Viewing post #725543 by valleylynn

JungleShadows said:
I've found that the chaff doesn't make any difference in terms of germinating the seed. If you put the whole seed stalk into a paper bag and keep it dry and cool most of the seed will come out and collect at the bottom of the bag. After I collect that very clean seed I generally put the stalk back in the bag and give the stalk a little squeeze. That releases some of the seeds that are still entrapped in the capsules. This releases the seed but also creates much more debris. However, if you dump that debris/ seed mix out on a sheet of white paper you can sort of manually separate the larger pieces of debris from the seeds.

In November I find that all the seed is ready to come out of the capsules and so I generally wait until then to do a cleaning and I store the seed in the CRISPER portion of my refrigerator in glassine envelopes. I plant the seed in late February or early March.
The glassine envelopes don't absorb much water so that's why they are so useful in keeping the semp seed dry. You might check Office Depot or a stamp dealer as the stamps are almost always put in them. They keep the stamps dry and clean.
You'll find the plastic ones will STICK TO YOUR SEED and it's tough to get them out of the envelope. Glassine is a treated paper and the seed seems to repel off from it so it facilitates planting. If you can't find glassine envelopes, you can use coin envelopes although you want to fold them and keep the seed towards the bottom as the seeds seem to want to come the top of the envelope. I sometimes pack the glassine envelopes in coin envelopes, because the glassine envelopes are rather flimsy.
I have been using the ungummed ones
I keep forgetting that I've done this for 50 years and I think everyone knows these things! I had a very good teacher in Polly. Polly had one bedroom that she kept for the purpose of seed collecting and storage. Mine are sharing space with my musical instruments. Too many hobbies!

If you're like me you have already "mentally germinated and grown" those seedlings from your crosses. Even when I'm making the crosses I sort of see in my head what the seedlings will be. However, the 'Killer' seedlings have certainly been surprises. It has given brilliant colors and color that lasts all season in most cases. Imagine 'Oddity' X 'Killer'!!

Kevin