Cleaning collected seeds
David Pilling (Tue, 05 Nov 2013 08:06:34 PST)

Hi,

I let the seeds dry in a paper bag, give the bag a good bashing, then
try to pour out the seeds and not the chaff onto a sheet of paper.

I have a 'tray' (a paper box lid), with several sheets of paper in, I
keep sifting the seed from a sheet of paper in my hand to one in the box
lid. Usually going via sieves of various sizes.

On this experience, shaking an inclined sheet of paper seems to set up a
particle size gradient, if I was going to make a desktop seed cleaning
machine that is where I would start.

However people have already had a go at the problem of home made seed
cleaning machines and posted videos:

http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedcleaner.html

As to allium. Something I only picked up on recently, is that when one
sees a tumbleweed, what is going on is seed dispersal. I've seen the
seed heads from alliums blow down my street and thought "just like a
tumbleweed".

I also find it hard to get the seeds out of allium, maybe one could copy
this natural mechanism for extracting the seeds.

--
David Pilling
email: david@pilling.demon.co.uk
web: http://www.davidpilling.net/