How to collect petunia seeds

Petunia is rightfully considered the queen of flowers. It can be found everywhere - in city parks, and on the balcony, and on personal plots. These unpretentious flowers are loved by all both amateur gardeners and experienced flower growers. Any novice flower lover can grow them, but not everyone knows how to collect petunia seeds. In this article, we will explain the basic rules for collecting petunia seeds. The petunia family has a huge number of varieties and species, and breeders do not get tired of breeding more and more new varieties. Therefore, information on how to collect seeds from the species you like will be very useful. But, it is worth noting that not all petunias can be harvested for seeds.

How to collect petunia seeds: the most suitable varieties

Extremely simple petunias of the same color are suitable for collecting seeds. They completely repeat the parent plant in shape and color, from year to year. While it is impossible to collect seeds from terry species, they multiply by cuttings, they completely lack a seed box.

The same goes for hybrid varieties. They will have a void in place of the seed box, but there are still exceptions. If, however, you managed to find seeds from hybrid or terry varieties, do not expect that the coloring will be like that of the mother plant.

The main difficulty in collecting petunia seeds is that they are very small. And often the seed material, due to its size, can crumble or scatter. If not harvested on time, the seeds may lose their quality. And the possibility of obtaining healthy seedlings and beautiful flowers depends on this.

How to collect petunia seeds at home: timing of seed collection

As with any plant, the seeds of a petunia must first ripen. This occurs about three months after the start of flowering. Key points to look out for when collecting seeds:

• the flower must dry naturally, bloom. And in this place a seed box appears.
• the seed capsule is dome-shaped, at first green, then begins to turn yellow and open. You don't have to wait until it opens up. Open it yourself so as not to lose precious seeds.
• ripe seeds turn brown, so the box also darkens.
• if the box is completely open, then the seeds are ripe for sure.

As a rule, the ripening period begins in June, ends in September, depending on when the flowers have faded. Choose a clear, sunny day for harvesting.

How to properly collect petunia seeds - algorithm

There are two methods for collecting seeds. They do not affect the quality and quantity of seeds; they differ in the time of collection. We will tell you in detail about each method. And you can choose the one that suits you.

1. 1. We cut off the dried flower from the receptacle. Since the seed pod is formed in the place of the flower, it is necessary to pluck the entire head of the flower. At this place, there should be an already formed box with not yet ripe seeds. We lay out the inflorescences on paper or other material in a dry, ventilated place and wait for the seeds to ripen. When the box darkens and opens, you can collect seeds from there.
   2. We are waiting for full maturation on the plant. After the flower has faded and wilted, we remove all the petals and wait for ripening. Only a green box should remain in place of the flower. It gradually darkens and opens up. This usually takes about a week. The most important thing is not to miss the moment of opening the box.Because the seeds can simply spill out or scatter. You can pick a ripe box from the receptacle and move it to a room where there is no wind. And there, carefully open and pour all the seeds into a specially designed container. You can collect in bags, sign each variety separately and put in storage.

How to store

After you have collected the seeds and dried them thoroughly, you need to place them in special boxes or bags made from natural materials. We sign each envelope, indicating the variety, color and shape, date of collection and shelf life.

Plastic or polyethylene containers are not suitable for storage, there is no air in them. It is recommended to store at room temperature, for example in a cabinet, out of direct sunlight.

The temperature should be at least +100. These conditions will help you maintain all the qualities for good germination. Seed material is stored for 3-4 years without loss of quality, subject to all conditions.

Now that you have learned how to properly collect and store petunia seeds, you can plant the colors you like every year and significantly save your budget.