The Harvesting of Daisy Seeds

Choose several healthy-looking, attractive daisies from which to collect the seed. The flowers should also have been disease- and pest-free throughout the growing season. While the harvested seed might not grow just like its parents, choosing healthy specimens is necessary, as well as selecting ones that are desirable because they are more likely to result in plants with similar characteristics.

Allow the chosen daisy flowers to dry out on the plants. Do not deadhead. Wait until the petals begin to dry out and drop, and the seeds turn a darker, deeper shade than their original color.

Place a box or bag directly next to each flower stalk as you cut the flower head from the stalk, bending it slightly over top of the box or bag so you can catch any seeds that drop from handling the plant. Shasta daisies, for example, are known to easily spill their seeds. Set the cut flower head in the box or bag. Label the container with the name of the plant, color and other distinguishing features after you collect all the seeds. If you collect seeds from different kinds of daisies or daisies with different characteristics, use a separate container for each.

Empty each bag or box onto a mesh screen and spread out the seeds and flower heads into a single layer. Set the box or bag in front of each screen so you remember which seeds are which. Let the seeds dry in a dry, airy location for one or two weeks. After this time, the daisy seeds should readily drop off the flower head with a gently shake or blow, which should be done inside the bag or box.