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can you save seeds from cut flowers?
Gardengirl..
Posts: 4,172
in Plants
Hello all
Just wondering can you collect seeds from a flower bouquet (cut flowers)? Some in the house (not mine) but they might just get wasted if they go in the bin.
How do I go about doing this?
Do I need to cut the flowers of the stem and them dry them out - not even sure if this would work, can seeds be collected from cut flowers, there are some nice chrysanthemums and some others flowers.
Can anyone help me please?
Hampshire Gardener
0
Posts
cant see why not,I have done cuttings and roses I have had a go at taking cuttings.some times lucky sometimes not.its worth a try nothing to lose.
If they make seeds you could save them but mostly they don't develop that far. Are there any bits of stem you could try for cuttings. You get what you started with like that. Seeds probably wouldn't come true.
In the sticks near Peterborough
May be I will try cuttings - if the flowers don't make seeds I will not be able to collect them.
Tracysshed - you should be able to sow petunia from seed if you make sure they are dry first, then they should grow ok I think.
How big do you think cuttings would need to be?
Would you put them outside or indoors?
hi Tracyshed, Yes, I've done the very same thing in the past. Growing petunias from seed can be slightly tricky as the seeds are so tiny and they need to be surface-sown and not covered by compost. The normal recommendation is to prepare a seed tray and water it first, before sprinkling the seed evenly and finely over the surface, then (very gently) patting it down into the surface (with dry hands, so the seed doesn't stick to them!) Best to start them in a propagator (set to 21-26C), or put the tray in a plastic bag on a light, warm windowsill until they germinate (they need light to germinate, which is why you don't cover them with compost.) Prick them out into individual small pots/modules when they have 2 or 3 leaves (that may be hard if you sowed too thickly!) Good luck - you might save yourself a small fortune!
Gardengirl, flowers in bouquets have never been outside and may not be hardy anyway so they'd need to be kept a bit warm.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks nutcutlet I will put in pots indoors
Has anyone done cuttings before of cut flower?
What would you say had done well?
i have had good success with pinks/carnations bought from coop