How to Harvest Indigo Seeds in Fall 🌿 | Saving Indigo Seeds for Next Year, by Petal and Purl on YouTube. 4 min 58 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 58 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Wait until late summer or fall, when the indigo flowers have faded and the seed pods on the stems have turned brown and papery. Green pods are not ready and will not ripen well once picked.
Check a pod by squeezing it gently. Ripe pods feel dry and light, and the small seeds rattle inside. If the pod is still soft or green, leave it on the plant another week or two.
Cut the seed stalks off with pruners and drop them straight into a paper bag or bowl. Ripe pods split and scatter seed, so hold the bag under the stem as you cut.
Pick a dry day for harvesting. Wet pods hold moisture and can go mouldy in the jar, so avoid cutting right after rain.
Open each dried pod over a bowl and tip the seeds out. Roll stubborn pods between your fingers to break them open and release the seed.
Separate the seeds from the chaff. Pick out the papery pod pieces by hand, or blow gently across the bowl so the light husks lift away and the heavier seeds stay put.
As an easier option, slide the seeds off the stems with your fingers and put the stems, pods and seeds together in a jar. Many growers store the whole lot this way and sort it in spring.
Tip the seeds into a mason jar with a lid and label it with the plant name and the harvest date. Write the year so you know how old the seed is.
Store the jar in a cool, dry spot, such as an unheated greenhouse, shed or cupboard. Keep it out of damp and away from direct sun until you sow next spring.
Tips and common mistakes
Only save seed from your healthiest, strongest indigo plants so you keep good genetics in your dye garden.
Let freshly harvested seeds dry on a tray for a few days before sealing the jar if they feel at all damp.
Check stored jars once or twice over winter and throw out any seeds showing mould or damp.
Snip carefully and keep your fingers clear of the blade, since indigo stems can be tough to cut.
Questions
How do I know when indigo seed pods are ready to pick?
The pods turn from green to brown and dry, and the seeds rattle inside when you shake the stem. Pick them before they split open and drop seed on the ground.
Can I plant the seeds straight after harvesting?
It is best to store them over winter and sow in spring, when the soil has warmed up. Fresh seed often germinates poorly compared with seed that has rested dry for a few months.
How long will saved indigo seeds keep?
Kept dry and cool in a sealed jar, indigo seed usually stays viable for a couple of years. Label the jar with the year so you use the oldest seed first.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
