plantain seed ?

I want to save some plantain seed to add to my fodder this winter. I keep looking at the seed stems and wondering if they are mature enough to harvest....vs, are my neighbors about to mow them off.

I'm sure the flowers have to die back and the seeds have to plump up....but beyond that, how would I know? then they will need to be dried, and stored....Any suggestions?

I've fed plantain seed stalks to rabbits at every stage of development from immature, soft and green to brown and dry. I'd grab what I could before the neighbour mows. The leaves dry well too and are a good dried feed and an excellent remedy for diarrhea as well.

You might want to sprinkle some mature seeds on your own land for next year's forage.

We actually bought some plantain seeds this past year from Baker's Creek. They did really well.

As far as when to gather seeds, it's really hit or miss with plants you aren't too familiar with. I would take the seeds once the flowers dry and give it a shot. We bought little tiny baggies from the craft section at Wal-Mart. We write out labels, throw them in the baggies with the seeds, and keep them in the freezer until planting time.

Okay, going to strip a bunch of seeds from the stalks and dry on paper towel for a couple days before putting in paper envelopes...(that's what I do with flower seeds....) Got to beat the mowers....thank goodness it's rained every weekend this month...lots of yards looking rough! And that's also good for dandelion harvest.... <br /><br /> __________ Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:29 am __________ <br /><br /> Well, I have my answer....after trying several methods. First, I picked green stems and let them dry in my greenhouse, stripped the stems and gently pounded the seed husks to release the flea-sized black seeds. Used a flour sifter to get them separated from the chaff. (Using a box fan on low setting in the back yard should guarantee plenty of plantain planted....don't suggest this method.)

Second, I let the seeds dry completely on the stem and rolled them in my fingers as I stripped them from the stem. Better. Still had to pound a little before sifting. Much better results.

Finally, I found some stems that had dried to a dark brown, dead-looking. These stems sprayed seed as I plucked them from the plant. Had to strip the stems in a deep bowl to keep the seed from spraying everywhere. Sifted without pounding. Best yield. Still pounded the chaff and sifted again, with good results. Tedious, but worthwhile.

If you are planning to offer plantain seeds for sale, owlsfriend, it might be a good idea to do a germination trial for each batch. I'm not sure if seeds harvested while still green will grow.