agapanthus seeds

Hi everyone, my agapanthus are going to seed now. Is there a time for harvesting the seed ? And then how and when do I try to propagate them ?

many thanks , Gazania

 

Sow in a deep pot rather than a seed tray (reasons later).
Leave exposed to weather. They need a period of cold followed by warmth to initiate germination.
When (if?) they germinate do not be in a hurry to p rick them out. This is the reason for deep pot rather than seed tray. They have only one root to begin with and if it is damaged, it dies and a new one has to be produced from the base of the seedling. usually they die.
Feed the seed pot with dilute Baby Bio type stuff, until the leaves go yellow then allow the pot to dry off.
Repotting may be done when they are dormant. Some types never really go dormant so be careful.
I often do not repot until they have had another seasons growth. Remember many of them actually grow in late winter/early spring.
Cannot think of anything else for the moment.
Not as hard as it seems.

Works for most bulbs!

 

Thanks for the info, most helpful. Is there a particular time I should harvest the seeds from the plant ?

Gazania

 

I would have said now - most of mine have already fallen off, so I have collected the rest.

I sowed some three years ago and they flowered this year. Which is quicker that Allium seeds that I planted at the same time and where the resultant bulbs are still tiny.

I think Palustris has a good point to put them in a pot deep enough where they can stay for two years.

 

Okay guys thanks for the info. I havn't tried my luck with sowing seeds from the garden before so I will give it a go.

Gazania

 

Agapanthus seeds do not need a lot of cold so if the weather goes like last year, then bring the seed pots undercover. You can store Agapanthus seeds and sow in early Spring, but I find fresh seed germinates better.
Allium seeds would not mind those temperatures unless they are the delicate little Californian types like A. bolandieri.

 

I sow Agapanthus a couple of weeks after harvesting them, which will be anytime soon. I keep them under glass with a winter temp of about 7c and put them outside in april.

Peter, I have twenty at work which have flowered in their second year and ten of them this year (their third) have five flower stems on each which dispels the myth that they take years to flower.
i will hopefully sow some seed of Agapanthus Enigma, the Blue and White one when they are ready as it will be interesting to see what they produce from seed.

 

I took a couple of the pods from my agapanthus today and far as I could tell they were just full of fluffy stuff, no obvious seeds !? They are still green so does that mean they are not ready to be harvested yet ?

Gazania

 

Strongy - thanks - I find precise info about things like time to flower is very helpful. Its difficult to get.

Gazania - really the pods should be brown rather than green. But with some types of seed pod the seeds fall out very quickly once they have gone brown. Its always a difficult call. Really it needs daily inspection - but that's easier said than done.

 

I have only found seeds (black ones) in pods that have turned brown ... here in the sun they can ripen very quickly and split and the seeds go everywhere

 

They are usually ripe when the pod turns white and papery,as Vicky says, they will fall out fairly quick so gather them as soon as you see them.