How to Collect Sweet Pea Seeds

Sweet peas produce an abundance of brightly-colored blooms during the cool weather of spring or fall. The flowers grow either on climbing vines or as small herbaceous plants, depending on the variety you choose to plant. An annual flower, sweet peas thrive in beds, planters and hanging baskets. Sweet peas often reseed themselves in the garden, but collecting and saving the seeds yourself ensures that the amount is sown that you wish to grow. Sweet peas produce easily identifiable seed pods that look similar to those produced by edible peas.

Bag
Newspaper
Bowl
Jar or envelope

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect the sweet pea plants for pod formation once the flowers begin to wither. Pods are bright green in the early stages. Check on the pods once every three to five days and harvest when they are swollen with seeds inside and beginning to yellow and dry.
- 2
  Pick the pods from the sweet pea plant. Place them in a paper sack. Pods may burst open and the paper sack prevents the seeds from being lost.
- 3
  Spread the pods out on a sheet of newspaper in a well-ventilated room. Leave the pods to dry for one to two weeks, or until they turn light brown and become brittle.
- 4
  Hold the pod over a bowl. Split the side of the pod open with your finger, then shake the seeds out and into the bowl.
- 5
  Label an envelope or jar with the year harvested and the color or variety of sweet pea. Place the seeds inside and seal the envelope or jar closed. Store in a cool, dark place, such as a basement or unheated garage, until you are ready to replant.

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