Immature (sp) seed question about the verbena

16 years ago

Ok This is really my first time at trying to collect seeds from a verbena plant. I just recently found the seeds. Now here is my question. I am worried that I won't be able to collect the seeds before the pods release them. So what are the chances of an immature (not sure how to spell this) seed producing a plant next spring. And would it be better to wait until the seed pod turns brown before I try to collect the seeds. Which look like little sticks. And another problem is I like the look of a dead headed plant so the urg to dead head is driving me but I want the seeds.

Thanks for any help that you may have.

Paula

Featured Answer

docmom_gw

10 years ago

You could assure yourself of getting seed by putting an old knee-high stocking over one or more spent blossoms before they turn brown. Just leave the stocking tied tightly around the stem(s) until they're brown and then bring the whole thing inside to tear apart and find the seeds.

Martha

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Comments (12)

albertar
16 years ago
Paula
The verbena seeds if not matured will not produce. You can tell if they are ready to be pulled because the flower head will turn brown. I dead head my verbena during the summer, but as of next month I'll start to allow them to go to seed to save the seeds for next years growing. I just noticed you are in zone 5 and I am in zone 7, we get our first frost here either towards the end of October or early November, that will make all the difference in the world for seed saving.
I hope this helps.
Alberta
paulan70
Original Author
16 years ago
So how long after the flower drops should I pluck off the seed head? Should I wait for the whole thing to turn brown or should I snip it off when the thing is still green. Thanks

Paula
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remy_gw
16 years ago
Hi Paula,
You need to wait for the whole flower to turn brown. You could dead head some, but leave a few that are the least conspicuous to turn brown and save seeds from them.
Remy
paulan70
Original Author
16 years ago
Ok so after the flower falls off it is safe to cut off the seed head or should I wait a few days. I thought I had to wait until the whole thing (where the flower was) to turn brown to cut to harvest the seeds. The flowers have been off on my plants (not all of them) for around 1 1/2 weeks now. So if I cut off the seed pods and harvest the seeds now they will produce flowers next year. Thanks for the help

Paula
remy_gw
16 years ago
Paula,
You have to wait for where the flowers were to turn brown.
Remy
AshleyG
10 years ago
Lol, now I'm confused. I've noticed that the part where the flower comes out of will be tightly closed if it hasn't bloomed yet, then it flowers and opens and when the flowers die off, it's very opened and spread out. THAT is the part that has to turn brown right? About how long after the flowers fall off does that take? It seems like mine are taking forever to turn brown once the flowers fall.
I'm in zone 6, should I stop dead heading soon?
randarand97
10 years ago
So how long after the flower drops should I pluck off the seed head? Should I wait for the whole thing to turn brown or should I snip it off when the thing is still green. Thanks

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docmom_gw
10 years ago
The length of time you need to wait will vary from one type of plant to another and also with the weather. Seeds develop faster in dry sunny weather. You really just need to go out and check to see if the seed pods have developed or if there is ripe seed present. I've not saved seed from verbena, so I'm not familiar with it's time frame or the appearance of the seed-release mechanism.

Martha
Candace Maree
7 years ago
I was also curious about this, so I did two things. I Googled what the seeds should look like and I went outside and snipped off a small amount of heads. One chunk was very brown and dried out and the other was mostly brown, but still had a very little bit of yellowish green in them. Here's what I found. If you wait too long (to the point of it being completely brown and dried, you won't get much as far as seeds go. (See picture 1) Your best bet is when the pods are mostly brown and dried out, but while they still look fat. (See picture 2) I also had a couple pods that were still mostly a light green. (See picture 3) The seeds look very immature. I'm going to let them dry out and see how planting goes next year! Hope this helps a little!
Elizabeth Broach
7 years ago
So how did the verbena plants do with the seeds you harvested last year? I want to harvest this year. Also if flowers were picked and put into cases for a week or two to enjoy, are those good to harvest seed from as well?
paulan70
Original Author
7 years ago
Wow this is an old thread. Ok so what I have discovered with verbena seeds is after the flowers fade and the pods have aged anywhere from 2 weeks to a month while dead heading or collecting seeds what I do now is feel the seed head and if there is a hardness to it depending on what the pod looks like about to burst or browned a bit then I collect the seedhead. This is how I tell if the seeds are ready or not. If the seedhead is soft and lower down on the branch if that makes sense then I cut off. The higher on the branch the fresher the blooms. And with this method I have gotten a lot of germination on collected seeds. And if the seeds are green they are not ripe.a tinge of green is ok but the more brown the better.

Seeds collected from cut flowers don't usually have the chance to mature to proper stage. So it best not to try and collect from cut flowers.