How To Save & Collect Black Eyed Susan Seeds

[@jaredanderson7494]

You have a very underrated channel relative the level of content you produce and info you share

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Jared! I really appreciate this compliment.

[@cath.lamontagne5357]

❤😮❤ I love Black Eyed Susans and have some in my garden. Now, I know how to save their seeds, I will try to have more more more of them. My mother passed in 2020 and her name was "Susan" -this was her favourite flower. When -thanks to you- I am successful in planting more flowers, I will surely think of this day and all the wonderful tips you have shared for growing native blooms to attract a gazillion pollinators. THANK YOU so much "Grow it Build it"!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you SO MUCH Cathy! I really appreciate it! Good luck to you!

[@julierichey7759]

This is one of the most helpful videos on saving seed I've ever seen! Feverfew is another seed I have a hard time with. Thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Julie! I've never tried saving feverfew seeds. I don't even think I've seen the plant though.

[@rockyk9316]

One of the best comprehensive video about how to recognize and separate Rudbeckia seeds. Thank you very much!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - glad you enjoyed it

[@antsy_does]

Great help for my own flower bed of Black Eyed Susans. When collecting outside, remember: Always get permission from the landowner when collecting on private land, and never collect on public land. Areas destined to be developed or destroyed in the near future provide excellent sites for collecting seeds, provided the landowner has given permission. Never collect seeds from rare or endangered species - collect only from plants that you find growing abundantly in a given area to ensure that you do not eradicate an isolated population. Take at most only one-tenth of the seeds so that enough seeds are left to reseed and perpetuate the stand.

[@sphillips6357]

hi, is it illegal to take seeds from common plants growing along the roadside? There is one very common black-eyed Susan annual that grows along the roadside here. I was thinking about collecting a few seed heads for my garden. I've seen very few growing in my city proper because the pollinators have all been killed. See my post above.

[@SecretNinjaUnicorn10]

@@sphillips6357I think it would be fine to collect a few, I usually do anyway!🤣

[@vicmurai1033]

Great video - at last someone who knows what he is talking about. 90% of gardening You Tube videos are made by people who are absolutely clueless about gardening. Thank you !!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Vic! I try to make my videos useful!

[@lar113]

My neighbor's adult granddaughter wants to grow these flowers. I told her I would save some seeds for her. I then thought Growit Buildit might have a video on harvesting these seeds. Sure enough, you have one online. I told her I would give her some purple coneflower seeds too. Thank you very much for these videos.

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Lar - I'm glad I could help you out! That is very kind thing for you to do for her too.

[@venicelight1320]

Thank you for your thorough, clear, beautifully photographed, and inspiring guidance!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you so much for the kind words Venice!

[@sylviemiles5439]

Thankyou for that video . I’ve been gardening and collecting seed for over 60 years , at last , I’ve seen how to get rid of the chaff and it’s so much easier than hand picking the seeds , brilliant method . Well done and a massive Thankyou for sharing this info . It will save me a lot of tedious hours of seed picking

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Sylvie! I'm happy I could help you out. I too found it very frustrating to separate seeds from Rudbeckia. And unless you looked closely, you couldn't differentiate the seed from the chaff too easily.

[@chattsignal]

I am just starting … Today years old in harvesting seeds! Thank you for this and I’ll thank my mother (again) for saving me the plastic box w lid (grapefruit jar). Please explain what chaff is. Thanks!

[@growitbuildit]

Chaff is plant material that gets mixed in when collecting seed. It's just waste, and makes finding seed harder

[@chattsignal]

@@growitbuildit Thank you!

[@nealgarverickdnpcrnp7156]

This is the best method I've seen for harvesting Black Eyed Susan seeds. Wow. I wouldn't have thought of that trick. Nice.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you sir

[@stevenspencer9104]

Wow brother, every time I watch one of your videos, more blessings come. Thank you and God bless you.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Steven! God bless you too.

[@greenthumbelina7331]

I love this method of saving Blackeyed Susan seed without having to pick out those tiny individual seeds from the other plant material. Thank you! I'll definitely do this in the fall.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you for the compliment! I was very excited about this too. It is a good solution to an annoying problem.

[@redbloodedbutterfly]

I would never have thought to add something hard to bang against the seed heads to knock seed out. Thanks!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome CG! It is an amazing trick I discovered. I had no idea the seedheads were holding onto so much more.

