My Leeks seed heads don't want to open!

The Leek seeded that I picked last Fall and left drying in my poly tunnel for most of the Winter doesn't want to give up its seeds!
I've removed the seed clusters fairly well and removed most of the 'straw' of the seed head itself, but comparatively few of the tiny, black seeds are mixed in with the chaff.  I need to find a way to persuade the cluster to release its grip on the seeds they contain without damaging the seeds themselves.  Any tips?  I've thought of using a coffee mill to break things up, but I've balked at this, it might be too extreme.  Advice?

i can’t quite picture what you mean. can you take pics? is just rubbing it between your hands an option?

I have never saved leek seed so I'm not sure if this will work for that but it worked really well for getting sesame seeds out of their pods - I put the pods in a pillowcase and tied a knot in it so they couldn't fall out, then swung it back behind me, up over my head, and then down to hit it on the floor. Repeat several times, then check on the seeds and do it more if needed. The motion is kind of like windmilling your arm, or the motion some people use with an ax for splitting firewood.

Hi Paul,
This should work pretty well for you. The seed heads get pretty big, about the size of a softball or grapefruit. Picture # 1. Put on heavy gloves and break them apart into many small pieces. Then I place them in a heavy plastic bag; I usually reuse an old 1 gallon freezer bag. I crush up the bits with a rolling pin. You can put some muscle into it.  The seeds are pretty tough and this won't damage them. And they stay viable for many years.

I let a few go to seed about every third year just because they are so darned pretty! But I'm still using the seeds (from picture # 1) that I saved in 2015. I just took picture # 2 about 10 minutes ago. The leeks have really enjoyed hanging out all winter and are still growing. In fact I getting ready to harvest a few tomorrow and make vichyssoise.

Happy gardening everyone.

Debbie Ann wrote:Hi Paul,
This should work pretty well for you. The seed heads get pretty big, about the size of a softball or grapefruit. Picture # 1. Put on heavy gloves and break them apart into many small pieces. Then I place them in a heavy plastic bag; I usually reuse an old 1 gallon freezer bag. I crush up the bits with a rolling pin. You can put some muscle into it.  The seeds are pretty tough and this won't damage them. And they stay viable for many years.

I let a few go to seed about every third year just because they are so darned pretty! But I'm still using the seeds (from picture # 1) that I saved in 2015. I just took picture # 2 about 10 minutes ago. The leeks have really enjoyed hanging out all winter and are still growing. In fact I getting ready to harvest a few tomorrow and make vichyssoise.

Happy gardening everyone.

Yes!  I think I'll try your suggested method, Debbie Ann; you've given me permission to be a bit rough with the seeds.  I have a rolling pin and a large freezer bag to put the seeds in while I roll them.

Other suggested ideas such as rolling them between my hands haven't worked.  The seed cluster things simply don't want to let go of their precious seeds!

Thanks for the tip!

greg mosser wrote:i can’t quite picture what you mean. can you take pics? is just rubbing it between your hands an option?

After I harvested the seed head, (a picture of a typical one is shown in a post in this thread by Debbie Ann), I put the whole seeded into a freezer bag and rubbed them by hand from the outside.  This persuaded only a few seed clusters to open up and release their dark, black seeds.  I've tried kindly persuasion, but that doesn't work; I've rubbed them together by hand, but that doesn't work either.

Debbie Ann has suggested I get tough and roll the seed clusters under a rolling pin.  I'm going to try that next!

Paul Steer wrote:

greg mosser wrote:i can’t quite picture what you mean. can you take pics? is just rubbing it between your hands an option?

After I harvested the seed head, (a picture of a typical one is shown in a post in this thread by Debbie Ann), I put the whole seeded into a freezer bag and rubbed them by hand from the outside.  This persuaded only a few seed clusters to open up and release their dark, black seeds.  I've tried kindly persuasion, but that doesn't work; I've rubbed them together by hand, but that doesn't work either.

Debbie Ann has suggested I get tough and roll the seed clusters under a rolling pin.  I'm going to try that next!

Let me know if it works because I had the same problem! I didn't realize that it would be so difficult to clean the seeds from the chaff. I had visions of sharing pretty packages of leek seeds for Christmas but gave up that idea when nothing was working. I didn't try a rolling pin though!

I tried your rolling-pin suggestion, Jenny.  It worked, allowing the small black Leek seeds to be released without damaging most of them!  I now have more than enough Leek seeds from this one blossom to sow what I (think) I need this Spring!

Paul Steer wrote:I tried your rolling-pin suggestion, Jenny.  It worked, allowing the small black Leek seeds to be released without damaging most of them!  I now have more than enough Leek seeds from this one blossom to sow what I (think) I need this Spring!

I think it was actually Debbie Ann's suggestion but I'm glad it worked! 😁

I was trying to find my bowl of leek seed heads and then I remembered that one of my darling children "watered" the bowl of seeds because she was trying to help mom and I had them drying on the shelf where I normally do my seed starting in the spring. That bowl had to go in to the compost. But that's ok since I have plenty of leeks to allow to go to seed this year. They are so pretty and the pollinators love them.