I was wondering if there is an easy way to collect black-eyed-susan seeds.
I have always picked the dried flowers and sort of broken it with my hands
to get to the seeds but it gets really messy and most of the flower ends up
in the bag with the seeds causing it to retain moisture and risk getting
moldy....
Any other way I could try?

FayeC

I was wondering if there is an easy way to collect
black-eyed-susan seeds.

I seem to remember collecting them the same way but
found a way to separate them fairly easily. Put all
the stuff in a small square or round cake pan. Take
a playing card or similar thin, stiff-but-flexible
piece of cardboard and, tilting the pan a little,
use the card to lift a little of the material at a
time and let it fall back into the bigger pile. The
seeds, being heavier than the 'chaff', will fall to
the lower part of the pan, the 'chaff' will remain at
the top.

Tracey
who once saw someone do this with other material
because, of course, she would never have done it
herself grin

Hi Faye,
I usually put the whole flower in a mason jar, along with a piece of paper
stating what the plant is, and leave it to dry out for a month. I then
separate the seeds from the flower as best I can and put the seeds in a
labeled envelope and then into the fridge for storage.
--
Jayel

J. Lane wrote:

Hi Faye,
I usually put the whole flower in a mason jar, along with a piece of paper
stating what the plant is, and leave it to dry out for a month. I then
separate the seeds from the flower as best I can and put the seeds in a
labeled envelope and then into the fridge for storage.


Whatever way you do it there has to be a drying process or you'll keep
some amount mositure and get the mold. When you think you have the seeds
dry and you package them for storage you need to monitor to make sure
you got the mositure out, especially if you enclose the seeds in some
sort of airtight container.

I always plant some of the seed as soon as I harvest it then and save
the rest for spring just in case my fall crop fails. You'll be amazed
how much of a jump start they get doing it that way.

Kevin