purple cone flower seeds

[the1honeycomb]

I have beautiful group of purple cone flower seeds. I need to save store and prepare them for growing next season. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[baymule]

I never saved coneflower seeds. I would guess that you would take the dried flower head and separate the seeds out, then put them in an envelope or a bag over the winter.

 

[so lucky]

Yeah, that sounds right to me. But you might want to cover them with netting or something if you are going to let them dry on the stem very long. Birds love those things, and may eat all the seeds. I covered my biggest and as yet un eaten sunflower head with netting, to try to keep the gold finches out while it matures and dries. They have gotten to all the rest as soon as the seeds start forming.

 

[Smart Red]

Cut the stems with dried seed heads at about 10 inches long. Bind them together with string or rubber band. Put them upside-down in a small paper bag. Once they are fully dry the seeds will fall off when the bag is shaken. You will have the seeds (and a lot of chaff) in the bag. Winnow the chaff or store the chaff with the seeds over the winter, or plant the seeds -- as for winter sowing -- and let them come up in the spring on their own.

 

[catjac1975]

I would dry them in place then break and toss where you want them. They reseed quite easily.

 

[seedcorn]

Do they bloom once per year?

 

[thistlebloom]

Do they bloom once per year?

Yes, but it's a pretty long bloom season, they will open new buds throughout, so there's always mature blooms and just breaking blooms for about 2 months.

 

[the1honeycomb]

I heard that you had to store them in the fridge has anyone else heard this?

 

[Carol Dee]

I heard that you had to store them in the fridge has anyone else heard this?

I do not think they need the cold to germinate. So they will not need to be refrigerated. Just keep them nice and dry so they do not get moldy.

 

[the1honeycomb]

Thanks @Carol Dee I have a bunch and traded some this morning.! very excited