seeds Quick Question on Seed Collection

SL3

SL3

Is there a better time of year to collect seed from your pods. I thought I read on here it's the first pods of the season. Does it really matter. Will early season pods give better germ rates?
 
All that matters is that the pods you collect them from are ripe. In Perris, you should be able to collect seeds from pods harvested at the end of the season and put them straight in the dirt for the following season. The only other worry is isolation, but if you don't mind crosses no need to sweat it. There are many threads on here about how to isolate.
 
That's good to know. Have several plants starting to produce pods and I really can't wait to start taste testing, but thought I read somewhere on here to save the first season pods for seeds. Thanks
 
SL3 said:
That's good to know. Have several plants starting to produce pods and I really can't wait to start taste testing, but thought I read somewhere on here to save the first season pods for seeds. Thanks
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My first (and uneducated) guess would be that they say to save seeds from the first pods because they have the lowest risk of resulting in some type of cross.  Figure that the longer a non-isolated plant is flowering around other plants that are flowering the greater the chances are that pollen from the other plants are used to fertilize, as opposed to the first pods of the season, which, in theory, were most likely pollinated by another flower on the same plant and therefore "pure".  But like I said, that's a complete guess lol I'm hoping someone else can clarify as to why they say save the first pods in particular.
 
The reason for saving seeds from the first true pods. is to promote earlier harvest the next year and so on. In other words the theory is you could shorten the plant out to fruit harvest time, over some years.
 
As well if you have ten plants of the same thing . And they all grow true you want the seeds from the one that produced first. to promote early harvest in the genes.
 
hogleg said:
The reason for saving seeds from the first true pods. is to promote earlier harvest the next year and so on. In other words the theory is you could shorten the plant out to fruit harvest time, over some years.
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I'm not quite sure I follow you, could you please elaborate?  
 
Does my edit help ^^^splain^^^. We are are talking many generations to make a minute difference. I say save seeds always and whenever you can.
 
Most of us are just back yard gardeners not large scale farmers or seed producers. save seeds from any ripe pod and you should be good to grow.
 
hogleg said:
Does my edit help ^^^splain^^^. We are are talking many generations to make a minute difference. I say save seeds always and whenever you can.
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I think so, what you're saying is basically the seeds from the first pods carry a trait that promotes earlier fruiting in later generations?
 
Gotcha.  Since we're on the topic of seed collecting I have another question:  when collecting seeds I imagine it is better to collect them from fresh pods, but can you also collect seeds from dehydrated pods?  I guess what I'm getting at is what is the best method of collecting and storing seeds in terms of ensuring a high germ. rate? (i.e. fresh vs. dried, freezer vs some other method of storing...etc etc)
 
 
Btw my bad, SL3, I feel like I hijacked your post lol!
 
stc3248 said:
One other reason for saving seeds early is you never know when a plant may get sick. I have waited to save seeds only to have a virus wipe out my plants. Viruses and some bacterial infections can be be passed on through seeds.
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Now THAT makes sense.
 
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