Collecting seeds from your garden is a great way to share your favourite plants with other members of the TBG. Follow these tips when harvesting seeds for the 2013 Seed Exchange.
- Flowers that produce seed pods containing many seeds are best collected when the pods turn brown and start to split open. Cut them from the stems and put them in a paper bag and store in a cool, dry place until the seeds fall out. Then, sieve them to remove debris.
- Seed pods of plants such as Clematis contain only one seed. To catch them before they fall, wait until they start to change colour, then give them a gentle tap, catching them below in your hand or in an envelope.
- Pods that explode, such as those of hardy geraniums, can be cut off just as they turn brown and placed in a paper bag.
- Store seeds in labelled paper envelopes, not in plastic bags.