[@jeremiahveasey42]

Amazing thank you my Grandmother has had Black Eye Susan's for about 14 years now since 2007. It is Hard to Find Black Eyed Susan Seeds. Now I know how to get them for Free. The Yellow Flowers are starting to come off so in about another week I can collect all of them and do what u did. Thank you God Bless You🙏🙏😊 Also we have found out that every Year they even throw Seeds cause every year they are in new places in the flower Bed. These are my Favorite Flowers🌻🌻🌻

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Jeremiah! You will now have seeds every year forever!

[@lauramarti7548]

Thank you for sharing this method. It looks like a great way to separate the seed from the chaff!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Laura! This is by far the best method for getting clean, pure seed.

[@JodiMontano]

This is brilliant! I collected seeds from flowers growing wild and followed your technique. Thank you. It was so much easier than what I probably would have done.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome! It is by far the easiest method I've found for getting clean seed.

[@Angie-ci1lp]

Beautiful display at the beginning. You made it very clear I enjoyed your video!🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Angie!

[@Angie_P]

I've been looking for this since I grew my first rudbeckia this year. Thank you for taking the time to post this!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Angie - I'm glad I could help you out. Good luck!

[@jeannierivera3857]

I just found your channel and am really enjoying all the learning. Love that you also focus and methods that are clean and efficient!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying my videos.

[@nancycook4252]

Thanks so much for this instructional video. I have Black Eyed Susan's growing voluntarily in a pot this year and wanted to save the seeds.

[@growitbuildit]

You are quite welcome Nancy.

[@jimkennedy828]

I really appreciate this!!! I took my small backyard native last year and harvested enough I think I could replant 10 acres. I've planted roadside using the finger method, you know, walking along roughing these up between my fingers one seed-head at a time. I just dug a plastic container just like one out of the recycle bin and have it drying now! Of the 10 to 15 lbs of seed heads of all kinds, I may find something else this method will work with.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Jim! This method is awesome. My kids and I just spread most of our seed in some disturbed areas that our HOA owns (nobody does anything with it). Hoping that we get some nice color, but worried it will all turn to Japanese Stilt Grass. But that is a story for another video.... I've found that this method can be of help with some members of the Helianthus genus - the perennial sunflowers in particular. But most other 'central disc' or 'cone' species seem to give up their seeds pretty easily. Rudbeckia is just pretty stubborn. You may want to have a look at my last video on sunflowers - I do the 'panning for gold' method for separating chaff. See this clip - kzbin.info/www/bejne/raibc6Wrg71ojLc You may find it useful too. Have a good one - happy seed saving!

[@christiansuzannerodriguez5820]

Thank you for this information. I never knew to do it twice.

[@growitbuildit]

That was the magic trick to releasing tons more seed and having a cleaner operation.

[@eleanorrigby2923]

Just subscribed. Love how you get to the point. Good job.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Eleanor - I'm very happy you enjoyed it.

[@csees4334]

This popped up in a planter I have in the VM back yard. Ty for three lessons so that I now have a new fav. In the backyard💯🤗

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - you are quite welcome!

[@azeraeth]

Great video. my neighborhood has a ton of these on the tree lawn. Definitely going to ask the neighbors if i can take some of their seed heads and grow in my yard

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - good luck starting some from seed

[@aliciamcguire4008]

just found your video, Love your method of saving the seeds! Thank you! I have learned a lot! Awesome!

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent! Glad you found it helpful

[@ceotness]

Very much appreciate this video. One thing , the birds rely on seeds to keep things going in the cycle. of it all. It's important for us to keep them in mind. We need each other. Thanks again.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - you are correct to worry about the birds. If you follow the NANPS guidelines, you take less than 10% of what is available, and in areas where allowed (roadsides, read the park rules, etc). That way you don't harm populations but still can spread the natives to other areas. nanps.org/seed-collecting/

[@bobmarley6161]

Fantastic... Thank you... I'm going to start harvesting wildflower seeds...

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome!

[@bobmarley6161]

@@growitbuildit thank you so I just scatter these seeds or do I need to cover them also When's the best time to get the seeds into the garden.... Best regards and stay safe

[@conniegriner1847]

Great method! Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to give it a try!

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome Connie! It works great for harvesting seeds.

[@cathyplantlover2862]

Wow great idea idea to separate the seed from the chaff

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Cathy!

[@lynettecourtney6653]

I wish I'd seen this last week, before I did this year's rudbeckia seed saving! I love the "secret" method, which seems so efficient. I sift & sift & know this chore will be much easier & quicker. I also did echinacea & will watch that video too. I save as many kinds of Vermont native plants as grow on my "varied environment" four acres & this year started a small natives nursery.

