How to Collect Pansy Seeds

It's that time of year when gardeners look askance at their flagging pansy plants in the flower garden. As the hot weather hits gardens throughout the United States, pansies begin to turn leggy and go to seed. Instead of bemoaning the end of these harbingers of spring, collect the seeds to plant pansies next year. Here's what you'll need - assuming you already have pansy plants going to seed - and plant a gorgeous flower garden.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pansies going to seed. Look for seed pods where flowers once grew on the end of the stalks. There will be green leaves and a spot in the middle that looks like a bit of dirt on a little tiny bulb.
• Paper towel
• Plastic container
• Marker

1. 
   Pansies going to seed

   First, examine the pansies in your garden. Look for stalks where flowers have naturally dropped off. At the end of the stalk you may see green leaves with a tiny dark spot in the center at the end of a small bulb. This is the seed pod. Using your fingers, pinch off the pods and place them in your plastic container.

2. 
   Pinch off the seed pod with your fingers

   Next, take your container inside. Spread the paper towel over the table top. Make a pile of the seed pods to one side. Carefully using your fingers, simply pinch the pods. The seeds will spill out of the pod. These look like flakes of pepper. You may need to gently brush your fingers across the pod to loosen the seeds.

3. 
   Use a paper towel to capture the seeds

   Once you've opened all the seed pods, discard the leaves and portions you pinched off the plant. Make a funnel from the paper towel and gently pat the seeds into your plastic container.

4. Label the container cover with the date, colors or varieties of pansies, and store in a cool, dry, dark place. That's it! You've collected pansy seeds!

Tips & Warnings

• Not all seeds will germinate. Save as many seeds as you can to ensure you have plenty of seeds for next spring.
• Plants grown from seeds collected from your garden may differ from the parent plant. Seeds taken from yellow pansies, for example, may be different colors than the parent plant, depending on how the seeds were pollinated. Expect to get a variety of colors from your home-grown seeds.
• Be sure that seed pods are ripe before harvesting. Look for fat, almost dried-looking pods on the end of former flower stalks.
• Always store seeds in a cool, dark and dry place to ensure maximum germination.
• Plant within one year.

Resources

• http://www.beststepstosuccess.com/page2.html
• http://sevenoaks-jeanne.blogspot.com/
• http://flowergardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/early_spring_flowers_that_can_take_the_cold
• http://theme-flower-gardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/spring_container_gardening

[soanyway]

on 11/11/2008 Cool! I'm trying this!~thanks!

[Islando]

on 10/20/2008 Thanks for the information.

[malenia]

on 10/6/2008 ever