I have some leeks which have bolted and now gone to flower and it got me thinking - how would I go about harvesting the seeds as it seems a pity to let them go to waste by dropping them in the compost heap?
Is it a case of just cutting of the flower heads, letting them dry and then winnowing out the seeds ready for next year or is it something more involved?
CC
I have the same question for cucumber, ive just grown some delicious white cucumbers, and harvested some seeds - cucmber seeds are really expensive, like 10 for £1.75.
If i dry them on a saucer and store them outside in the woodshed all winter, i assume that would work?
Leeks;
They take AEONS to get to the state where they can be harvested; you need to wait until you first see the little black seeds and then cut them and pop them in a paper bag for the winter. Alot of people lose them as they go mouldy in the autumn before they dry enough....last year was a late cold wet snap so I got loads :D
They need conditioning [some degree of warmth] to dry out before they will germinate. I left mine in the under-stairs cupboard until the new year and then sowed them without winnowing and they all germinated fine. Best germination I've ever had from leek seeds.
Cucumber: you need to have hand pollinated these otherwise you won't get the same fruit from the babies....but yes you can hand pollinate and leave it on the plant until it is riper that a ripe thing in ripesville; then tear it open and save the seeds for next year. And for swapping as you should have loads. Only the fat ones will germinate, the flat ones, just chuck them away once they are all dried nicely.
They are expensive as it is a FAFF of the highest order. Faffier than a fafette in faffesville....if you catch my drift.