mom2goldens said:
>> I'm really bummed because I haven't been able to find any seeds for the blue picotee lately. Right now, I only have seeds for solid colors.
What kind of picotee? I saw a seed pkt with that as part of its name in the last week or two, and it might be what you want. I don't think it waqs "Lisianthus", but it might have been some synonym.
>> Do you do anything special to save your seeds?
For most plants, the rule of thumb is to let them dry on the plant, in the pod or in the seadhead until they are brown and dry. After that, dry them more indoors. Label them as soon as possible because it is easy to catch the seed-saving obsession and then you never know which c offee filter, paper towel or old bill envelope has which seed!
Probably you'll want to separate the seeds from the rest of the bloom (if it's clear what is seed and what is just random powder!) How much to clean them and what method to use is your choice. Re-planting your own seeds with a lot of chaff is fine. If you want to show off when you trade them, you might want to remove more of the chaff.
But probably do remove enough of the seedhead that yhou can get them really DRY and keep them dry!
I store seeds in plastic Ziplok envelopes, 2" x 3". $1 for 100 at wal-Mart's Craft section , like near beading supplies. Some people prefer paper or glassine to be SURE they can breath enough, in case they are not FULLY dry.
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If the seed pods burst open, or the seeds drop off the seedhead, too soon after turning brown, you might tie an organza bag or the "foot" from some pantyhose around the bloom (just don't crush the stem by tieing too tightly. Bag a few when they start turning brown, or as soon as the first one bursts open.
That way, if the pod pops open before you harvest it, you catch the seeds in the nylon, instead of scattering them to the wind or on the ground.
In my climate, fall seeds mean moldy pods and soggy seed heads. If I can't collect seeds by late summer, I had better plan on some kind of rain cover that won't blow away!
