seeds & harvesting

Fertilization and seed development brings the Wisconsin Fast Plants® back to the beginning of the life cycle.

After pollination, fertilization yields a new and genetically unique single cell. Embryogenesis takes this single cell and sees it through to a seed.

Download Fast Plants Care & Harvesting Instructions »

Materials
  • Scissors
  • Brown paper bags
  • Pencil
  • Shallow plastic tray or metal pan
  • Seed envelopes (coin envelopes)
  • Stapler
  • Zipper-type plastic sandwich bags
  • Indicating silica gel drying compound

Harvesting Your Seeds

Step 1
Approximately 20 days after last pollination, when the ends of the pods are changing from green to brown, remove the water reservoir.
Step 2
Let plants dry for 7 days until the pods are crisp and brown.
Step 3
Cut the plants off and place them in a paper bag.

Step 4
Label the bag with the planting and pollination information.

If pods are not crisp, let them dry further in bag. Staple the bag shut.
Step 5
Break up the pods thoroughly by crushing them in the bag to release the seeds.
Step 6
Pour seed and chaff into the shallow tray.
Step 7
Pick out the large pieces of stems and leaves, and the remaining pod pieces.
Step 8
Gently blow on the remaining mixture. The chaff should blow away, leaving clean seeds. You may wish to do this outside.
Step 9
Place your clean, dried seeds into a labeled envelope.
Step 10
Store your seed envelopes in a zipper-type sandwich bags in a refrigerator. For optimal long-term (12-month) storage, add silica gel in the bag to remove any remaining moisture. Seeds stored under these conditions will remain viable for many years.

Other Images

Pods on Plant
A Fast Plant shown wilth pods on the plant.
Download Complete Illustrated Growing Instructions »
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