When to harvest seeds

[art fog]

Something new for me. I have never breed for seeds before but I have planted outside males along side females of which I am intent on crossing these several select plants for their seeds. I shook the pollen on several occasions from the males and a brownish cloud encircled the females. The males (after a couple of weeks) are beginning to turn yellow and fade while the females still quite green are forming buds that look more like pods daily. When can I expect to harvest seeds? Anyone with help thank you

 

[Twelve12]

Congrats on the breeding. Hope you get awesome pheno/geno from the new seeds. The best time to harvest the seeds is the same time you harvest the buds. If you can't wait to the end, use these tips as an indicators for seed ripeness.

a. 3 weeks after pollination the pods will split open revealing part of the seed inside. Take a magnifying lope and look for veins or dark marks (birthmarks) on the shell. Also take note on the colors, darker colors is a good indicator. This is usually a good sign that they are ready.

b. Take a tweezers and carefully peal away the folds of the pod. If the seed drops naturally then the rest are also ready. If you have to use some force to pull the seed out, they are not ready even with the coloration and patterns of the shell.

c. Keep in mind that some seeds matured faster than others may due to the time of pollination took place. Not all pistils get pollinated at the same day, same hour, so some may have matured faster because they were first to get pollinated.

Hope that helps. The best way is to harvest it at the same time you harvest the buds, that way you don't accidentally plug out the immature seeds (which could contain the most awesome pheno/geno you've ever seen). Happy breeding!

 

[art fog]

Thanks for the clear explanation. That makes a lot of sense.