American Farmhouse Style – August 2019

COLLECTING

Growing plants from seed is the method we most often think about for plant propagation.

There are two types of seeds: wet and dry. Here’s how to collect both.

DRY SEEDS. This is the most common
type of seed for fl owers and bushes in
the garden. Harvest them while they’re
still on the plant and have completely
matured and dried. You’ll know they’re
ready when they’re easy to open or
even open by themselves.

WET SEEDS. These seeds are found in

fl eshy fruits such as squash, eggplant

and tomatoes. They’re a little trickier to

collect, as they usually remain inside a

large amount of fl esh and aren’t easily

visible. “To harvest wet seeds, break open

a mature fruit that has begun to shrivel;

then separate the seeds from the fl eshy

part of the fruit,” writes Halleck.

STORE AND PLANT. Once you’ve collected your

seeds, store them until the next growing season.

Before storing seeds, leave them on a towel in a

cool, dry place for a few days to ensure they are

completely dry. Once they are dried, place your

seeds in a sealed container such as a jar or seed

packet and store them in a cool, dry place until

you’re ready to plant. Then you can simply plant

them and start the process all over again.

See ds

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 • 15

You can get creative with where you plant

your seeds. Here, seeds were placed in egg

shells and are beginning to sprout.

(opposite) If you want to propagate your

houseplants, leaf-petiole cuttings are going

to be your best bet. Leaf-petiole cuttings can

be water rooted or placed in soil.