Seed Snatchin' Part XIV... Chaffin' the Booty!

Seed Snatchin' Part XIII ( http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/533992/ ) was getting pretty large to load, so here's the next installment. If you are a seed snatchin' fool, this is the place to share your adventures and if you are a seed snatchin' wannabe, this is the place to get some helpful tips.

Here in Seward, Alaska, it's early autumn, so I'm beginning to collect seeds at home and around town. Once I get the seeds home, I've got to separate the seeds from the chaff in order to put them away and make room for the next batch. Here I am in my worn out old recliner blowing the chaff from some bergenia seeds. I know it looks more like I'm snoring my way through a good snooze, but I'm hard at work!

I donno weez - looks like a snooz goin' on to me! LOL! At least it's comfy work!

One advantage to having a big ol' gut is that you've got a handy spot to set your seed bowl! LOL! I still didn't get all the chaff out of this seed, so I guess I'll have to package it up in larger quantities to allow for the chaff.

Now how do you get rid of the chaff on your shirt? Does DH come around with the vacuum?
:) Donna

That's a good idea, Donna! I wish I'd thought of that! I just got up out of the chair, dusted myself off, then went for the broom and dustpan! LOL!

I'm pickuting you growing bergenia in the carpet, right next to your recliner. LOL!

Oh, we just have an old painted plywood floor here! Otherwise, we'd have been mowing instead of sweeping! With two granddoglets and perpetual mud on our shoes, even a throw rug is in jeopardy!

Last Wednesday I headed into town to buy groceries. That's Senior Day Shopping in Seward (10% off!). Of course, I took along my mini seed snatchin' kit! Here it is with a big plastic glass of bergenia stalks!

Here's the stand of bergenia next to our local post office.

Gosh -- I don't know how this happened, some seed from Purple fountain grass just fell into my pocket at the Rennisance Fair the kids and I went to today.....

Heather

Oh Heather, I'm so sorry to hear that! LOL ~ Suzi :)

We seed snatchers always have wide, gaping pockets!

'Tis a sad thing, indeed, my friends!

I walked the dog last night and discovered that my neighbor was NOT saving the seeds from his old-fashioned, double Hollyhocks like he promised. I was shocked - which led to mini-disaster! I tripped - I stumbled - I fell! When I got home I discovered I had a pocket full of seed pods!

God truly does work in mysterious ways!

Pixiedish told me I should get over here and it looks like I'm a bit late as this is #XIV. I don't know how I missed this forum!

I'm a reformed seed snatcher - the snooze takes up way more time than the seed snatchin' (and I'm not even old enough for the senior discount yet!), but I still have 3 giant former Bob's soft stripes mint containers full. And I can't tell you how many I got rid of last spring. I hope to dump, er, um, plant a whole bunch this fall, so I can justify the fact that I CAN'T NOT COLLECT SEED! I'm afraid it's genetic in my case, at least one grandmother and my mother have both been known to pinch a seed pod while casually walking by some plant that couldn't be resisted. It's kind of like getting my grandfather's brown eyes and rather direct nose, you go with your strengths. And, there are all those plants out there that people swear can't be grown from seed, or never seed back (ahem, never say never about a seed!), so you see, I am one of you! But then WG already knew that, she was just waiting for me to catch up!

I've already snatched, um, collected a seed from a spooned osteopermum, one of those plants that never seed and can't be grown from seed, so there you go! Off and running!

Kathleen, you must keep us posted on the spooned osteopermum and how it grows.
We're having the best time over here.
sidney

Oh, Kathleen! I just looked those up! Totally cool! I wish you luck!

sidney, long time! How's life in my ole home town? Did you get the effects of Katrina? We got lots of wind and rain up here. Uprooted one tomato plants and snapped another in 2. Drat!

Hope all is well for you!

All we got was rain and weree glad to have it. Just now time to plant tomatoes in jax.
;)

You are evil...evil I say! As I watch my garden go to weed. Po' me!

Now, now it's just the way it works. Too hot in summer to set blooms.
sidney

It's been raining for the last few days, so seed snatchin' is on hold here in Seward. I harvested some chive seed heads and had to squeeze the water out of them before I could bring them in the house! Meanwhile I've been cleaning up some of the seeds I've already snatched.

My DH thought there were ghosts in the house when the viola pods in a bowl started popping! I'd put a piece of paper over the bowl to keep them from flying out of the bowl! LOL!

lol, we had that same experience some years ago when I DIDN'T put anything over the bowl - tiny little space aliens flying all over the dining room. The other day I had phlox seeds shooting at me outside. Who needs Star Wars when you have terrestrial seed pods?

Welcome Kathleen! You are in great company!

I did no snatching over the weekend but finally repotted some things from the Spring round up! DUH.

