How to collect seeds of petunia plant || Singh Garden Tips

How to Store Petunia Seeds for Best Viability

Petunias (Petunia spp.) feature red, white, lavender, blue or yellow flowers from spring through fall and produce seeds after flowering. Saving the seeds will give you an ongoing supply for growing these plants, which are tender perennials in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 11 and grown as annuals elsewhere. You can harvest your petunias' seeds and plant them the next year or save leftover purchased seeds for use the following year. Proper seed storage ensures the maximum amount of the saved seeds are viable, able to sprout and grow into new plants.

1
Pick the seedpods, located at the base of the old flowers, swell and dry. Break open each seedpod, and shake it over a bowl, allowing the seeds to fall into the bowl. Remove all non-seed plant material and chaff from the seeds.
2
Spread the seeds in a single layer on a tray. Place them in a dry, warm room to dry for three days. Allowing them to dry prevents excess moisture buildup during storage.
3
Fill a cheesecloth bag with 1 or 2 tablespoons of silica gel crystals. Place the bag inside a glass jar. Silica gel absorbs excess moisture during the storage process.
4
Place the seeds inside the glass jar, and screw the jar's lid on tightly. Label the jar with the petunia variety and the year you collected or purchased the seeds. Store the jar in a dark location that isn't exposed to extreme heat.
Things You Will Need
Bowl
Tray
Cheesecloth bag
Tablespoon
Silica gel crystals
Glass jar with lid
Label (optional)
Marker
Tips
Petunia seeds are most viable when planted within one year of being collected, but they may remain in storage for two or three years with only a minimum loss of viability.
Before planting the petunia seeds in spring, dampen a triple layer of paper towels, place 10 seeds on the paper towels and fold the towels in half. Place the towels in a plastic bag for one week. Count the amount of sprouted seeds at the end of the one-week period to determinate the germination viability rate of the seeds. If, for example, seven of the 10 seeds sprouts, then the seeds have a germination viability rate of 70 percent.