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Annuals/Preserving Flower seeds

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Expert: - 3/9/2011


Question
Hi,
I am from India and presently the winter season has gone and spring has set in. Please advise me how I can save the seeds of flowers such as Sweet Williams, Gazenia, Dianthus, Cineraria, Salvia and Marigolds for the next flowering season. Thanks.

Sanjaya Kala, Allahabad, India

Answer
Each of these plants is its own answer.  We'll go over Sweet William, the first plant on your list.

First, let the flowers go to seed.  Then, when they are dried out have matured, pick them off (by the seed pod).  Store the pods in a plastic bag.

Dry out the seeds and pods thoroughly -- on top of the refrigerator, tucked inside a brown paper bag, is ideal.  Avoid plastic for this; you want air to reach the seeds.  When they have finally dried, they will be very tiny.  Store in a container with a strong seal.

Keep the dry seeds in a tight container, label the container and store the seeds until spring. They should be kept in a cool, dry place where the temperature is fairly consistent. It's fine to store them in the refrigerator as long as the container is tightly sealed so the seeds will remain dry.

Remember that Dianthus barbatus (commonly, "Sweet William") can be a finicky flower, sometimes requiring 'vernalization' - a cold season treatment, given subsequent to sprouting.  The 'Barbarini' series of Sweet William is one of the few exceptions, bred to bloom without exposure to brisk temps. To grow: www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-131

Thanks for writing,

L.I.G.

Annuals

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Decisions, decisions... If you can't make up your mind which Annuals to grow, you're not alone. Problem with your new flowering Annuals flats? I`ve been there, done that. Petunias, Sweet Alyssum, Larkspur, Marine Blue Lobelia -- they all grow here at my house on Garden Street on Long Island, N.Y.. Cutting and Cottage Gardens, Sun and Shade Gardens, White Gardens and Night Gardens, I`ve done them all. Annuals are the perfect summer flower, bursting with color June through fall's first frost. I can`t speak on Cactus or tender Tropical Plants -- they don`t grow outside in my Zone 7. I`m no Farmer, so I cannot guide you on Fruits and Vegetables. But whether it`s an Annual you want to start from seed, mail-order or pick up at your local garden center, I can help you grow amazing blooms this Summer. Yes, together, we can turn your neighbors green with envy.

Experience

I have a lifetime of gardening behind me here on the North Shore of Long Island. While I have degrees in related fields, there's nothing like hands-on work to build real knowledge. I stay on top of current science -- there's a boom in research, and Kingdom Plantae is filled with surprises. By the way, I really do live on Garden Street.

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Gannett newspapers, The New York Times, and hundreds of others - but not on Annuals.

Education/Credentials
B.A., botany; graduate credits in European Intellectual History and Political Science; minor coursework in related fields, docent training at our local botanical gardens (required for volunteers). I'm currently working on an advanced biochemistry degree.

Awards and Honors
I could tell you, but then you'd know who I am.

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