Will I be able to get seeds from these pods after they dry out? Thanks
Christine
Seed Pods
This canna looks to be producing viable seed.
Wait until these pods dry to brown and crisp, and look for hard round black mature seeds inside.
Thank you :>)
If you plant the seeds, you need to nick a corner of their hard shell before planting. Usually, the seeds to not grow true to the parent plant, but that can be fun seeing what other colors you get!
The way the weather is changing :>( I imagine my pods will be drying soon. It's going to be fun next year to see if I can grow them from seed. One of the members sent me some seeds in a swap this past spring but I had no luck, we had such a wet spring most everything rotted. Today the wind is crazy, it broke one of my cannas right in half.
Christine
Yes, know about that wind as it was here too ): Sorry about your canna.
Knocked things all over here and took some of the outside brugs down to just stems.
Cannas blew all over, too .. but fortunately still look pretty good :)
I am in PA and have about same weather as you.
I know you have to wait for the seed pods to turn brown so the seeds are ripe, but if they are picked before they turn brown will the seed still grow?? I just dont have many days left befor my plants all die off.
jen
Great question jen, we may have a frost Sun. or Monday night so, I'd like to know too, what has been said is that they must be dry, SO, I'm thinking a frost would make them dry ??? We'll find out :>)
Christine
I wonder if you cut the stalks and left the seed pods on and put them in a cool dry place, if they'd continue to ripen a bit more until the stalk finished drying up? Otherwise, I'd leave them on the plant until the frost actually comes. The best plan is to split the tubers, leaving an eye on each chunk. That's the only way to guarantee that you will have the same plant as the parent.
MM, I will be saving the tubers, I have for years :>) I just wanted to see if I can grow one from seed. I'll keep you posted
with what I do
Christine
Since none of us seem to have the answer to that seed harvesting question, I'll just conduct an experiment. I don't have to worry about the weather so I'll cut a scape that's not dry yet and let it dry to see if it ripens and just to make sure it's not a plant thing I'll cut one from the same plant that is dry and ripened and see what happens. I'll let you all know next spring.
Randy
If the canna plant is a hybrid, seeds will mostly likely not grow true to the parent.
If you grow enough out though, you may get it :)
The above particular canna should produce at least some seedlings like it's parent.
Cut seed stalks may continue to ripen and the seeds viable provided that are mature enough. If not they will crinkle as they dry. A little crinkling and I have successfully germinated them. If shrivel crinkled, they have not been mature enough to be viable.
They do make nice fillings for shakers though :)
This message was edited Oct 13, 2009 7:19 PM
Good information. Thanks so much..
I'm going for it. Cant wait for next spring to see results for all our experiments.
Christine
I cut all mine down today for winter stroage.. I had a few seed pods left on some so i will let those dry in the cut stock.. If they mature great if not I still have the plant... But its nice to see what you get :)
jen