Question
Please tell me when I should harvest seeds from annuals like nasturtiums,snap dragons,pole beans and anything else with a large seed.Should I take them now when they are still green and dry them,or wait until they've dried on the plant ? Thanks

Answer
Hi Louise:

No you should not take seeds from any plant while the pods are still green. If you do you will only get immature seeds that in all probability won't germinate. Wait until they have turned brown and start to open to distribute the seeds, before you collect the seeds.

If you want to save seeds make sure they are from old varieties not hybrids. Hybrids may not germinate from saved seed, or if they do they won't in all probability be the same as the ones you had this year. However I have had Little Darling snaps (hybrids) reseed themselves and come true to form, so this is not always the case, but just be aware that it could be.

Snapdragons are not a large seed in fact they are very tiny. Those seed pods you see contain dozens of small seeds--like grains of pepper. In fact most seed comes in a pod of some sort, with a few exceptions like Calendula or nasturtiums. Snaps take a long time to grow into a plant from seed. Snaps are very frost hardy and I have had the odd one winter over. The seed has to be frozen and it needs light to germinate. They germinate in cool spring weather. The best way to plant them is to sprinkle them on the ground in the fall after the ground is frozen--earlier and they'll sprout and you won't have flowers the next spring. Choose a protected place--like between 2 shrubs and close to the house on the south side is best, to take advantage of all the sun and heat it can. Mark it or you'll forget where it is in the spring. Then sprinkle the seeds on the ground--don't cover them.

Nasturtiums and pole beans should be planted in the spring.

Here's a trick I learned from when I had cold frames. When you transplant flowers grown in the ground instead of pots. Dig the hole where you want to put them and fill it with water and let it soak into the ground. I dig all my holes and fill them all with water. By the time you've got to the last one the first one is ready to plant. Dig out your plant and put it in the hole and cover it in. Then cover the plant with an up side down flower pot and put some dirt or a stone on top to hold the pot down, don't worry if some dirt falls through the holes not ebough will fall to harm the plant. Leave it for 2 or 3 days then remove the pot. This way the roots hit moisture first thing, the plant is shaded and can set down it's roots and recover from transplant shock. When you remove the pot you'll notice the moisture has stayed right around the roots.

Good plants to save seeds from besides the ones you mentioned are alyssum, annual phlox--treat these 2 like the snaps--Calendula, marigold, hollyhock, for-get-me-not and poppies.

Happy gardening                      Myrna