[@growitbuildit]

There is always next year Lynette! That is awesome that you have several acres, I just have a half (technically). But I do a bit of guerrilla gardening on some HOA land.

[@lvin1970]

So much chaff! This is a really helpful step by step guide to sourcing some rudbeckia seeds this autumn from my garden. Knowing how to separate the seed from the chaff will hopefully help bring some success in growing my own before my plant is mature enough to divide. Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge. Thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome! We've got good info on germinating Rudbeckia. A step by step guide here: growitbuildit.com/rudbeckia-seed-germination-guide-with-pictures/

[@lvin1970]

@@growitbuildit Thanks for the link. Some really helpful info, especially as I plan to winter sow. Much appreciated, again!

[@jonathannorthup2471]

@@growitbuildit so will we always shake the seed heads twice, first without the nuts 'n bolts, to get rid of chaff, then 2nd time with nuts 'n bolts? Or was that just for demo purpose for this video, that first shaking?

[@growitbuildit]

@jonathan Northrup the first shake is only the seed heads. No nuts or bolts. The second shake is with nuts n bolts

[@InFltSvc]

I learn so much from you , Thank you !

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome! Glad you are enjoying the vids

[@tomaaron6187]

I’m not quite understanding what the purposes and separating out the seeds from the chaff. I just broadcast sow it all together…the same with Echinacea. My only tip is to sow the seed in mid spring or so. This way lower percent of it is an eaten by foraging birds and rodents. Seed is so numerous that even 10% germination is more than sufficient for even a large area.

[@ShabbyChicBoho]

To sell seeds?

[@aprelegriffin4548]

It increases your odds of getting germination. The seeds have to come into contact with the ground and if chaff gets in the way that could be an issue. I separate seed from chaff when I seed share because I know my donation may be split and having chaff would decrease the chances someone gets enough seed.

[@Mattstafford2009]

@@aprelegriffin4548but it’s so much more work! Haha but good to know. I can’t believe some people throw these away in pots and then keep buying them again the next year from home depot garden centers

[@olaysirisavath5358]

I subscribed that your video is very nice and clear help me understand better. Thanks for being awesome, Teacher. 🤗🎉🤗💯👍🌻

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm glad you found this video helpful

[@aliceabplanalp2794]

Question- do I have to store the seed in the freezer?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Alice - I store them in envelopes or if they are completely dry, a zip-lock bag. Keep them at room temp and out of direct sunlight. Refrigerating them would probably keep them viable longer, but I haven't found it to be necessary.

[@DCEventphoto]

Excellent!! Thanks so much !!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome sir! I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@LeoRousseau]

Thanks for sharing your very informative video!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome! And thank you for the compliment. I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@indianatone218]

well done thanks for the tips there a beautifull flower. Greetings from Wales UK . a fellow tuber lol.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Indiana - glad you enjoyed it.

[@vickyponcedeleon8691]

Thanks very useful the most important is you go straight to business. ❤❤❤😊

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Vicky! Glad you found it helpful

[@jaieatsplants]

Thanks so much for this! I wasn’t able to transplant my BES this summer because my grass didn’t die off in time 😭😖so helpful because I can still use what I have!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Jeanine! I hope you are able to get some seed!

[@robox2725]

Great method I’m definitely going to try this, thank you.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! This is by far the best way I've ever saved Rudbeckia seeds. Definitely the cleanest. Good luck!

[@Liz-ls7hu]

very informative. such a beautiful flower- thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Liz - glad you enjoyed it. And it is a beautiful flower!

[@Niceday-yk3ho]

Thank you for the great tutorial

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - glad you found it helpful

[@andrewlivesey2777]

Thanks for a great video, Andy in the UK.

[@growitbuildit]

You're welcome - good luck in the UK!

[@Earthy-Artist]

Excellent video, tells me exactly what I need to know!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome!

[@marianafranowicz]

Thank you for excellent ideas

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Mariana

[@pixierolleston2769]

Hi, would you consider doing a video on saving and sowing Erigeron seeds? Your videos are very informative and concise, and I appreciate how you share this information :)

[@growitbuildit]

I can add it to the list. I always have some growing in my microprairie. I just never bothered to document that one before. It probably won't be until next year at the earliest.

[@pixierolleston2769]

@@growitbuildit Thank you! I look forward to it.

[@donnabarbour5358]

No one in the United States grows this😮

[@growitbuildit]

@donnabarbour I disagree! Everyone grows Erigeron (fleabane daisy), whether they want to or not!

