A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 How to take care of wildflower seeds???

Ok, I ventured forth and started collecting seeds from the wildflowers in my yard. Now what do I do???? How do I store them?????

Good for you!

I keep saved seeds in paper envelopes labeled with the seed identification, when it was collected, and sometimes a memo about planting conditions, if I think I might forget. Avoid keeping them in plastic, which can retain moisture and cause mould.

seeds seem to do better for me when I keep them in a dry, but unheated location over the winter, like a mud porch. Some seeds take their cues about when to germinate from changes in the temperature, especially the wildflower seeds. (You may have heard of people "pre-chilling" seeds to give them the sensation of winter passing. I just let nature do that for me.)

Thanks for all the information. I am collecting more today. I want to create a wildflower area out by the road, in front of the house.

Hey Bill,
What part of Washington you in??? I lived in Vancouver for almost 20 years, and have hiked, hunted and camped all over the Cascade Mtn. I was also there when Mt. St. Helens blew up. It was facinating to watch the plant and wildlife come back as fast as it did.

I live on top of one of the Cascade foothills at the base of Mount Haystack, 3 miles south of Sultan (SR 2) I couldn't imagine living anwhere else!

I was just beginning to clear my land when St. Helens blew and I felt the concussion of the blast all the way up here (and ate my fair share of ash). I agree, to see the area now, you could never possibly imagine what it looked like back in 1980. Totally amazing!

I know exactly where you are. I have been up that way camping and hiking many times. That is one thing I really miss is the mtns. They only have mole hills here in Georgia.

I know what you mean by feeling the blast when the old lady blew her top. My dad was sitting in his recliner and the chair started bouncing on the floor with him in it. Sounded like a bomb went off in the distance.

I remember passing through by train on my way to Seattle the year Mount Saint Helens erupted. It was summertime and it looked like it had snowed.

Was the ash ggod for the soil?

Eventually yes the ash was good for the soil, but for the first few years, it was real bad. It was even worse on car motors. I can remember the State Patrol cars equipped with special attachments on thier cars to keep the ash out of the engines.