Seed planting season has started. Here's the way I do it.

[TomInTucson]

My seed sowing is typically around 180 to 300 pots annually. Having extra seedlings is rarely an issue. In my situation I lose hundreds of seedlings yearly to herbivores (rodents and birds), insects (mealy bugs), and weather (sun and frost). The sun can produce intense radiation here in the Arizona desert. Frost typically only effects the most tender tropical species. The rodents are clearly clever. They defy the snakes and owls in my neighborhood. They laugh at (I think) the four humane traps I use., and have a preference for the cacti which are the most expensive or are the most rare and/or endangered. Sorry I can't supply any images (rodents or seedlings).

[el48tel]

A dilemma for the newbie seed grower.
Plant seeds as soon as the pod opened?
Or
Put in a drawer to ripen and hope you get the timing right?

[edds]

I overdid it a bit with the seeds last year. On the left, last years sowings potted up at last, finished this week, and on the right, spare plants from the last 3 years sowing.

seedlings 2022.jpg

I thought I was bad for this Paul but you've made me feel much better about my excesses! Thank you!

[edds]

A dilemma for the newbie seed grower.
Plant seeds as soon as the pod opened?
Or
Put in a drawer to ripen and hope you get the timing right?

Definitely depends on the seed Terry. So far all my C&S seed has been saved at least until the following December/January before sowing which seems to have worked ok.

[Paul D]

A dilemma for the newbie seed grower.
Plant seeds as soon as the pod opened?
Or
Put in a drawer to ripen and hope you get the timing right?

I usually leave seed collection until well into the autumn and early winter (on small Andes cacti) when the pods are completely dry and come away from the plants easily. I then packet the seed and store in a drawer in the greenhouse until February, then start sowing. It usually takes me a couple of months doing a little bit at a time. I've found that if I leave seed until the following year, for those species, the germination isn't as good. But if you have 200 seeds and only want 3 plants it might not be a problem