Newbie needing help

First of all, I am trusting I am in the right place. I somehow over looked the Datura Forum and posted my question in Container Gardening..I only did so, because..well, my Datura is in a container..I was met with a rude person there..I hope I have better luck here. I did get one response I very much appreciated. So, at the risk of getting my head bit off again, here is the post:
Ok..now PLEASE dont laugh! I HONESTLY do NOT know anything about this. I am new to gardening.(6-8 months new) I do mainly containers. My question is..I have a Sacred Datura. The pod has dried and cracked open. There are little seeds on top of the soil. I read to "direct sow in the fall". What EXACTLY does that mean? Do I put the seeds in soil? Do I need to water them? How long before I have plants?
Yall, I am really not a totally uneducated woman, but this is a new subject for me. This will be my FIRST try at getting a new plant from ANY of my plants that I have...sooo..can ya help a gal out???

I know there are definitions and all kinds of pages to refer to on here..and I have..I just believe first hand experience is a wonderful teacher and I will appreciate any knowledge any of yall can share.

Hi and welcome. Sorry for the rude people.

Direct sow means to plant the seed where you finally want the plant to grow. Since your zone is 9a, that means you can plant it now, about a half to quarter inch deep and treat like any other seeds you plant. Water but don't over water. You do not want the soil to remain soggy all the time. Ideally it should be moist and not wet. Since your temperatures are probably cooling off a bit, it may take longer than usual for the seed to germinate. If you want to save some seeds from your pod to trade for other types, check out this page:

http://www.xeramtheum.com/Daturaseeds.htm

Please heed the warning at the bottom of the page especially if you have small children or pets.

We were all newbies once so ask all the questions you wish. We are all here to share the knowledge!

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OH! You are my new best friend! Thank you so much. I had read where the plant is toxic.And OH MY GOSH! I had only read about Datura on DG..Thank you for the link! You will not believe this! Two days ago, I had snipped some leaves off that, well, just didnt look right..I am almost positive I touched my face because mosqitos are horrible down here..Anyway, I was sick that night and all day yesterday and half the day today. I had a BAD headache with bouts of nausea off and on..I just chalked it up to a bug..Maybe I got some of the toxins in my system! I am also a retired nurse, so I also noticed my heart rate was rapid and my BP was somewhat elevated.I will be darned. I thank you SOOOO much for this link. I will take more care next time. Again, thank you for this link! I do have a Boston Terrier but all he does is charge through all my plants...like a bull in a china closet!
Well, now, our temps havent even begun to cool off! I soooo wish they would. Last year we set a record for the hottest October ever! So, I guess I am in the clear there? I am really excited about growing more of this plant..I love the flowers..I have to admit..I am sort of skittish now..but like any good nurse knows..good handwashing is the best preventative for many ills!

From the symptoms you describe, you were mildly poisoned. Many people do not realize just how vascular our heads are and how readily stuff is absorbed into the bloodstream from the face. Glad it was mild and keep an eye on seed pods when your critter is around.

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