A question about seed collecting

[Ben Brand]

I'm a bit new to seed collecting. Reaped my Vuelta Abajo ( leaves) this morning, for how long must I leave the seedpods on, they are covered, but are still green and some still have the flowers on. At what time can I break them off to dry?
Ben

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Ben, I bag my seeds and don't cut off the seed head until most of the pods have turned brown. I had a bagged seed head snap off during a severe thunderstorm once. The pods were completely green. I hung them in my barn and they eventually turned brown. I planted the seeds the next year and they were fine. So what I'm saying is: It probably doesn't matter. I like to leave the seed head on until all the pods are brown because I am hoping that the pods are receiving vital nutrients from the stalk/soil thus making a better seed.

 

[Ben Brand]

Thanks for that JBD. Will just leave them.

 

[DGBAMA]

I leave them till half the pods or better are brown then cut the whole head and hang it, in the bag, indoors, until completely dry.

 

[Ben Brand]

Thank you Gentlemen! Now I know.

 

[Chicken]

nothing like keeping your seed. and remaking a grow you allready had,

this year ill be very serious when it comes time to bag certain plants.

 

[rainmax]

I make test in 2013 with green pods and they were just fine. The common practice is to leave them as long as possible to turn brown.

http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/2191-How-to-rainmax-grow-2013?p=61847&viewfull=1#post61847

 

[garryr]

When my first plants started to flower and produce seed pods, I couldn't wait, wanted to see what they looked like inside, and they were still green, ok well some that I opened up all though I could see the seeds, they were still white, but others the seeds had turned brown, I planted some of those seeds, and they did sprout, and produced healthy plants. Also I noticed that with some of the ones that were still white, once the pod had been opened, often they turned brown, but I never tried planting any of those, I kind of doubt the seeds were mature enough.. However I am sure it is best to let them mature completely and the entire pod turn brown, dry out,..the seeds fall out nicely ,etc. I put them in a plastic bag too, but not air tight, actually a paper bag I think would be better, but sometimes when they dry the pods break open and spill all the seed, so some sort of container is helpful.

 

[JessicaNicot]

Truth be told the seed is mature inside the fully expanded green pods I think in the neighborhood of two weeks before they turn brown. At that time the seed itself is in a dormancy phase, but once dried is perfectly viable. The only thing I do not like about leaving green tissue still on the heads is the presence of the not fully developed capsules which I suspect may be a source of non-viable seed (you can usually see it as shriveled seed or tiny dust). The amount usually isn't significant however and most of it is eliminated by our cleaning practices.

 

[chuditch]

I had a practice run at collecting seeds this morning from some pods and was just like I have read.
Picked 5 that were dry at random and one had nothing to very little two had quite a few and two were loaded.
I weighed what I had gathered and it was 0.53 gram (the scales are for winery chemicals and accurate to 0.02 gram)and looked like thousands of seeds.
So waiting for the pods that are on the best two plants that left the flowers on to dry out and I will have heaps of seed for my wife's tobacco next year.
Is this the norm for the amount of seed per pod on average for most tobacco plants or are some less prolific in seed production?
Thinking of all the new strains I intend to plant the next season and gathering from them.
I will of course select the plants to produce the seed for the following year and bag the heads having different varieties growing at the same time.

 

[DGBAMA]

Sounds like a typical quantity of seed for a couple pods.