Carolyn,
I'm not a pro at it, but I'm sure others who have more experience here will chime in.
But in my limited experience of separating chaff from some seeds, I use a metal sifter and I sift out the seeds onto a sheet of wax paper, then discard what chaff from the sifter and sift again until there's more sees than chaff.
But I dislike doing that so much (makes me sneeze a lot), that I usually just keep the seed heads together until time to sow.
(Like I said, I don't have much experience with seed-saving the chaff-heavy items)

Linda

One of the things I do is I use a paur of plastic twizzers and just carefully pick out the seeds or chaff whichever is easiest to grab with the twizzers. It is also time consuming and with alot of flowers that is alot of time that could be spent other where. But if it is something that really bothers you then do it. Me I prefer the less chaff as possible so I pick out the un needed stuff.

Paula

For heavier seeds, I use a bowl and gently blow across the top as I move it around in a circular motion. Outside on a windy day works too. I do lose some seed, but the majority stays in the bowl with the chaff blowing away. For lighter seeds and things like coneflowers and coreopsis, I just package the chaff and wish them well. I don't think anyone expects us to get all the stuff out when trading. Butterfly bush seed is the only one that most people don't realize it takes the seed ages to ripen and send only chaff. In my zone, they start to ripen in September from June blooms.

Some are very easy to get without any chaff; cosmos comes to mind, as well as "pod favorites" like daylilies, iris, and poppies.

Many are easy to separate the seed using a bowl like token mentioned. Simply swirl the seed/chaff mix around in the bowl, and the chaff usually will 'float' to the top, making it easy to pick it off or blow it off. Sometimes using a plate is easier if the seed is lighter.

Zinnias are the worst. You can't winnow the chaff because the seed is often the same weight as the chaff, making it nearly impossible to sort it unless you're a tad bit anal. I just put the whole mess in a baggie, and if you trade with me, you'll get a good sized handful to ensure a large trade.

I do have a screen-box that DH made me for such things as separating seed from chaff, but it's not very useful, since the screen is very small, and just a hair too small for seed to effectively fall through.

I like batchelor-button types because the seed usually is glossy enough that it slides out easily from the head when squeezed- much like squishing the center of a daisy.

Echinaceas- careful, careful...else you get impaled by one of those spikes- YOUCH! Fortunately, the spikes are big enough that you can easily separate the light, woody seed from them. (How come birds never poke their eyes out? Their beaks aren't THAT long- LOL!)

Ok, that's all I got.

I don't worry about it too much. The seeds don't care.

Well I have been using the plate method combined with blowing and plucking and swirling. I agree some is worse than others. The poppies and daylillies I collected those are about the easiest I have come across shame they arent all that easy.

I am glad to hear thats there isnt some "technical" way that I am totally missing. I havent ever thought about the metal strainer but I may try that one also.

I usually use the top of a large shoe box to separate seed from chafe (or sometimes a piece of plain copy paper). Many times the seed is heavier than the chafe so I will tilt the box top at an angle and use a small index card or post-it to move the chafe up while the seed will fall to the bottom edge of the box top.

I will sometimes blow the chafe away from the box top outside, or in some cases (like Asclepias) I will open the pods up in paper bag and blow into the bag and the fluffy stuff flies out of the bag.

For Asters, where the chafe is about the same weight as the seeds, I grab ahold of the whole dried fluffy seedhead, pull it off the stem and hold it tight, while gently brushing the seeds off the other end of the seedhead.

Some seeds are so easy to collect and with some it takes a lot of trial and error.

Winowing like so for most seeds:
{{gwi:400769}}

Id say that the important thing is not to try to hard to get everysingle seed out of the pods by breaking them. Store them in some kind of container until they are good and dry and then store them another week just to make sure its REALLY dry.

Just shake the seeds out of the pod and whatever comes out is what you get. I realized that trying to break the pods (turtlehead comes to mind) I got so many little pieces of pod and I couldnt tell what was seeds and what wasnt.

When I start collecting seeds for realsies, I set up a 4' long folding table in my office. I use coffee filters to hold the seeds, pods, etc until they dry. Then I package them. Usually, I give everything at least 2 weeks, sometimes three to dry out.

I think I've used just about every method mentioned here except I don't have a tool to winow with. Looks interesting, though!

Mary

Mary, I use a shallow foil pan. Winow outside when there is slight breeze. Perfect.

Have fun. :-)

I collect a lot of seed in the late summer/early fall and use a bunch of methods, very dependant on the seed.

First - make sure the seed is RIPE on the plant before harvesting. No use going to all the work of saving seed if it won't germinate because it was not ripe.

Next, dry really well. Some take days, some take weeks.

For seperating from chaf I use various strainers I've picked up at thrift stores and dollar stores. All different sized holes. I crumble the seedpods/flowers into the colander and shake to "sift" on to an old shiny smooth cafateria tray. Then I manipulate the seeds and any chaf that has come through by lifting and gently tapping the tray on a table edge carefully so that light chaf stays put and heavier seeds fall to the bottom. Then I package the seeds adding labels that I make on the computer. REady for trades!

Be sure to save some seeds for yourself. :)

Alot of good ideas just note if you get some seeds from me there will probaly be some chaff in them lol.

Token I have saved plenty for myself, I got more than I will ever use on some things. I figure trade time rolls around I should have a few decent things from my gardens.

Dorisl I think you hit the nail on the head thats what I did with the chives. I am slowly sorting it out, Ill probaly just keep those cause I am not bothered by the chaff. I just would hate to send it to someone else like that.

I don't like to spend a lot of time removing chaff. There are so many other things I would rather be doing and don't have time for as it is. The chaff can just be planted with the seeds. It adds some bulk and compost to the soil ;-) I do clean them up as good as I can, but I don't spend a lot of time on it.

If you get seeds from me they will have some chaff in them. Just plant it with the seeds. Unless it is seed that is washed and processed like cukes and tomatoes or goji berries and ground cherries.

Round seed are real easy. I use something like a cookie sheet with edges on it, dump the seed and chaff at one end, tilt the cookie sheet at a slight angle and gently tap it. The seed will roll to the lower end and the chaff will stay at the top. If the chaff starts to move to the lower end you can use something like a credit card to scrape the chaff back to the top. It's something I learned in my high school years.
jim_6b

so far I have chaff in most of my seeds. some are easy to pick out others not so easy. My Cornflower is an example. It is the pereneial type. I tried but the chaff is fuzzy and frustrating. So i just saved the whole seed head and crushed it up.

I did the same with bee balm. Just crushed the heads and removed the chaff if I could.

I like bakemom's idea, the seeds don't care.
Karen

For larger volumes (I go out with empty feed bags to collect seeds) a Clipper fanning mill is a huge timesaver. There is also a table model that salesmen used to demonstrate.
When I load the hopper I give the pods or flowerheads a rubbing through my gloved hands to loosen them then the mill does the rest.
Mine has 10 screens though for the smallest seeds like lobelia, mimulus and such I do sort by hand at the dining room table much to my husband's dismay. Check auctions, estate sales and flea markets for them. Clipper is still in business and I think new screens can be ordered for even the antiques.

Here is a link that might be useful: Clipper Fanning Mill