Saving the seeds of summer

September has its own aroma. Greeting us on a morning’s walk, the chilled draft of ripening seeds, falling leaves, and damp grass smells like autumn. Most of our flowers are spent and brown seed pods are beginning to replace summer’s colorful attire. It’s time to wander through the waning garden and save some seeds from our favorite plants for next year.

It’s been a very cool summer and there seem to have been fewer pollinators than usual. Bumble bees, honey bees, hornets and wasps apparently vacationed in warmer zones this year. Seed pods that are usually bursting with seed are virtually empty on some varieties and the late flowering may prevent some seed from maturing before frost. So, it will be a lean year for the seed savers out there.

Sharing seed with other gardeners will be an important way to spread the seeds we are lucky enough to find. Collecting seed is easy once you know when the pods are ripe or understand where the seeds are found.

Daisy-like flowers have their seeds under the yellow centers of the flower. There are enough seeds on one flower to grow enough plants to cover the average garden so you won’t need many of them. The problem is recognizing when they’ve matured enough to be viable. The seed should be tan and plump and larger than the yellowed part it was attached to. This year it may be difficult to find some that are mature enough and they may look thin, fine and brown. If so, they’re probably not going to germinate.

Flowers that have seed pods that open on one end like sweet Williams and the Dianthus family, columbines and poppies, will turn papery and brown and open on one end. The seeds should rattle in the pod a bit and the pod should be just opening up. These seeds are generally very dark or black when ripe. The Dianthus aren’t very productive this year, but, columbines are prolific as ever.

Some flowers have seeds located under the petals in a hard ball at the base of the flower like members of the Centaurea or bachelor’s button family. Dig into the ball and you’ll see seeds like grains of rice or sunflower hearts that are silvery tan.

My neighbor, Peggy Hunt, a native plant specialist and agronomist at the state’s Plant Materials Center, uses her fingernail to test seeds for ripeness. If your fingernail doesn’t leave an indentation in the seed then it’s usually ready. She stores her seeds “in envelopes in a shoebox in the freezer” and arranges her envelopes alphabetically by name and by order of date collected.

Make sure you dry the seed heads or pods before you store them or they’ll mildew. Cardboard flats or cookie sheets covered with newsprint work well to spread them out to dry in a cool, well-ventilated area. Store the seed heads in paper bags or envelopes for a bit and the seeds will shake out of the pods easily. Use an old screen-style strainer to sift out the big chaff. To blow off the rest of the chaff I use a large sheet of white craft paper folded lengthwise to place my seeds in. The seeds should fall into the crease and you can carefully blow off the rest of the chaff.

Saving the seeds of fruit or meaty vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers is a bit trickier. You have to separate the seeds from the flesh first. Peggy likes to let the fruit ferment in a jar of water so “the slime comes off easily.” Shake vigorously to separate the seeds out and drain off the floating skin and fleshy parts. Strain into a tea strainer and dry on a piece of paper toweling. Don’t worry if you can’t pop them off the paper. You can plant the whole thing and the seeds will still germinate! Tomato seeds are viable for a few years and you’ll be surprised how many germinate.

Seed swaps are a great way to find interesting varieties of plants, learn planting techniques, and just meet new friends and share the love of gardening. Seeds saved are also nice to give as gifts on the holidays or birthdays — put them in an envelope, stick them in a pretty pot with some garden gloves and you’re done.

Join the Dirt Divas and the Northroot Gardeners from Big Lake for a seed swap at the Red Beet Café in Palmer, noon Saturday, Oct. 11, 745-4050.

Brooke Heppinstall, artist and gardener, is the owner of Wool Wood Studio & Gardens, an art studio and nursery specializing in Alaska-grown perennials and shrubs. Visit online at Woolwood.blogspot.com.