Friday, November 26, 2010

Drying seed pods

Now in November there is so much task to do outside. Not just trying to get everything transplanted or sowed on the veggie patch before it become too warm here in just a few weeks more. But those spent-bloom also need deadheading to continue blooming profusely. It so wonderful to see them blooming but as the temperature in the day increasing its not easy to do that deadheading task done. Never in my whole life, how painful my skin felt standing in the sun just a few minutes here in Adelaide compared with places that I have been. At first when I live here I always wonder why I can’t get used to summer here in Adelaide when I spent two-third of my life in tropical country and I am an outdoor person. I think it is because the ozone layer here is becoming so thin. So while deadheading we also collected some seeds or seed pods to dry and add to our collection of home-saved seed. We collect pansy seeds for next year autumn sowing. There are many bloom pansy colours. My husband favourite pansy colour is this blue one here with the seed pod on top of the flower. When the seed mature it will become more fatter and then the seed pod will burst by itself like in the right picture.

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Stock flower seed pods left drying outside. I forgot what colour the flower was.

DSC00012 Nasturtiums seeds drying in the net. When the seeds dried it shrunk so much from it original size that some of it drop through the net.

DSC00081 Lakspur seed pods. Lakspur seed is about the same size as onion seed. If you tried to open the seed pods and it is difficult to peel it means the seed is not ready and immature. DSC00085 Aquilegia (Columbine) seed pods. I was surprised to see how many seeds contain in one seed pods. At least 50 seeds perpod I reckon. When the seeds are ready the seed pod will burst open by itself.

DSC00054 Red onion seeds.

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Coriander seeds left drying under the shed. Looking at that drying coriander seeds still attach to the plant, I think it will take quite some time to collect all the seeds so I am assigning this to my unsuspecting sisters that will be staying at my place from this Saturday till New year. That coriander plant was more than 5 feet in height. We still have more bolted coriander plants growing in the patch. Last year with only 2 plants we had half a bottle of coriander seeds. This year I cannot estimate how many bottles we need to keep coriander seeds.

It is a very educational year of learning how to collect seeds. Apart from coriander, all other plant seeds in this post is our first time collecting them. It has been fun guessing on when the seeds are mature to collect or how it looks like.

Do you have the chance to collect any seeds this month or a story to share?

12 comments:

p3chandan said...

Wah! so many seeds to dry and keep..Im happy to be one of the receivers of your home-saved seeds soon! :) You have a lot planting to do for the coming summer..

Sue Garrett said...

Do you pickle the nasturtium seeds?

We are deadheading WINTER flowering pansies!

Mr. H. said...

I loved seeing all of the seeds you are saving and couldn't even begin to tell you how very imortant I think it is that people know how to do this.
I have a tub of dried chicory to finish getting the seed off of and them I am "finally" done saving seeds for the year...It seems like it takes forever to finish some years.


Oh, and I have noticed that the summer sun has been much hotter where we live as well. Many of our eggplants leaves were sun-burned these past two years and this has never happened to us before. Makes me glad we have so much shade.

Malar said...

You're really hardworking gardener! So many seeds and all are done systematically!
I rarely keep any flower seeds. I let them germinate by self seeding. Usually i allocate a portion for them to conquer!

Malar said...

MKZ, did you get my mail with my address?

fer said...

So many seeds! I hope they will all germinate well next season. I still have some blooms from my flowers from where to get some seeds, but I think i will better buy new annuals for next year.

Stephanie said...

Wow that's lots of seeds! Also, sometimes I ponder how a seed so tiny can grow out a big plant and many wonderful blooms. Nature has its way to surprise us in many ways. It's wonderful to see that you are taking good care of them :-D

One said...

That's a lot of seeds you are collecting. Someone sent me Nasturtium seeds from US but they did not germinate. I grew them in peat moss and watered them daily. Do you know why?

I remembered during my visit to Adelaide a decade ago, the clothes drying outside the house faded easily due to the thinning of ozone layer. Do remember to take good care of your skin.

I am growing many new plants. Would be collecting seedlings only in a few months time...except for chillies and Zinnia. They are available anytime.

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

P3chandan~ By end of this month all the planting will be almost done. Almost all the veggie patch area is getting crowded.

GLA~ Pickle nastartium? Never heard about it. Please teach me how. Yes I remember your pansy:)

Mr. H~ I found that with global warming, in summer the veggies need some shade instead of full sun. Last year our sweetcorn leaves burned to crisp when I touch the leaves it break to pieces just like that without any much pressure (scary) when we had 45 degree celcius.

Malar~ Yes I did got your address. Sorry forgot that I did not replied.

Fer ~ I too hope they will germinate well next year. I found that home-saved seed germinate much better than the commercial one. I think this is because the seeds has adapt with our weather here. The more generation you grow and save the seeds it will be more adapt to the place you have grown them.

Stephanie~ This year I got really facsinated at observing how the seed pop up ~grow ~ then produce seed.

One~ I am not sure why the nastartium did not germinate. Was it hot and dry season when you sow? A few times when the clothes that were hanging outside to dry touch a part which is steel, the clothes burned or fabric melted. There were holes on the clothes. An hour drying clothes in summer is already sufficient. Looking forward to see your home-saved seed in the next few months.

Sue Garrett said...

I haven't pickled any myself but tasted some that someone else pickled.

I've found you a recipe here

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

GLA~ Thank you so much:)

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

I agree with your husband - that pansy's blue color is gorgeous!