I Have A Few Questions...

[Ichigo]

Hello everybody! :P
I have a few questions, and instead asking them in this thread and that, I'd just do it all in one shot. I hope that's okay. :rolleyes:

1) I have a bell pepper plant that was pretty top heavy with peppers that are a bit smaller than my fist. When it stormed the other night, the top half of the plant broke completely off! I was bummed! :( So, I'm wondering, can I still eat the peppers? Are they ripe eonugh, since they're kind of small? I would hate to have them go to waist! I have them in the fridge for now.

2) I figured out how to collect seed from marigolds (yay me! ;) ). How do I collect them from dahlias? What do they look like? Are they like 'seed' seeds or leafy-stemmy things (marigolds......okay sorry, that's all I can think of right at this moment ^_^ :P ).

3)I think I have seed pods on my (I hope I don't screw this up!) Stella del Oro. That's a type of day lily, right?? Do they develope seed pods? Interesting....

4) Should I cut all the hosta to the ground? Like, should I mow them over before winter? And when is a good time to divide them?

5) Same question goes for irises.

6) When do I cut ornamental grasses back? I think it's fountain grass. It's tall anyway. :P

I think that about does it for now. :P Thanks! :D :D

[boo]

Not sure about the pepper question since I can never get bell peppers to grow well around here.

2) Dahlia seed? hmm I think it kind of looks like zinnia seed but I can't remember. I've been deadheading mine so I can't tell you yet. I save the tubers. :)

3)Yep, they develop seeds.

4) Mow hosta? No :D divide in spring when they are just poking out of the dirt.

5) Don't mow your iris either. :) I think you can divide them spring or fall :unsure:

6) I cut my ornamental grasses back early spring. I mean what's the use of having that interesting winter foliage if you can't see it?

[TransplantShock]

You can eat the pepers. Mine were loaded this year. Boo, try purple bells. They grow great here, apparenty as the plants are up to my waist and LOADED.

I think boo is right about the dahlia seed but dont expect to get the same thing. Save the roots if you want the same plant.

I collected some seeds from that kind too!

My hubby has weedeated his hostas forever for the winter and they do fine.

Not sure about iris in winer here, as they bloomed in winter back home.

Cut the grass in spring, thats what everyone does around here, rightbefore teh new growth starts.

[MrSeedy]

Pepper seeds can be saved provided the seeds are mature at about the same stage as green peppers change from green to red or whatever color variety of sweet pepper they develope. Earlier at the green stage, the seeds aren't mature enough to replant. Irises are trimmed way back if you want to , especially areas of the country with iris borers, and removing most leaves in the fall is supposed to reduce the number of overwintering borers. Hostas can have the old leaves removed once the leaves have turned brown, but I'd not do it before. Seed heads of marigolds and dahlias may be gathered once they've turned brown and dried a bit on the plants and then you just pull those heads apart to harvest the seeds, (hard to describe), the seed pods on dayliles are havested when they've also turned brown and dried, but watch those as they can suddenly split overnight and unexpectedly to drop the seeds all over the ground where they're hard to find.
I just had that happen to my dismay and lost all but one seed on a pod I wanted to harvest. Grasses are usually left uncut for winter " interest" and then are cut in late winter or early spring to almost ground level , before the new growth starts. Other folks may have a different approach that works for them , but the ideas I've expressed seem to work for me!!

[lighthouseseeker]

I agree with the others. The only thing I'd suggest is to wait until after an Iris blooms to devide it. You might loose blooms if you do it beforehand. Also wait to collect seeds from Daylilies until the see pod is dry and starting to open. ^_^

[Paulineb]

I have a few iris plants that had a green seed pod on, i took it off and put in freezer till spring comes.

[donybee]

You should wait til the pods turn brown as MrSeedy said paulineb and also welcome to Blossom Swap from N W Pennsylvania.