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How and when to harvest dahlia annual seeds
Don’t have time to dig out the rhizomes of dahlias every year and take care of their storage? This problem can be solved by growing annual plants. It is enough to sow them in early spring. In this article, we’ll show you how to harvest dahlia seeds.
How to collect dahlia seeds to maintain germination?
When to Collect Dahlia Seeds?
Seeds are harvested after the fruits are dry. You can determine the exact moment by their condition. As soon as the scales begin to disperse, you can start collecting. There is no need to wait for the seeds to fully ripen, they will ripen at home.
This is especially true if frosts are promised and it is urgent to collect seeds for sowing.
Harvest the planting material in dry warm weather. It is desirable that there is no wind. If the collection is carried out in conditions of high humidity, then during storage, mold may form on the seeds, and they will become unsuitable for planting.
How to collect annual dahlia seeds?
You can collect seeds on your own by adhering to the following recommendations:
- After flowering, seed pods appear on the dahlias. Once they are dry, they must be torn from the stem. Do this carefully so as not to spill the seeds.
- Bring the boxes home and lay them out on clean sheets of paper. They should lie down for a couple of days and dry completely.
- Remove the seeds from the pods by hand.
The collected seeds will only need to be stored until next spring.
In order to get strong healthy seedlings next year, the seeds must be properly preserved. Place the collected material in a paper bag. You cannot use plastic containers or plastic bags for these purposes, as condensation will begin to form in them, and the seeds will simply rot.
Store sachets with planting material in a room with an air temperature of no more than 10 degrees and at least 0 degrees. In this case, the humidity should be maintained at 60%.
You cannot store seeds in the kitchen, it is impossible to withstand the required temperature and humidity level there.
If you have collected different varieties of seeds, place each of them in its own bag. Write the variety and date of collection on the bag. This will allow you to create a beautiful flower bed in the future by choosing plants according to the color scheme.
By remembering the simple rules of how to collect dahlia seeds at home, you no longer have to spend money on new planting material.