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Aquilegia seeds

NewGardenerCornwallNewGardenerCornwall Posts: 40
in Plants
Novice gardener here. I was given an Aquilegia that has now produced seeds. I collected them before this wet weekend! Do I save the seeds and plant in the spring, or scatter them now in the flower bed as nature intended? 
Thank you 

Posts

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Well unless they were brown they won't be ready yet. Most of mine are still in the green so haven't matured yet. I have so many I leave mine to self seed, but collecting is ok.  You could even save half and sprinkle half, to try to ensure plants next year.
    If yours are still green best to put them on one side to dry, then see how much you have.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    They need to dry on the plant, once picked they won’t be any good. 
    Mine wont be ready for aged yet. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • NewGardenerCornwallNewGardenerCornwall Posts: 40
    They were brown and pods open, all dry. Some may have already scattered. Think as you said scatter some and keep some.
    (Prob seeded early as was moved from a garden and spent while in a pot, then when planted we had a dry spell- yearly cycle messed up?)
  • BiljeBilje Posts: 811
    I collected brown seed from open pods yesterday here in the NE. Some inevitably scattered which is ok. The ones I saved I sowed immediately in a pot as I’ve discovered from my experiences they germinate better fresh…it may have been Carol Klein who mentioned it ages ago. 
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Definitely need to be sown fresh for reliable germination. Old seeds germinate better if gently rubbed between two pieces of find glass paper before sowing. Seeds should be dry and stored in paper envelopes in the Salad compartment of a fridge.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I see now the OP lives in Cornwall so they would be ready to collect.
    here mine are still flowering, with a few green pods.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I leave them on the plant and give it a shake about the garden when they're ripe.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Sounds suspiciously like an advert @allfreestuffuk. Adverts have to be paid for here. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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