Flower/seed pod heads...when to pick and dry

[Smokin Harley]

I've got 3 bagged heads right now that the ovaries are nice and plump . Flowers have shriveled and some are even falling off and in the bottom of the bags. Should I let them dry a little on the stalk or can I cut them off ( top the plant) and let them finish drying in the garage? When is prime time to top these seed pods?

 

[DGBAMA]

I cut mine when about half the pods are brown, hang the whole top/bag indoors.

 

[Smokin Harley]

Thanks DG...It looks like I better wait then. How long do you let them dry then before you extract seed? I'm guessing crispy .

 

[Knucklehead]

I've got 3 bagged heads right now that the ovaries are nice and plump . Flowers have shriveled and some are even falling off and in the bottom of the bags. Should I let them dry a little on the stalk or can I cut them off ( top the plant) and let them finish drying in the garage? When is prime time to top these seed pods?

Look carefully - loose seed and worm crap (which can be mistaken for loose seed at a casual glance) is an indication that there is a bud worm in there eating seed.

 

[DGBAMA]

Thanks DG...It looks like I better wait then. How long do you let them dry then before you extract seed? I'm guessing crispy .

Completely brown and dry. You should be able to take a pod and shake it, to hear the dry seed rattle inside.

 

[Knucklehead]

We use these strainers to clean the seed. A tobacco seed is about 500 microns in size. You will want to buy the 400 and 600 micron strainers. The seed will pass through the 600 micron strainer and be trapped by the 400 micron strainer. Most of the chaff will be caught by the top 600 micron strainer. "Winnowing" will get most of the rest of the chaff. The strainers fit in top of a 5 gallon bucket. Stack the 600 micron screen on top of the 400 micron screen and put them on top of the bucket. You will end up with some nice clean seed.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24071&catid=685

 

[Knucklehead]

I like these 2x3" plastic zip bags for seed storage. I get the ones with the white strip to write the variety on. Available from the same place that sells the strainers.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=48790

 

[deluxestogie]

How strange. ULine sells the same zip lock bags for much, much more.

Bob

 

[Smokin Harley]

Look carefully - loose seed and worm crap (which can be mistaken for loose seed at a casual glance) is an indication that there is a bud worm in there eating seed.

sorry, I wasn't very clear...the flower petals themselves are whats on the bottom inside the bag. But I will check that ^ anyway.

 

[Smokin Harley]

How strange. ULine sells the same zip lock bags for much, much more.

Bob

amazing isn't it . a company that you have probably bought from many times and always thought they were the cheapest, really isn't...my step son goes to those music fests and he usually takes something to sell to help pay for his ticket costs. before I knew he had even left , he had bought and received shipment of a box of those "czech tools " he bought a lot of I think 500pcs and paid only $0.70 each, same EXACT one that I have and paid something like $5. Had I known I would have had him leave some home and spread the wealth on here.

 

[romanko]

Spent much of last Sunday harvesting my seed pods.
Picked them when mostly brown, put them in paper bags (open) into the greenhouse, and after a couple weeks were bone dry.
Used mesh strainers to separate the seed, most of my varieties yielded the same size seed, except my Aztec Rustica which didn't strain through the finest mesh.

 

[rustycase]

smokin harley... ok, what's a czech tool? a pipe tamp tool? or ... can't figger how it would relate to a music thing...
Tnx
rc

 

[Smokin Harley]

yes, its the combination tamper, pick and scraper tool ...look in most cigar and pipe catalogs and they usually have at least one .