Saving Your Own Phacelia Seed 🌿
One of the joys of growing Phacelia tanacetifolia is that it is incredibly attractive to bees and other pollinators – and it’s also very easy to save seed for next year. A single sowing can produce plenty of seed, enough for your own plot and perhaps a few packets to share with fellow allotmenteers.
When Are the Seeds Ready?
After the beautiful purple flowers have faded, the seed heads begin to dry and turn brown. The trick is to wait until most of the seed pods are dry, but not so long that they split and scatter their contents onto the soil.
How to Collect the Seed
- Choose a dry day. Damp seed is more likely to go mouldy in storage.
- Cut the seed heads when most of the pods have turned brown and papery.
- Place them in a paper bag or tray so that any loose seeds are caught.
- Allow the seed heads to dry completely indoors for a few days in a warm, airy spot.
- Gently crumble the seed heads between your fingers to release the seeds.
- Separate the seed from the chaff by sieving or simply blowing away the lighter debris.
Storing Your Seed
Once the seeds are thoroughly dry:
- Store them in a labelled paper envelope or airtight container.
- Keep them somewhere cool, dark and dry.
- Don’t forget to write the variety and year on the packet.
Properly stored, phacelia seed should remain viable for several years.
A Few Allotment Tips
🌱 Leave a few plants standing for as long as possible to feed pollinators before collecting seed.
🌱 Phacelia often self-seeds gently around the plot, so don’t be surprised if a few seedlings appear next spring.
🌱 Saved seed makes an excellent free green manure crop and is perfect for filling gaps after early potatoes, garlic or broad beans have been harvested.
There’s something particularly satisfying about saving seed from a plant that has spent the summer humming with bees. A handful of tiny black seeds can become next year’s pollinator patch – and it doesn’t cost a penny. 🐝💜
Category: The Plot → Flowers & Green Manures
Tags: Phacelia, Seed Saving, Pollinator Plants, Green Manure, Wildlife Gardening