I was wondering if there is an easy way to collect black-eyed-susan seeds. I have always picked the dried flowers and sort of broken it with my hands to get to the seeds but it gets really messy and most of the flower ends up in the bag with the seeds causing it to retain moisture and risk getting moldy.... Any other way I could try?
FayeC
I seem to remember collecting them the same way but found a way to separate them fairly easily. Put all the stuff in a small square or round cake pan. Take a playing card or similar thin, stiff-but-flexible piece of cardboard and, tilting the pan a little, use the card to lift a little of the material at a time and let it fall back into the bigger pile. The seeds, being heavier than the 'chaff', will fall to the lower part of the pan, the 'chaff' will remain at the top.
Tracey
Whatever way you do it there has to be a drying process or you'll keep some amount mositure and get the mold. When you think you have the seeds dry and you package them for storage you need to monitor to make sure you got the mositure out, especially if you enclose the seeds in some sort of airtight container.
I always plant some of the seed as soon as I harvest it then and save the rest for spring just in case my fall crop fails. You'll be amazed how much of a jump start they get doing it that way.
Kevin
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