Harvesting herb seeds
How can you tell when herb seeds are ripe for harvesting? For example, borage seeds turn black when ripe and fall to the ground. Fennel seeds turn light brown and should be harvested just as the seeds become loose and start breaking free of the seed head.
|
Always harvest dry seed on a still, sunny day once any morning dew has dried.
|
Collecting herb seeds:
Angelica seed (pictured below middle right) is ripe for harvest when it falls into the hand with a gentle tap of the seed head.
If you are unsure whether the seeds are ripe, gently tap the plant. If seed falls off it is time. take a paper bag, or a seed tray lined with newspaper, to the plant to avoid dropping and spreading seed in the garden in areas where you do not want the plant to grow. |
Woad seed pods
|
| Use separate bags or trays to collect different seeds so as not to confuse them.Take a plant label with you to place in the bag or in the tray to identify the seed. |
Always use paper not plastic bags to collect seeds to avoid a
build up of condensation which may rot the seed. If you're
collecting large quantities, line a cardboard box with newspaper
and cut the head from the plant. |
Drying herb seeds:
Clean the seed by removing it from the stems, stalks or any other chaff. Small seeds, like those of incense plant, are hidden in the bract and require a lot of cleaning before the seed is revealed, while foxglove seeds are easy to extract from the dry seed pods simply by shaking them vigourously. |
|
| Once extracted, spread the seed out thinly on a piece of muslin or kitchen towel. Place in a dry, airy room and leave the seed for a few days to dry out completely. |
Seed should be dried without without any artificial heat and in an airy place. They need to be dried thoroughly before storing and the process can take up to two weeks. |
Storing herb seeds:
Store them in a dark glass jar, cardboard box or paper envelope, clearly labelled. Write on the month and year that the seeds were collected, so that you can check that the seed is still viable when you come to sow it in following seasons. Always check the quality of seeds before storing, and discard any damaged or half eaten ones. |
|
| Once harvested and dried, herb seeds have different lifespans: nasturtium seed can last for up to 5 years; pot marigold seeds for longer, while angelica seed is only viable for 3 months - after that it is hard to germinate. |
We hope you've found our guide to harvesting herb seeds useful.
Click on the image below to read about...
|
