Catching Seed

[David Shaw]

On Saturday Carol and I go to Austria for two weeks (yippee). It is absolutely the wrong time of the year from the point of view of our own garden - watering, flowers about to pop and seeds forming. I have one or two specific plants that I would like to collect the seed from. I had thought about using a paper bag to catch the seed but over a two week period it is bound to rain hard at some point; plastic bags would keep the rain off but would probably rot the seed heads. How do others resolve this issue?

[ranunculus]

I have never tried it but I would think the toe section of a pair of tights would fit the bill?

[Lesley Cox]

That sounds like a good idea. Maybe Cliff has a few old pairs?

[Maggi Young]

Should be possible to make lots of seed catchers from the legs of ladies hosiery, by tying string tightly to make a "toe" end every few inches to make little nylon flower covers.......... don't think it'll look too good, though you won't be there to see it. If the cats are still at home, being looked after by the neighbours, might they ( the cats, not the neighbours) pull the "socks" off the plants thinking them toys?

[Maggi Young]

That sounds like a good idea. Maybe Cliff has a few old pairs?

I don't think so, Lesley, if I remember rightly, Cliff prefers to wear open-toed high -heeled sandals, so goes for the clean, bare legged look..... particularly in summer   
And we know Dave Toole's purple tights got chopped up to repair DL's broken boot......... no, I think David will just have to use his own......

[Diane Clement]

It depends on the plants and the size of seed head.  Years ago, I observed at Ashwood nursery, cotton bags on the seed heads of hellebores and I adapted this for hepatica seed.  I first used fleece cut into squares and tied on with string, but now I use tea bags.  Tea bags would not be big enough for largere plants and they would go soggy outdoors but under glass they are fine. 

[Maggi Young]

Diane's reminders of how primary recycling is practised in the Clements household leads us to the question.... which will dry out best after rain.... old hosiery or bits of fleece?

[ranunculus]

That sounds like a good idea. Maybe Cliff has a few old pairs?

I don't think so, Lesley, if I remember rightly, Cliff prefers to wear open-toed high -heeled sandals, so goes for the clean, bare legged look..... particularly in summer   

... open-toed, MEDIUM-heeled sandals, so goes for the clean, legless look ....

[Maggi Young]

 

[Diane Clement]

the legless look .... 

especially after a Guinness or three ...     

[David Shaw]

Well, I suppose that I could sacrifice a pair of my old tights!

[maggiepie]

I've been using cheesecloth and twisties ( not the ones you eat), works fine for clematis seedheads.
Am also trying it with some hellebores at the moment.

[jomowi]

A small piece of horticultural fleece held in place with a wire twist works.

Brian Wilson Aberdeen

[annew]

The tea bags work brilliantly, thank you Diane, and fleece sewn into bags for larger seedheads also works well. The sewing machine is quickest. I use the tiny clothes pegs from craft shops to close them, but paper clips will do.

[Gerry Webster]

It depends on the plants and the size of seed head.  Years ago, I observed at Ashwood nursery, cotton bags on the seed heads of hellebores and I adapted this for hepatica seed.  I first used fleece cut into squares and tied on with string, but now I use tea bags.  Tea bags would not be big enough for largere plants and they would go soggy outdoors but under glass they are fine. 

I find new, emptied teabags are fine outside (on Hepaticas). They dry out very quickly.