For Marigolds and Zinnias, I wait until the
flowers (
seed heads) turn brown and are dry before I cut them. Then I gently tear the
seed heads apart over a bowl to remove the
seeds.
For my Hibiscus, I collect the
seed pods when they are dry and gently pull the pods apart and pick the
seeds out. They are black and large enough to see. One thing you need to remember about the Hibiscus
seeds is that the
seed coats are very hard and you need to scarify the
seeds (nick it with a knife or sand it lightly with a file or sandpaper). Just nick it enough until you see some green. Do not cut it too deeply or you will injure the embryo. Then I soak the
seeds in hot water for 2-3 hours to shorten the germination time. I
plant the
seeds immediately after the soaking.
Hope this helps!
patches