The PO here in Ft. Mill always has something interesting things out front though!

Afraid I must run - too much work to do after being gone from here yesterday!

Nicole

My brother-in-law has the snatchin' bug now! We called last night to wish him Happy Birthday, and he told us all about finding this huge old hops vine near the bike trail where they like to walk. He picked a bunch of dried hops pods from it, and yesterday he used them in a new batch of home-brewed beer. His small daughter helped stir them into the brew! They live in Arlington (Boston), where there have been brewing facilities forever, so he has visions of this being some 200 year old strain of hops. He's been brewing his own beer for years and says if/when his ship comes in, he'd like to operate a B&B&B (bed, breakfast, & microbrewery). Oh, and he is planning to go back and get a good chunk of root from this plant, which he has been advised is the best way to propagate hops and have it remain true to type. We're waiting for a report on the beer! :-D

He's a keeper.
;)

Critter, keep us posted as to what hop-pens!

Good luck with the root- tell him to get a lot of big chunks and put them in the ground right away. They are very wilty plants.

That purple fountain grass snatch reminded me that I have a friend with purple millet and I swore I would get one next year- maybe she will let me take some seeds. Hope the birds haven't gotten them all.

This message was edited Sep 8, 2005 1:15 PM

Will the Purple Millet come back true from seed, Ivy?

I got some purple millet seeds that were still attached to their stalk (so I know they weren't purchased), and they came true. Mine are looking good, so I should end up with plenty of seeds to share.

They are really beautiful, but I would have to start mine pretty early indoors, I think, to enjoy them before our fall weather hits.

WG, Millet comes to head pretty fast. We plant Japanese millet halfway through the summer and I always get some seed heads. We don't grow it for the grain, but rather graze it. They are neat to dry for wreaths and arrangements, and Stan always pulls me a few. Now what I need to do is get early enough to the neighbor's rye and get a few heads.

I think our weather is too wet to make some of the grasses happy.

The 'Purple Majesty' millet did really well in this 20 inch container that got regular watering. The ones in the drier side bed did not grow nearly so large. Of course, containers also drain well. I loved the combination with the trailing coleus -- it made a striking accent by my front walk!

Oh, that is beautiful! I never have much luck with the grains and grasses here... it may be our short season and cool temps, as well as the rain.

This pot gets only a few hours of morning sun, and it looked great almost all summer (strong early grower)... I'm going to make a note to put some seeds in your envelope to try... Even if you just grow out a couple, it would be a worthwhile trial. I also have seeds for a tall, burgundy amaranth that would fill a similar role... wonder if those would do better for you?

*squeek*....(sneaking in the door)...I have a confession to make....I too am a seed snatcher!!

I was working at the Visitor's Center of a National Park this week ..and of all things...there was a BIG ole stalk of seeds laying on the ground from a big clump of Bear Grass. Well...it tried to jump in my pocket...but I finally had to go back in the Center and get some scissors to help it along.

Now....what do I do with them?...they are tiny, little, round, tan balls.

Jo

What, *you*?? A seed snatcher??!? No way! ;-)

Awhhh, I knew you had it in you all along.

I remember Bear Grass from our camping trips out West -- at night, they look like tall clumps of big light bulbs when the light from a flashlight or car headlight catches them! Very cool plant.

Sounds like the seeds are ripe. Let the stalk dry a little, then try beating it inside a paper bag to see if you can shake the seeds loose. I like to let seeds dry on a paper towel or paper plate for several weeks before bagging them, especially if I'm using little plastic ziptop bags rather than paper packets (seeds that aren't completely dry get moldy). These are pretty generic suggestions; maybe somebody will have advice that's specific to Bear Grass.

Jo,
Does Bear Grass = Yucca? Like this? http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/53117/
The propagation says something about agar?? Personally I try to get my hands on some sand and start a few seeds in a pot of it. These are very hardy plants. I brought back seeds from my trip to Texas annd haven't planted yet.
sidney

I think this is the Bear Grass I was thinking of, http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/14955/

I didn't know there were yuccas that are also known as bear grass. :-)

Wonder which one RR has?

Thanks for the tips on the Purple Majesty Millet. That container is really super looking! I will ask my friend for seeds. The only thing I knew about millet is that it sprung up really fast from our bird feeder when we used to get the mix. Now we just get the sunflower seeds.

Bear Grass is awesome!

Yes, very common in the southwest and what we referred to as Bear Grass in Texas and New Mexico.
I was being facicious when I commented about the sand.
But being she got it where she did, yours may be the one.
sidney

Where did everybody go? Out snatching seeds? Went on a day trip this weekend and didn't snatch any seeds but did snatch some "cuttings". Have no idea what they are, but they sure were pretty vines. Hope they root!