Well, if you got yourself a nice patch of Black-Eyed Susans in the garden and you’re wonderin’ how to collect them seeds, don’t you worry none. It ain’t hard work, no sir. Those flowers, they’re mighty fine and hardy, and the seeds, well, they’re easy enough to gather if you know what to look for. I’ll tell ya all about it, step by step, so you can save those seeds for next year and keep your garden growin’ strong.
Step 1: Wait for the right time
Now, first thing’s first. You gotta wait until them flowers start turnin’ brown. Don’t go snippin’ at them too early. If the petals are still bright and colorful, you ain’t gonna get no good seeds out of them. Wait till the petals fall off and the center of the flower, that seed pod, starts to dry up and get all crispy-like. The seeds inside will be nice and ready for pickin’ when that happens.
Step 2: Look for the seed pods
The seeds grow in the middle of the flower, in a pod that looks a bit like a little husk, kinda like a tomatillo or somethin’. When that flower starts to turn brown, you’ll see the seed pod dry up and open up a bit. You might even notice the seeds pokin’ out already. If you see that, you know it’s time to collect ’em. If you wait a bit longer, you might find some seeds fallen on the ground already, so keep your eyes peeled.
Step 3: Snip the seed heads
Once the seed pod is nice and dried up, you can use a good pair of scissors or garden shears to snip the seed heads right off the plant. Be careful not to cut too close to the stem, leave a little bit of the stem on there so you can handle it easier. You don’t wanna drop them seeds everywhere, you see.
Step 4: Dry ’em out
Now, once you got them seed heads, don’t go rushin’ to plant ‘em right away. You gotta dry them out real good, or else they might rot or mold before you get a chance to plant ’em. Lay ‘em out on a newspaper or a towel somewhere dry, and let ‘em sit for a couple of days. Just make sure they’re not in the sun, ‘cause too much heat could mess ‘em up. Let them dry naturally, and they’ll be ready to store.
Step 5: Separate the seeds
When they’re dry enough, you can start pullin’ apart the seed heads to get to the seeds inside. The seeds will be small, flat, and a bit dark brown. Gently rub the seed head between your hands to loosen the seeds. Be careful not to squish ’em, they’re delicate little things.
Step 6: Store ’em properly
Once you got your seeds separated, you’ll need to store ‘em in a nice, cool, dry place. Get you a little envelope or a jar, and put them seeds in there. If you use a jar, make sure you don’t seal it too tight, or the seeds might start to sweat. You want air to get to ‘em, but you also want to keep the moisture out. Keep them in a dark place, like a cupboard or drawer, and they should last all through the winter.
Step 7: Plant ‘em again next year
Now, come next spring, you can plant them seeds again. And the best part is, you don’t have to do much to get them to grow. Just scratch up the dirt a little bit, scatter the seeds on top, and press ‘em down gently so they make good contact with the earth. Black-Eyed Susans are tough little things, and they’ll grow up strong without much help from you. Just give ‘em some water now and then, and you’ll have yourself another beautiful patch of flowers come summer.
Bonus Tip
If you’re lucky, some of your Black-Eyed Susans might even self-seed. That means they’ll drop their own seeds and start growin’ new plants all by themselves. If that happens, you won’t have to do a thing, just enjoy the beauty they bring every year.
So, there you have it! That’s how you collect and save Black-Eyed Susan seeds. Ain’t too tricky, is it? Just wait for the right time, gather ‘em up, dry ‘em out, and store ‘em for next year. Before you know it, you’ll have a whole new batch of flowers growin’ in your garden. Ain’t nothing like the joy of watchin’ something you grew with your own hands bloom year after year.
Tags：[Black-Eyed Susan, collect seeds, gardening tips, how to save seeds, growing flowers, DIY gardening, seed saving, flower gardening]
