Chafe is fine IF there are actually viable seeds in there. The problem is, if the person has been careless about cleaning the seeds, then have they also been careless about when they collected them? I received a Monarda seedhead in a trade last year, which was supposed to be from a white M. fistulosa, and I tore that sucker apart and found maybe 5 seeds (which didn't sprout). I also received Aster novae-angliae once which appeared to be a bag of fluffy chafe (it was like where were the seeds???). I sowed the chafe, and did get 1 healthy sprout. By no means do I expect perfectly clean seeds, especially with Asters which are pretty tedious to clean. But these seeds were ridiculous.

Yes members of the asteracea family are notorious for producing a lot of fluff. Once you have seen REAL seed, ther's no chance of making the mistake again. But for lots of folk inexperienced (and we all are at some time, and we mean well) the chaff, in the absence of anything different, can easily be mistaken for something viable. For those checking, with daisy-like flowers, often no seed, one or two, it will be swollen and definitely different to the chaff.

I have enjoyed them, bakemom, and plan to gather more seeds to have lots more plants next year and for trades. They are fun to gather, and easy, too, now that I know which part to save! One of the reasons I requested them in a newbie SASBE packet is that in so many posts last fall and winter, you sang of their virtue. Now I understand. I had them with Gaillardia, Indian blanket, and the combination was quite nice. I've seen photos of the solid yellow ones and they are pretty, too. Hats off to the hats!! -bsr

Image by: wintersown Vernonia Gigantea Seed Heads I've tried very hard to seperate the chaff from my seeds but it's impossible as the seeds are practically the size of dust. What do I do? Stop frustrating yourself! A good example of dust-sized seeds are butterfly bush seeds (buddleia family). I trade my butterfly bush seeds with the chaff included. If you're a seed trader then mention in your initial offerings that the seeds are mixed with the chaff and that the grower should surface sow the entire packet contents and pat it all into the soil. That's exactly how I start mine from seed....easy to do and it works just fine. If you mention up front in your trades what you're trading then no one can be "prissy" about the trade later on. You're not a mechanical machine...that's what commerical growers have to use to seperate out dust size seeds. Saving seeds is supposed to be a calming and peaceful hobby, allowing yourself to get frustrated isn't good for your mental health....don't stress yourself out over it. It's so much easier to mention that the seeds are too small to be seperated then deal with the stress thinking that someone will dissaprove of your trade. THEY can't seperate out dust-sized seeds either. Really teensy-weensy seeds are a major hassle to seperate from chaff, and honestly, they don't need to be. Mother Nature succesfully sows her seeds with chaff, and we can too. Smile and give yourself a great big hug for your efforts! Trudi