[@Vezmerize]

Hey Joe, posting to increase engagement and say thanks!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@ShermVibes]

This is amazing info! Thank you!!!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - glad you found it helpful!

[@ShermVibes]

@@growitbuildit I'm in my 4th year in new home, and 2nd year with B-E Susans! I had just walked around my garden yesterday when I looked upon them and decided to do some research. I'm so grateful to have found your video! I am always looking for plants/flowers that I can propagate by collecting seeds and last year, I had no clue I could have had more! I've learned how to collect seeds from my 'Sweet Williams' and my 'Rose of Sharon', but my B-E Susans catch my eye every day that I walk out into my backyard. Your video inspired me to go out in my robe this morning and clip the heads and they are now in an air-tight container in my utility cabinet for a few days. (smile) I look forward to filling some empty spaces with BE-Susans next Spring! And I'm assuming I can do the same with my Echinacea right? Anyway, thank you so very much for schooling this old lady and inspiring me to bring more color to an almost entirely green backyard! God Bless you!!!!!!

[@growitbuildit]

@@ShermVibes I'm so happy to hear that I am helping you out - and yes, you can do the same with Echinacea. I have a video specifically on that - you don't need to do the 'nuts & bolts' thing - just shake them in the container. But I have a lot of seed saving/propagating info you may enjoy. And happy gardening!

[@ShermVibes]

@@growitbuildit thank you so much!!! I'll have to check out your other videos! ❤️

[@dawnfels7322]

Great idea. Why wouldn’t you put the chaff/seed plate back thru the shaker with the bolt and washer?

[@growitbuildit]

Well, the chaff and seed are already separated. So the bolt/washer wouldn't help, and could crush them. But you could keep putting it through a strainer or gently blow on the chaff, so it blows away and the seed remains.

[@velerialangbehn6088]

Excellent video! Right to the point.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@debsquires7237]

Can you do a video on collecting bee balm seed

[@growitbuildit]

Sure thing. Will do. I have several Bee Balm videos to make.

[@debsquires7237]

@@growitbuildit thank you

[@greenthumbelina7331]

I would also love to see a video on this, I'm planting Bee Balm for the first time this year.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi all - I wanted to let you guys know that the video on saving Bee Balm seed will go out tomorrow morning!

[@debsquires7237]

Thank you I will be watching it

[@helensmith2184]

Thank you !! I DO LOVE this. Ok how about phlox ?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Helen - for Garden phlox, you can cut the seed heads just before they turn brown. Then take them indoors and place it on a plate. The large seed will naturally release. Then place them in a sealed bag into the fridge until you Winter sow it. For smaller Prairie Phlox, I place a mesh bag with draw string over the seed heads. Then check it every few days, collecting what falls out. These are the only two phlox I have at the moment.

[@wendywilliams2669]

Wonderful tutorial!!! Thanks so much for sharing all your knowledge!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Wendy! Happy Planting!

[@trishferrer8209]

Loved it!!! Thank You for this great info and video. 🌻

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Trish! I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@bakokat6982]

But don’t forget to leave some for the Goldfinch. 😊 Thanks for sharing how to separate the seed from chaff.

[@growitbuildit]

I've got the fattest gold finches in the county at my yard!

[@kg1703]

Excellent- to the point. I subscribed!!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@carlydoehler2291]

Wow, thanks for this!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome

[@Marymass1]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome!

[@FloridaFortify]

Ok.. you are super cool 😎 and you’ve saved the day

[@growitbuildit]

Haha - Thank you TT. I'm glad I could help you out.

[@FlatCreekOutdoors]

Excellent! We have a bunch of BES growing around our property and I'd like to distribute them on different parts on this property. This should work out great

[@growitbuildit]

Perfect - this will get you maximum seed with minimum chaff. Good luck!

[@brendafoster9504]

excellent video sir. thank you !!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Brenda!

[@donnamalinski5780]

Thanks for the video!

[@growitbuildit]

You are quite welcome Donna!

[@hilshils3426]

So you have to separate the seeds from the chaff ( in the larger pile) by hand? A BIG job!

[@growitbuildit]

You don't have to separate chaff, you can just sow the mixture if you like. I prefer to separate, as it makes it easier to know how many seeds I'm using.

[@eatwhatukiii2532]

Thanks for this video, and especially the nuts and bolts tip. I've tried collecting their seeds before but I only got chaff...I wasn't being violent enough!😂

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - you don't need to be overly aggressive with the nuts and bolts, just a few shakes is really all that is needed. But I'm glad you found it helpful, and good luck!

