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Seed collecting 🌱

rosehenderson90rosehenderson90 Posts: 83
in Plants
Hi folks, 

I have a few flowers I'd like to collect seeds from, including sweet peas and cosmos. 

I have collected them in the past, but usually I've stopped dead heading etc and paying attention to them for a bit. 

This year I have been diligently dead heading them. At some point should you stop doing this to let them set seed so you can collect them? I don't want to keep dead heading them for them to never grow back at some point and then I don't get any seeds, was wondering if that happens? 

Rose

Posts

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Hi, Rose. You have answered your own question, really. If you don't allow the plant to set seed, you won't get any seeds! Some plants stop flowering once they start making seeds but we are already well into August so I think that you will have to let them get on with it if you want mature seeds this year. Select one or two plants of each variety you wish to collect and leave them to it.
  • PurpleRosePurpleRose Posts: 538
    Hi

    When I am seed collecting, I dead head my plants as normal through its flowering time and leave the seed collecting until towards the end of its flowering time but I only keep a few heads on each plant to get the seeds from and keep dead heading the rest.


  • rosehenderson90rosehenderson90 Posts: 83
    Hi @PurpleRose @Posy

    Great thanks! That makes complete sense. I will leave a few to go to seed so I can get some for next year :)

    Rosr
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