I was reading the article “Collecting & Preparing Seeds” by Robin Hansen
in the latest issue of The Bulb Garden that is sent out to PBS members, and
in it Robin mentions the difficulty of collecting ripe seeds if some insect
or animal gets the seeds before you do or the seed pod pops and scatters
the seeds before you get to it. I don’t know if the article is referring to
collecting seeds in the wild but I used to have this problem collecting
seeds from my own plants until I finally came upon the idea of using those
small netted bags that are often used for wedding party favors. I finally
found them on Amazon (using the search words 'organza wedding party jewelry
gift pouch bags’) and they’re excellent for this purpose. They have
drawstrings so they can be tightened around the seed pods long before they
ripen, they’re lightweight, waterproof, and the material lets plenty of air
through so no mold or fungus forms and the seed pod doesn’t get cooked by
the sunlight either, yet the seeds can’t escape and creatures can’t get to
them. They come in different colors (so you notice them and don’t forget
you’re collecting the seeds—even if you do, the seeds will still be there
long after they’re ready to harvest), can be re-used, and they’re pretty
cheap; 100 small bags cost about US$8.00 on Amazon.

--Lee Poulsen
Pasadena, California, USA - USDA Zone 10a
Latitude 34°N, Altitude 1150 ft/350 m

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