COLLECTING SEEDS

One late summer after a particularly spectacular garden harvest I began to notice we had lots of seeds forming. I enlisted the kids to help me so I could teach them about plant propagation, where seeds come from, why plants make them, and how to grow baby plants from parent plants. The kids had fun sorting all the different seeds (we had mostly garlic, onion, lettuce, and peas) and noticing how different they all were. Having a garden is a wonderful teaching experience for children, and they love to learn about their world, especially if you take the time to teach them. I try to share with my children those things I enjoy, and I hope some day they will remember and pass down what I taught them to their children.

A few things to keep in mind when collecting seeds:

1. Make sure the seeds are dry and fully formed. It's usually best to let the plant tell you when it's time. When you start to notice seeds begin to fall in autumn, that's a great time to pick them. 

2. It's also important to make sure your seeds are dry because storing them wet will create mold. Store them in a paper seed pouch to allow moisture to escape. I have linked below some seed pouches that can be purchased from amazon. 

3. Don't forget to put the plant name and date of collection on your seed pouches.

4. Store your pouches in a cool, dry, preferably dark place.