Good info, Rick -- I have a pretty good-size container of the silica gel stuff that I bought some time ago, thinking I would dry flowers with it but then never have... I'd never thought about using it to speed up the seed drying (duh).

Thanks. I use it for just the final stage of drying, because I'm frugal/cheap.

It's a shame such great information is buried in a want-list thread in a beta group. Rick, copy and paste that into the ideas feature so we can headline it on the homepage.

Yes, what Dave said, Rick!!

You have to be careful drying fresh seeds - you can damage the plant tissues.

A friend and pHD botanist warned me to be careful not to overdry seeds or to dry them too quickly. Mine are in their little cups on a shelf in a heated room with fans gently circulating the air above them. Nothing molded this year - the first for me.

I already have drying gel and a moisture monitor in my seed "archive" box. I archive seeds as I try different methods of germination and to protect my favorites from "crop failure".... and of course to share with friends. I am not keeping a seed vault in case of nuclear winter. Hoarding seeds doesn't make sense for the basic home gardener.

Sow 'em if you got 'em.

There is now a(( New seeds added ))Thread
Thank you Horntoad

DON'T Miss it
Go mark watch for the latest updates......or miss out

dave said:It's a shame such great information is buried in a want-list thread in a beta group. Rick, copy and paste that into the ideas feature so we can headline it on the homepage.

That's very kind. I forget whether it duplicates "Ideas" I;ve already submitted, or if this is a short form of something I worked on a while ago, then stopped until I got around to taking some pictures.

But I will submit it as a tip.

Hmm, it needs around 3 photos. I'll submit it as-is, because now is the season to dry seeds. I hope I get around to taking some photos and edit it later! Or Trish can hold it for photos.

Done.

Anyone have any lovage seeds?

I have a good number of seeds left, especially for those of you looking to grow veggies next year!

What I have left still in this swap:
* beets
* corn
* bok choy
* butternut squash
*cilantro
*beans
*lettuce
*spinach
*basil
*swiss chard

Also:
*lavender
*daylilies
*marigold
*baby's breath
*poppy

Thank you for the heads up DogsNDaylilies. I chose a few.

valleylynn said:Thank you for the heads up DogsNDaylilies. I chose a few.

Glad to hear it!

Can't wait to try the black beans. Makes me hungry just thinking about them.

Why do you want to grow this??

Baptisia australis / blue false indigo

from perennialresource.com:
"A distinctive perennial with showy indigo-blue flowers carried on tapering spikes up to 1ft. long. They are held just above the dense, bushy mounds of soft blue-green foliage. The blooms appear from mid to late spring, followed by 2-3 in. long, black seed pods which remain attractive well into winter. They can be dried for use in arrangements.

Baptisia australis is native to the prairies of North America, so it is easy to grow and will thrive with little maintenance. There are many potential applications in the landscape including meadow plantings, as a backdrop in borders, or as a specimen. Plants are very long-lived once established."

bees love it! It's a legume and accumulates nitrogen! -- and, it's just plain pretty!



And it's free! (look for it on my list! )

Weedwhacker said:Why do you want to grow this??

Baptisia australis / blue false indigo

from perennialresource.com:
"A distinctive perennial with showy indigo-blue flowers carried on tapering spikes up to 1ft. long. They are held just above the dense, bushy mounds of soft blue-green foliage. The blooms appear from mid to late spring, followed by 2-3 in. long, black seed pods which remain attractive well into winter. They can be dried for use in arrangements.

Baptisia australis is native to the prairies of North America, so it is easy to grow and will thrive with little maintenance. There are many potential applications in the landscape including meadow plantings, as a backdrop in borders, or as a specimen. Plants are very long-lived once established."

bees love it! It's a legume and accumulates nitrogen! -- and, it's just plain pretty!



And it's free! (look for it on my list! )

Please people quit tempting me. I already have more than I can plant now.

I know just what you mean, Jay -- I've already far exceeded my self-imposed limit of what to get!

Get it Jay!! I have it too and it's wonderful in the garden!

Horntoad said:

Please people quit tempting me. I already have more than I can plant now.

You succumbed!