreme with their hobbies.