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a disused plot near mine has what look like onions on it. (tall stem, purple globe type flower on top?)
can i nick some seeds?
are they likely to grow?
how do you save seeds?
when should i plant them?
thanks folks,
Dave.

You can cut off the seed head with about 9" of stem attached and put them head downwards into a paper bag (the ones Homebase give are superb). Just loosely scrunch the paper around stems.
Rattle the bag now and again and you'll soon hear seeds in bottom.
When to sow? I'd try sowing in a seed tray in Feb/March, plant out April. But you could sow some direct then, and you could sow some direct during August, but keep well watered.

august?
like, now?
cool  ;D
new plot, only 10% full! thanks jennym, you've made my day
Tara xx

Quote from: daveandtara on August 04, 2005, 16:50:02
a disused plot near mine has what look like onions on it. (tall stem, purple globe type flower on top?)
can i nick some seeds?
are they likely to grow?
how do you save seeds?
when should i plant them?
thanks folks,
Dave.

I have white flowers on a bolting autumn onion and purple ones on the leeks, so you might have leeks (especially if there's no visible bulb on the surface).

Mine go to seed like this even after I've dug them up and put them on the compost heap!

And yes, if they are ripening they should grow. If the flowers are still very purple and there's only a few green pods visible through the petals, I'd leave them a few weeks until the pods go brown and start to open.  Then do the paper bag thing...

moonbells

 :) If you leave some of the old flower heads on, and conditions are right, later you may find tiny plantlets growing on the seed head too, which you could try planting.