Whether you’re trying to cut down on growing season expenses or just looking for a fun activity to try out with your kids, saving flower seeds can never be a bad idea.
This article will walk you through the step-by-step process of extracting seeds from flowers and preserving them the right way. (Yes, there is a right way to do it)
Saving Seeds From Flowers In 4 Easy Steps
Without wasting any more time, let’s get right into it, shall we?
Step 1 – Getting The Right Flowers
When looking to save seeds from flowers, it’s crucial to choose flowers that are mature, disease-free, and full of life.
Dull flowers that visibly display stunted growth are a big no-no.
Also, make sure the flowers you choose have their heads or seed pots dry and brown as, otherwise, they probably haven’t fully matured yet.
Although you can never really know what you’re going to get, flowers that display strong growth, decent blooming, and vibrant colors are typically your best bet.
Step 2 – Harvesting The Seeds
This is a fairly easy and straightforward step.
If you’re collecting seeds from a flower that has seed heads (e.g. sunflowers or coneflowers), gently cut them off using pruning shears and collect them in a small container/bag.
If you’re trying to collect seeds from flowers like petunias or cosmoses that have their seeds in seed pods, simply break off the seed pods and open them up to collect all the seeds you need.
Step 3 – Cleaning The Seeds
Cleaning your flower seeds is important because excess dirt and debris can stick to their surface and potentially hinder the growth process.
You can also run the seeds through a mesh screen where any unwanted dirt will be sifted out.
Just be careful about running them through water because it may introduce moisture which can result in mold if the seeds are not dried thoroughly.
Step 4 – Storage
Storing your flower seeds in the right location gets you extra points because you not only preserve them for longer but also maintain the integrity of the seed.
If your storage place is damp and extremely humid, the likelihood that your seeds will develop mold goes up drastically.
A cool, dry place is ideal for storing seeds.
Depending on the type of flower variety you’re trying to preserve, some seeds can be stored for 1-2 years while others up to 10+ years!
Try This Simple Test!
If you want to know whether your flower seeds are even worth preserving, you can perform something called a germination test on them.
Simply grab a small paper towel, dampen it with water, and roll a few seeds in it. In a few weeks (probably 2-3) your seeds should start sprouting and that is your sign to keep the batch.
Anyhow, saving flower seeds is definitely NOT as complicated as it sounds. Just getting your hands on the right kind of flowers and harvesting their seeds without damaging them is the majority of the work.
Good luck giving this project a shot!