Well now, I gotta tell ya, collecting seeds from Black Eyed Susans ain’t all that hard, and it’s a mighty good way to save yourself some money and keep them flowers comin’ back every year. First thing you gotta do, though, is make sure you got the right plant. You don’t want no mix-up, no sir. These flowers, the Black Eyed Susan, they got a pretty big family, you see, and sometimes people might mistake ’em for somethin’ else. So, make sure you got the real deal. They’re the ones with that bright yellow daisy-lookin’ bloom and that dark brown center, like a black eye, hence the name. Once you’re sure, you’re ready to move on.
Step 1: Identifying the flowers
Now, the first thing you gotta do is look at the flower real good. If you’re like me, you’ve been looking at these flowers for years, but even so, you gotta make sure you got the right one. Black Eyed Susan flowers usually bloom from summer into fall, and the seed heads get nice and big by the end of the season. They start turning brown and dry up, which is when they’re ready for harvest. Just don’t go picking ’em too soon, or you’ll be wasting your time.
Step 2: Picking the seeds
Once them flowers are dried up good and proper, it’s time to get to work. You’ll notice the seed heads – they look like little spiky balls, and inside those spiky bits, you’ll find the seeds. To get ’em out, just grab the seed head and gently crush it in your hands. Now, you don’t gotta be too gentle, but don’t go smashin’ ’em into pieces neither. If you do it right, the seeds will just fall right out, and you can scoop ’em up. You might have to separate some of the little bits of chaff, but that’s part of the fun.
Step 3: Storing the seeds
Now, you ain’t gonna want to just toss them seeds in a drawer somewhere. Nope, you gotta store ’em properly if you want ’em to be good next season. I always tell folks to put ’em in a nice, dry place, like a little envelope or a jar. You can even use one of them old coffee cans if you got one. Just make sure it’s sealed tight so no moisture gets to ’em. You don’t want mold growing on your precious seeds, do ya? That’s the quickest way to ruin ‘em.
Step 4: Planting the seeds
When it comes time to plant, you don’t gotta be all fancy about it. Black Eyed Susans are tough little things, and they’ll grow pretty much anywhere. But if you want to give ‘em the best start, just scratch up the soil a little bit, scatter the seeds on top, and then cover ’em with a little more dirt. Press the soil down with your hands to make sure them seeds make good contact with the ground. That’s it! Now just wait for the rain and sunshine to do their thing.
Step 5: Cold Stratification
Now, here’s a little trick for ya. Black Eyed Susans, they like a little cold before they’ll sprout. So, if you want to start your seeds early, what you gotta do is mix ‘em up with some moist sand, or even wrap ‘em in a damp paper towel. Then, you seal them up in a plastic bag and put ’em in the fridge for about six weeks. After that, you can plant ‘em inside or out, but remember, wait until the weather warms up a bit. Them seeds will sprout nice and healthy if you treat ‘em right.
Step 6: Wait and watch
After you plant them seeds, all you gotta do is sit back and wait. Now, don’t go worrying too much. Black Eyed Susans are tough little flowers, and they’ll grow just fine without you hoverin’ over ‘em. Just make sure they’re getting enough water and sunlight, and before you know it, you’ll see them bright yellow flowers poppin’ up, and you’ll have more seeds to collect next year.
So, there you have it, folks. Collecting Black Eyed Susan seeds is easy as pie, and if you do it right, you’ll have flowers year after year without spendin’ a dime. Just remember to identify ‘em right, let ‘em dry out, store ‘em well, and plant ‘em with care. Pretty soon, you’ll have a whole patch of these lovely flowers to admire. And who knows, maybe you’ll even get a few folks askin’ you how you did it!
Tags：[Black Eyed Susan, collecting seeds, gardening tips, grow flowers, save seeds, Black Eyed Susan seeds, flower gardening, easy gardening, Rudbeckia hirta, flower propagation]
