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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Well Keith, I actually went out and collected the seed today.  I've got
a couple of Tablespoons of red-orange berries.  It rained last night, so
they are moist and not all are unbroken.  I have them on a paper plate
on the table, awaiting word from you.
Knowing that we have discussed this at least twice(sorry to be a pest),
I searched my mail folders for asparagus posts and found this one that
you reposted for me last year.
Whatever happened with this experiment?
Did all of the seed germinate?
What do you think was the best, easiest, and most productive way of
acquiring and saving the seed?
Since you did this in 2006, three years ago now, have you harvested any
asparagus from the seeds you sowed?

Bev

keith bellinger wrote:

> Seeds for Spears By Keith Bellinger
>
> 8/18/2006
<snip>
> Just this morning I noticed the berries in my vase had turned from
> green to orange. I thought, "The seeds inside cannot possibly be
> mature."
>
> From The Seed Starter's Handbook by Nancy Bubel: Asparagus: To save 
> seed, cut the ferny plant top when the berries are red, and hang it
> to dry. Soak the berries in water to soften the skin, then wash them
> and rinse off the pulp. Spread the seed on a tray and keep in a warm,
> dry, airy place until thoroughly dry.
>
> Jackie Clay, Backwoods Home Magazine on-line columnist, suggests, "To
>  save {asparagus} seed, just wait until the berries are orange in the
>  fall. Then pick them and let them dry well. When they are dry, crush
> the berries by rolling them between your hands."
>
> I jumped in the truck and an hour later returned with several dozen 
> orange/red asparagus berries in a paper sack.
>
> Half of my berries went into a cup of water; the others left in the
> bag. Tonight I mashed the berries in the cup, strained them and
> dumped the seeds onto a paper plate.
>
> Just for fun I reached over to the windowsill and plucked a berry
> from the month-old branch in the vase. It split easily with only a
> fingernail and five dark seeds rolled out. They cannot be
> distinguished from the others. Maybe they are mature. Keeping them
> separate from the others, I will let them dry further, package and
> label them and in the spring do a little experimenting. Wouldn't it
> be fun to learn that the seeds can be harvested from green berries?
>
> Springtime may seem a long way off right now but I aim to be
> prepared.

--
Duct tape is like The Force:  There's a Light Side, a Dark Side, and, of
course, it holds the universe together.
EarthNSky Farm, NW Georgia, USA