Jonna, I think YOU would be the perfect person to write a book on that subject, and I will buy it! There are sites on the internet with good information, but I love books that I can carry around with me.
Kent, this is my first year having this plant, since it was already growing here when we bought the property. I still have no idea of how to tell when the pods are close to ready. I really did expect many of them to open around the same time, but some are still rather hard. Not that I'd really know what "almost ready" looks or feels like anyway, but they aren't soft when I squeeze them. I had to make a couple of trips out of state, and the ones that I picked were wide open when I got home.
I know what you are talking about, with the rib. I did try pulling that out, but it was very brittle, and none of the fluff was stuck to it. I made a rather spectacular mess in doing so, and those seeds went floating everywhere! I will try again though, by picking what I think are some pods that may be close to opening. It's so hard to tell on a plant you have never seen before, but I'll give it a try! With the others that I've already picked, I'll try Jonna's method.
Thanks to you all for the help!
