Bedding plant seed saving

Fay

Hi guys, as this year seems to be quite a wash out I have already started thinking ahead to next year. I would really like to save some seeds of plants I have grown this year/have in my garden...but I need some help! I'm quite new to gardening and very new to seed saving-saved some french bean, pepper and chilli seeds last year and that went well.But I would like to know if I can save seeds from petunias, marigolds, nastirtiums and nemisia...and if so (surely I can as you can buy these seeds) how do I do it? I could really do with an idiots guide to this! Any help would be gratefully received...and tried out! Thanks

Farway

certainly save from marigold & nasturtium, in fact th=y may well self sow themselves if left

To save, wait until seed head dries off [goes brown], then just pick & pop in a paper bag, store in cool dry place [not shed, mice will have them]

Del_Astra

Yeah you can. The seeds or seed pods will be on the flowers, petunias & marigolds, I do most years. Make sure they are dry before storing otherwise they just rot and the whole lot is wasted. I collect and dry off on a bit kitchen roll. Normally a day or so in the airing cupboard is fine. Label and store until ready to plant. The Marigolds seeds are slightly bigger and you can actually tell them apart from others, but still label.

I'd say the important part is drying out and labeling (other wise you forget what they are). If you don't dry out the seeds will just go mouldy. I tend to keep them in envelops or the freezer bags you seal. I still have some camera film cases (you know the things the spools came in) and I find these are good for keeping the seeds in.

Give it a go, but try not to mix the seeds up, I often end up with a tray of petunias with a random pansy in it :-)

blossomhill_2

It will depend where in the country you are, but if in a mild area like me you can just plant the nastursium and marigold seeds into the ground at the end of the season and they should pop up as seedlings early next year - maybe keep a few dried ones as insurance

If the plants you have this year are F1s they will be sterile, so check the labels if you still have them - and if buying plants or seeds nect year with a view to becoming a seed saver, avoid those with F1 in the name

There are websites just about seed saving - possibly "Seedy Sunday" although I haven't checked them lately

blossomhill_2

Seedy Sunday factsheets here - wont let me edit my last post

Fay

Thanks everyone, I will have a go at this!