About the Jig-Bee Flowers Seed Production Process

All of our seeds are harvested from flowers and herbs grown here in Corinth, Vermont. The production process starts in January when I begin crop planning, deciding which varieties to grow and when/where they will be grown to maintain isolation and prevent cross pollination. 

  • Seed starting begins in March and continues until May/June.
  • Our hardy annual seedlings are typically hardened off and planted out in late April or early May. Our last frost typically occurs in May and by planting out early and exposing to cooler temperatures, I hope to create tougher plants that can tolerate dynamic spring temperature swings. Tender annuals are planted out by the beginning of June. 
  • Seedlings destined for seed production are monitored weekly for progress and to identify any off-type plants for the variety (wrong color or form) or poor quality plants (diseased, short, low stem yield, etc). These off-type plants are typically removed. However, if an off-color bloom is identified, it may be flagged and isolated for future breeding work.
  • Seed harvest begins in late June continues until frost in late September. As the plant blooms, seed heads begin to form. The seed heads are left to dry down on the stem. Once the seeds have properly matured, harvest begins. Some varieties are harvested weekly as they are ready and some plants are harvested for seed all at one time. 
  • Harvested seed pods/heads/plants are labeled and spread out to dry further.
  • Once dry, plants and pods are threshed to expel the seeds from the pod or the stem.
  • Seeds are cleaned using a variety of sieves, wind winnowing, and a zigzag cleaner. 
  • Germination tests are conducted and seed lots that don't pass germination requirements are cleaned further and tested again until they meet the requirements for sale.