[@KarenGoeden]

Nice video. Do u plant the seeds in fall or spring...I live in wisconsin..thanks

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - you can plant in Fall or very early Spring when night temps still get below freezing for at least a couple weeks. You will get a higher germination rate if the seeds receive roughly 30 days of cold stratification.

[@mdlanor5414]

I only harvest 2 seed heads from my best Gloriosa Daisy plants. The same goes for all my non hybrid flowers. This gives me a lot more seeds than I would ever need to grow new plants. For myself and give to friends. The rest of the seed heads. I leave for any wildlife that eat them.

[@cherigilliam3292]

Excellent

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@thelouiebrand]

Can you dry them out in a dehumidifier type think like used for beef jerky?

[@growitbuildit]

I don't know if that would be ok or not....drying too quickly could possibly have unforeseen consequences like cracking the coat. I really don't know. Usually a week in a garage is enough to dry them though.

[@deborahsmith-wommack1442]

Can you do this with cone flowers also?

[@growitbuildit]

Yes. You actually can just shake them up once. See the video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2Kul2egndmcnsk

[@AMonikaD]

THAT was absolutely wonderful 👏 ❤

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@ambershipley5333]

Can you still plant the chaff and seeds together? I assume the chaff will just die off, and the seeds hopefully germinate, it just gives you a better volume of seeds.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Amanda, yes you can do that

[@blu12gaming44]

I wonder if a rock tumbler with small ball bearings could work to help shear/brush the seeds of pods without crushing or damaging them.

[@growitbuildit]

I have had good germination rates using this method. But using a chunk of wood or a few coins, and not shaking it excessively probably helps a lot.

[@kellybeninghove1182]

Cool!! So, how do you store and then when do you plant the seeds?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Kelly - if the seeds are fully dry you can store them in a zip-lock bag in a cool dry place & not in direct sunlight. Otherwise, store them in an envelope. You can winter sow these seeds, or plant them in very early Spring. The seeds should have a cold moist stratification period of 30 days (simulate winter), or direct sow at the end of winter / beginning of Spring.

[@womanofwazo]

love your work ❤NEW SUBSCRIBER

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@jude1515]

Good video

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@Petrenko2012]

This is super helpful! Thank you! 😊

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome!

[@angelabrosius2559]

Thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Angela

[@TobaccoRoadAI]

Thank you

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome!

[@amylee503]

Great idea! Thanks

[@growitbuildit]

You are quite welcome. This method really gets you crazy amounts of seed.

[@marythomson3229]

Great “how to”! Thanks! Alabama 7b

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Mary!

[@antiquesrestoration3874]

Very helpful...thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome! Glad you found it helpful.

[@DaveSeesUFOs]

Curious if you have tested viability from the chaff/seed mix vs post nuts and bolts dislodgement. I imagine the seeds that fell out first are most viable, but mixed with chaff. I’m not nit picking, just curious more than anything. I’m sure just sprinkling mashed up flower heads and a gentle rake in is easy peasy and adequate for larger scale planting. Great vid. I love how in depth you go!

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Dink - I have not tested that chaff/seed vs straight seed. I believe you are correct though, mashed up flower heads work great no matter what. I just like to separate chaff whenever I can.

[@Asdfbedffhdsxe345]

Hi there!!! I’d like to say a bit thank you from England!! I’ve really enjoyed your video and learned lots from you.. I was wondering if you had a bag of seeds that I could buy? I’d love to see the journey of your work over into England. Best wishes to you, cheerio

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Andrew - first let me say thank you for the compliment and kind words. It really means a lot. But for shipping seeds internationally, I looked into it, and it looks to be a bit of a problem. Since a seed would be considered 'agriculture product' I need to get permits from both USA and UK. So I don't think we should pursue a deal. I'm sorry about that, because I do have the seed! But this company I'm linking to might be a good solution (I can't see if they are allowed to ship to UK, but they are a large seed company based in USA). I've bought many seeds from this company before, and they have good quality. I actually bought about $50 worth just this year of different species. amzn.to/2Ygo3iF They mainly deal in true native varieties. If there is any problem, their customer service is great. Sorry again, but good luck sir!

[@executivesteps]

Pretty effective. But what harm does the chaff do if planted with the seed?

[@growitbuildit]

It is no harm at all to have chaff mixed in with the seed. I just remove it to keep it cleaner.

