Harvesting everlasting seeds involves collecting dry flower heads, processing them to separate seeds from chaff, and storing them properly for future sowing.
Collecting Everlasting Flower Seeds
The process of gathering everlasting seeds begins once the plant has finished flowering and the blooms have dried out. This is a crucial stage to ensure the seeds within the flower heads are mature.
- Timing is Key: Collect the seeds after the flowers become dry and their petals begin to droop or fall.
Processing the Flower Heads
Once you have collected the dry flower heads, you need to extract the seeds. This involves a few simple steps to separate the valuable seeds from the unwanted plant material, known as chaff.
Steps for Seed Extraction:
- Crumble: Take the whole flower heads and gently crumble them into a large tray or dish. This breaks them apart and releases the seeds.
- Separate Chaff: Remove the chaff (the dried plant material) from the seeds. The reference suggests using sieving and winnowing techniques until mostly seed remains.
- Sieving: Using a sieve with an appropriate mesh size can help separate smaller seeds from larger bits of debris.
- Winnowing: This traditional method involves using air (like a gentle breeze or fan) to blow away lighter chaff, leaving the heavier seeds behind.
Storing Everlasting Seeds
Proper storage is essential to maintain the viability of your harvested everlasting seeds until the next sowing season.
- Storage Location: Store the cleaned seeds in a dark, dry container.
- Timing: Keep the seeds stored until the next sowing season, which is typically Autumn.
By following these steps, you can successfully harvest and store everlasting seeds from your plants, ready for propagation when the time is right.
