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Re: Marking selected plants for seed collection

Heather writes:
>I have a question for the group:  what is the best way to tag plants
>that you want to collect seeds from?  I have a stand of mixed poppies -
>many different kinds.  I only need the seeds from one or two kinds, and
>want to mark them so that I know which they are.  Last year, I tied a
>string around each individual plant, but the string slid down and I
>ended up deadheading some of the ones I wanted (sob!)  Any great ideas?

Dear Heather,

Two suggestions:

With plants that throw their seeds I just take a square piece of panty hose
and a plastic twist tie or rubber band and put the whole thing over the seed
pod so the seeds fall into the hose. For fine seeds like poppies it would be
best to use a piece of white fabric instead. Don't use dark colors though as
it holds in too much heat. 

If I'm collecting from a large group of plants and I only want seed from a
few of the special forms I take a waterproof red or other brightly colored
marking pen. (A paint touch up pen - available at automobile body shops is
what I use) and mark the upper stems of the plants I want. It doesn't wash
off and it doesn't come undone. Just don't throw the painted stems in the
compost pile as the paint contains toxins.

Grow well,
Amber
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Amber & Wayman Hearn                    jadare@accessus.net
Whippoorwill Creek Nursery              USDA Z-5
943 Foxville Road                       mintemp = -15F/maxtemp = 102F
Kell, IL 62853
618-822-6000
Our catalog is finally up - http://www.wcn.simplenet.com/Welcome/welcome.htm
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