[@kathyschwable1298]

Can you recommend a way to harvest aster seeds? I love your videos and find them quite informative.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Kathy. I'll be doing videos on several Aster species in the coming months. But I'll see if I can do a short one on saving Aster seed later this week. It won't be pretty, just straight info. And thank you for the kind words! It means a lot.

[@kathyschwable1298]

@@growitbuildit Awesome thank you so much!! I will keep an eye out for it!

[@growitbuildit]

A very short video on saving Aster seeds should be out in 15 min or so. Also, this has some pics and description of the process too. I hope it helps you! Let me know if it is ok. growitbuildit.com/how-to-grow-new-england-aster-in-your-garden/

[@kathyschwable1298]

@@growitbuildit Thank you so much!!

[@gogr2409]

Fantastic, thanks!

[@rhondafigueroa4436]

Great video! Thank you. :)

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Rhonda!

[@wandalful]

I have alot of blackeyesusan and want to feed birds in winter. Is it necessary to separate chaff from seed? Will birds eat all?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi, if you're trying to make your own birdseed, then you may want to separate the chaff. In general I believe that they will only eat seed.

[@KevinVanBelle-hp3nn]

do you have to put seeds in freezer for a month or so to simulate winter ?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - you need to keep them in a moist towel in a bag, or winter sow them. By far the easiest way is winter sowing. I have videos on both - Paper towel/ fridge - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHrKipiaqqmcg5Y Winter Sowing - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXy7immaoZJois0

[@TheSuburbanGardenista]

So helpful! Thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome! I'm glad you found the video helpful!

[@ricksauber5922]

Can you put seeds down in fall or wait till spring

[@growitbuildit]

You can do so in Fall or very early Spring. Sow heavily, as birds/rodents like to eat them.

[@yambag155]

Can you plant the seeds along with the chaff and have success? Newbie here

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Yambag - yes, you can scatter the whole lot of it and it will grow.

[@scottlytton5328]

will those seeds need a freezing period before they will germinate? thanks

[@growitbuildit]

Hi, yes the seeds need to be winter sown or cold stratified in the fridge. See here -growitbuildit.com/illustrated-guide-to-winter-sowing-with-pictures/

[@growitbuildit]

And here is how to cold stratify. These seeds should be stratified for 30 days. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHrKipiaqqmcg5Y

[@stevenreichertart]

When do I plant the seeds? Do I have to wait until spring, or can I sprinkle them into the ground in the fall?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Steven - you can sprinkle them on the ground this Autumn. Some will be eaten by birds and rodents, but not all. Or, you could either winter sow the seeds this fall or winter, or just sprinkle/plant them in very early Spring when the evenings are still getting down to the 30's or 40's. You may want to watch this video, where I go into detail on the grow/care of this plant - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKquk3Vsd6p1e6c

[@luzvigerminal558]

Hi what’s type of rudbeckia that is biennial? I got goldsturm, hirta at laciniata. Thank you ❤️

[@growitbuildit]

Hirta is biennial or sometimes annual. When you see it blooming, that will be it. Goldstrum and laciniata are perennial. Goldstrum is very easy to divide in Spring too.

[@luzvigerminal558]

@@growitbuildit thank you. Bees love the rudbeckia mostly the laciniata. I will divide mine this lautumn like what I did with echinacea purpurea.

[@christrees5218]

Which flowers have the longest seed storage life?

[@growitbuildit]

I have no idea. I know that about 10 years ago archeologists in Wisconsin discovered some pottery from Native Americans, and inside were squash seeds. Well, they germinated them and 'rediscovered' a variety of squash from seed that had been stored for at least a hundred years.

[@sandiefallon2409]

I have watched numerous KZbin’s on collecting seeds from the black eyed Susan vine. I have tried removing that green pod at different stages and I have yet to find a seat either it has the little green thing already in it that the seeds gone or the flowers starting to grow in it but I have never found one that I could fine to sit in it can you help?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Sandie, I'm sorry, but I have never grown Black Eyed Susan vine. I am not familiar with the plant.

[@chantalrobichaud4587]

Questions!.... Can you eat them like chia seeds !

[@growitbuildit]

I have absolutely no idea. I've never heard of anyone but birds or rodents eating the seeds.

[@bobmarley6161]

Can I scatter the seeds to get them growing or do I need to cover the seeds with soil....

[@growitbuildit]

I would disturb the soil with a rake or just kicking/scraping with my boot, then sprinkle, and walk on it. That makes good contact with the soil, and usually leaves enough exposed. Just do it in late Winter, or very early Spring, when you will have at least a few weeks of cold evening temperatures.