Shannon,
I was answering Mary's question on pollen.
No, you do not need to cover the bloom. Just dab it on and let it do it's thing, it may make a pod and it may not.
I do not wait until the pods are brown. I check mine every day, if they look like they are getting close to being ready I give them a little squeeze. If they crack open a little at the top then I go ahead and harvest them.
You can put in the fridge if your not ready to plant yet. If you want to plant right away there's no need to put in fridge. Also, some say to air dry the seeds 24-48 hrs before putting in fridge. I have just rolled them in a paper towel to get surface moisture off and then put them in a baggie in the fridge without air drying. I saw no difference in doing it either way.
