[dawnfuller]

French marigolds  ?
Can I keep the heads to dry off in the greenhouse ??
Then use for next year?

[TheSpartacat]

Yup, I've done it! Sometimes the germinated plants don't quite turn out like the parent, if they are hybrids... but they can still come up lovely.

I am growing cosmos daisies from seed i saved last year, and this years ones are bigger, and have WAY more flowers than any cosmos daisies I've ever grown!!
My calendula/pot marigolds are all 3rd generation from yearly seed saving.

[dawnfuller]

Thankyou xxx

[Dirt Diver]

Yup, I've done it! Sometimes the germinated plants don't quite turn out like the parent, if they are hybrids... but they can still come up lovely.

I am growing cosmos daisies from seed i saved last year, and this years ones are bigger, and have WAY more flowers than any cosmos daisies I've ever grown!!
My calendula/pot marigolds are all 3rd generation from yearly seed saving.

I have some great Cosmos this year and they are still in bloom. How would I collect the seeds, do I cut off the flower heads now or wait it they are dead. Sorry to sound dumb

[Yorkie]

Not dumb at all, Dirt Diver.  I'd like to know the answer too!

[mumofstig]

Leave the flowers to set seed, then just before they are fully ripe...pick the seed heads and bring them in and place in an envelope...don't forget to lable them
When they are fully dry you should be able to shake the seed heads/pods and the seeds will drop out

[Pip Judgeford]

The good news about saving your own seed is that over time (4 years or 4 generations is the rule), you are adapting that vegetable or flower for your microclimate.  Which means, problems of hybrids aside, that the plant should get better and better for you.  Ie better in your light sandy soil, happier in your late wet springs, etc. 

One thing to watch though, is that you save seed from the best plants, not the first ones to set seed.  It's very tempting to look at the comos and think "oh look, there's some seed already, I'll keep that" but all you would be doing is selecting for a short flowering period!  If, on the other hand, you have a short summer, repeatedly saving seed from something like the first tomato plant to fruit (which again is selecting for early/short flowering period) means you are adapting that tomato to your short summer.  And your friends and neighbours will love you for it!

Pip

[Paul Plots]

Am I not right that sometimes. with plants such as sweet-peas, you can lose the colour / scent that first attracted you to that particular strain?

Cross pollination seems to cause sweet peas grown from several years of saved seed to eventually end up very much poorer colours.... appearing to revert to a dull homogeneous purple.

[DD.]

I have some great Cosmos this year and they are still in bloom. How would I collect the seeds, do I cut off the flower heads now or wait it they are dead. Sorry to sound dumb

Or do as I did - nothing! I got a great display from my last year's self seeded Cosmos in my spuds this year.

[Paul Plots]

I have some great Cosmos this year and they are still in bloom. How would I collect the seeds, do I cut off the flower heads now or wait it they are dead. Sorry to sound dumb

Or do as I did - nothing! I got a great display from my last year's self seeded Cosmos in my spuds this year.

It could catch on 

[DD.]

You have to be very careful when hilling up, though!

[Paul Plots]

You have to be very careful when hilling up, though!

I bet  :blink: I often pile grass mowings over my spuds once the first / second earthing-up is complete.