Gathering seed from flowers-when do you start?

[umshamrock]

Hi,

When do you guys start gathering seeds from flowers? Are you still deadheading? i got lazy this week and realized i missed a bunch of deadheads on scabiosa, cosmos, calendula, dianthus so i though i would just collect the seed. do you wait for later in the year to do that?

thanks!
um

[umshamrock]

[lorna]

Umshamrock. Believe it or not at my age this is the first time I have tried collecting seeds!! With some advice from Georgie I have collected seeds from scabiosa and poppies..Will leave it up to the experts to give you advice. Happy gardening.
Lorna

[Georgie]

Hello.  I'm no expert but I feel duty bound to reply now that Lorna has dropped me in it!   ;)

For what it's worth here is what I do.  On annual plants I dead head daily to encourage more flowers because as soon as you allow them to set seed they think their job is done and they stop flowering.  Depending on the plant I wouldn't be collecting seed until September at the earliest.   

On perennials I leave the last few flowers to set seeds (my Aquilegias start going over towards the end of June for instance) and I leave them on the plants to ripen (go brown and crisp) before I harvest them. 

I hope this helps.

G x

[lorna]

Sorry Georgie, well no I am not really as I have found your advice 100% ;D BTW today I gathered some sweet pea seeds, the pods were nice and crispy.My neighbour (RIP) told me that he  would always sow his sweet peas in October and keep in his greenhouse. I thought I might try half that way and save the other half for later in case his way didn't work. If all fails I will have to buy new seeds.
Lorna

[Georgie]

There are lots of theories about growing sweet peas, Lorna, and now I don't grow them at all because they always get powdery mildew no matter how hard I try.  But sowing in Autumn makes for stronger plants I reckon and you must remember to pinch them out once they have four true leaves.

G x

[lorna]

Georgie. Have made a note. NOW I hope nobody else reads this !! Please tell me what TRUE leaves are?? I keep reading the term and now I am brave enough to ask!!
Lorna

[umshamrock]

thanks for your replies georgie and lorna. i will continue deadheading the annuals then.

lorna, i grew sweet peas from saved seed this year. i planted loads in october in toilet paper rolls in my greenhouse and then planted some in the spring. the october ones did much better. but, of course, both got powdery mildew (i don't water ever) so i am letting them go over now. but they were amazing while they lasted!

[saddad]

True leaves Lorna are the ones after the first two, sometimes three.. if you have grown beans or brassicas the seed leaves are clearly different from the true leaves. Essentially the seed leaves are made from the energy stored in the seed and the true leaves are when it starts growing properly...
;D

[lorna]

Thanks Saddad at last I know.