How to harvest seeds

Garden and greenhouse growers have been advised they can save money by making a little effort to learn about how to collect herb seeds.

According to an article in the Examiner, horticulture enthusiasts who grow their own food can needlessly throw away cash buy buying the same kinds of seeds year-in, year-out.

It stated people should pay attention to their plants in mid-summer, as some can shed their seeds in a matter of days.

The article advised gardeners to watch for petals beginning to fall, as the pods will then be revealed. Herbs should then be turned on their side above some light-coloured paper and shaken gently to allow the seeds to fall.

Gardeners should then remove any debris – such as pieces of dried leaves – from the seeds and leave them to dry out in a sunny area for up to nine days, the article suggested.

It added they should then be placed in small envelopes or glass jars to store until planting season in the spring.

Meanwhile, the Bee recently reported a Portland Parks and Recreation Community Gardens expert gave tips to more than 30 gardeners hoping to grow their own food at a recent event in Oregon.