It blooms and blooms, then the flowers have dried up - now would be the perfect time to harvest the seeds. Or is it better to leave them on the plant? Perhaps they are self-seeding?

After flowering, the blue cushion forms seeds in early summer

Harvest the seeds in summer

The flowering period of the blue cushion lasts from March/April to May. Immediately afterwards, the seeds form. They are located in the pod-like capsule fruits. Between June and July they are mature and ready to be harvested.

It is best to cut off the whole pods with garden shears as soon as they have dried but not yet burst. At home, open the capsules and let the seeds roll out on newspaper. The seeds can be dried or used immediately.

How do the seeds look?

The seeds of the blue cushion resemble the seeds of cabbage plants. They are small, brown-black to black in color, have a smooth surface and a rounded shape. If they are still light, they are immature. Don't harvest them until they're dark in color!

Sow the seeds properly

Once you have the seeds, you're good to go:

  • Normal and light germs
  • Fill pots or bowls with seed compost
  • Sow seeds well distributed
  • do not cover with soil, just press down lightly
  • moisten soil

The seeds germinate fastest at a temperature between 15 and 20 °C. Therefore, the living room is an ideal place to prefer them. You have to reckon with a germination time of at least 7 days and a maximum of 4 weeks depending on the temperature.

Four weeks after germination, the seedlings can be transplanted. Keep them evenly moist. If there is no frost, they can be planted out. The soil at the site should be permeable, humic, nutrient-rich and calcareous.

Self-seeding is not uncommon

You do not necessarily have to go to the trouble of specifically sowing the blue cushion after its flowering period in order to propagate it. If you do not cut off the flowers, it is not uncommon for self-seeding to occur after the fruit has ripened.

tips

The seeds can also be sown directly. This is best done between May and July for flowering in the same year.

Category:

Vegetable garden