Oh Kate I hope all is going to be okay!! I can't wait to hear (and see photos of) what comes up from the seed!! You may be inspiring me to try some seed next spring!

Kate,

I've found that the chaff doesn't make any difference in terms of germinating the seed. If you put the whole seed stalk into a paper bag and keep it dry and cool most of the seed will come out and collect at the bottom of the bag. After I collect that very clean seed I generally put the stalk back in the bag and give the stalk a little squeeze. That releases some of the seeds that are still entrapped in the capsules. This releases the seed but also creates much more debris. However, if you dump that debris/ seed mix out on a sheet of white paper you can sort of manually separate the larger pieces of debris from the seeds.

In November I find that all the seed is ready to come out of the capsules and so I generally wait until then to do a cleaning and I store the seed in the CRISPER portion of my refrigerator in glassine envelopes. I plant the seed in late February or early March.

Good luck with the seeds!

Kevin

I have my paper bags stapled closed and all ready for harvesting in another month or so. I will follow your instructions on storage in the crisper.
Are glassine envelopes different from the tiny plastic ziplock type?

Yep, they're found in papershops, and are frosty and similar to wax paper
http://images.search.yahoo.com...

Thank you Greg.
Kevin, what size works well for the sempervivum seed?

So is there a reason to prefer glassine over plastic ziplock (other than the potential static "stick to the sides" issue with plastic)? I have both types of envelopes...

Waiting to read the answer to Connie's question.

Lynn,

You'll find the plastic ones will STICK TO YOUR SEED and it's tough to get them out of the envelope. Glassine is a treated paper and the seed seems to repel off from it so it facilitates planting. If you can't find glassine envelopes, you can use coin envelopes although you want to fold them and keep the seed towards the bottom as the seeds seem to want to come the top of the envelope. I sometimes pack the glassine envelopes in coin envelopes, because the glassine envelopes are rather flimsy.

I keep forgetting that I've done this for 50 years and I think everyone knows these things! I had a very good teacher in Polly.

Kevin

We are babies in this Kevin. We need step one and all the other steps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
I make my seed envelopes this way. I just use copy paper.

Well that is cool. Thank you Julia.
I wonder how the paper holds up to moisture in the crisper?

Probably not that good. I usually collect seed in the fall and use it in the greenhouse in Feb. That is other seeds, this is my first year collecting semp. seed. Like to get my hands on some of the envelopes Kevin talks about.

The glassine envelopes don't absorb much water so that's why they are so useful in keeping the semp seed dry. You might check Office Depot or a stamp dealer as the stamps are almost always put in them. They keep the stamps dry and clean.

Anyway, I'm glad I can help you with the baby steps and maybe some major steps. remember you had never made crosses or raised your seedlings from crosses until this year. I had a 49 year head start!

Kevin

Wow! A long time in the semp business Kevin!!
Spring, you can get them at a paper store too!

Chris wrote a "solution" for this!! haha how apropos! http://garden.org/ideas/view/g...
Good article Chris!

That's a good one. Good thinking Chris!!

Thanks for all the great advice Kevin! I'm making notes for next year

The online ones are as little as $5.00 per 100. That's not bad.

I read Chris's idea. It was great, but I don't think I have a Band-Aid in the house.