Fruit/Seed separation Teks

[bit]

Wrote this up for centipede, but figure the rest of may want to know how it's done. I'd also like to hear how you do it!

ok, so basically get a bowl of water and massage the pulp to break the fruit up. Use a flour sifter, drain water off, repeat, repeat, repeat etc

Occasionally you can decant to remove either seeds or floaty pulp.

Once most of the seeds seem to be separated from the pulp, sift again and then spread over a large baking tray.

Leave to dry (about 24 hours in summer).

Pulp will go brownish.

Scrape seeds and dryed pulp into a shallow bowl

Massage dry seeds and pulp to separate.

Shake bowl gently, dried pulp will 'float' to the top. Gently blow over the top and the dried pulp will fly off.

Repeat dry process until most of the pulp is gone.

Don't be afraid to lose a few seeds, and the more fruit you do this with, the better you get. If you have any ideas on improvements to this process, I'm all ears!

[PD.]

Yep, my method follows roughly yours bit.

Add pulp to water in a bowl, more is HEAPS better than less!!!, either mash up pulp in your hand before adding to water or drop whole fruit in and mash it in the water, i find it better to mash in your hand and wash off into the bowl of water. Sometimes ill just mix it around with my hand or other times ill get the old hand beater out and mix the whole lot up for a bit. I then sit it somewhere warm for a time, hour or two is enuff usually but leave it as long as you like even overnight if you feel the need. Then i pour off the water/pulp mix and most seed has dropped to the bottom. I leave a bit of water in with it and then pour it onto a large plate that has a few layers of paper towel, it dont matter if there is a considerable amount of water. Usually it is hot as hell here when im doin seeds so it dries up over one or two nights plus the paper towel soaks up a lot. I put a lil water back into the sludge seed mix and give it another mix around and repeat and usually get more seed out but most is gotten with the first pass.

Once the plate of seeds has dried i pour them off into a baggie and the ones that are stuck to the paper are removed by rubbing the paper towel on itself and the excess pulp, which sticks to the paper, is easily blown away.

This method works better with a couple of fruit rather than 10-15 lol. Like Bit mentioned, dont be afraid to lose a few seeds although if its only one fruit and of a sought after/special hybrid then just repeat the mixing/settling process a few times and use a strainer if you want to get as many as you can. You can get diff sized strainers as some seed is larger than others. Spachianus for example is smaller therefore i dont use a strainer for them ( i only have the one strainer anyway) and you get a lot of seed that floats. I dont mind losing a few spach seeds though, im up to 63g of spach seed already this season and still have a heap of fruit forming or waiting to be de-seeded haha.

I have tried just mashing the pulp directly onto newspaper and letting it all dry out which worked ok aswell but the best method i have found is just leaving the fruit. If you cut open the fruit and leave it in a hot dry area it will eventually completely dry out and the pulp turns to dust. You then just blow away the dry pulp which is dust and you are left with the seeds. It does take some time though, a long time and generally i want to get my seeds out then and there lol. You would think cactus have taught me some patience

[bit]

Interesting you are able to use a paper towel - I tried that once and the seed stuck to it and woudn't come off! I had to resort to wetting the paper towel, and ended up with paper towel pulp as well as fruit pulp!

[gerbil]

Am pretty similar to the above but I mash em up in a long glass of water and let it ferment overnight or over a few days, you get to know sweet spots with the smells it produces, but leave it too long and lotsa fungal/bacterial competitors form a layer on the foam.

I repeat the process on the chunks that still have seeds in, won't ferment so much after that but running a similar process over shorter times at this stage.

Generally do a few final rinses of clean seed in long glass, swirling quickly then tipping out the elevated sediment (seeds drop to the bottom a fraction before the sediment) and repeating, leaves nice clean seed.

Put onto baking paper in wet clumps, smeared out best as possible and then smeared again when drier, then leave air dry for a few days until satisfied, bagged and reopened over the next week or so in case any moisture is still there, then sealed for longer term storage if needed.

[tripsis]

Great teks guys, it's good to read how each person does it.

[solomon]

Cheers boys.

also, if one has access to a dehydrator (probably best to have the heat setting off/removed:

Spread jam (flesh/seeds) as thinly as possible over a jar lid or something similar.

dehydrate.

remove when flesh has dried to a crisp, flesh will crumble to dust between your fingers.

edit: I thought I better add that I haven't tried germinating seeds after using the method above, will sow some tomorrow and see

Edited February 8, 2011 by centipede

[Gunter]

I use almost the same method, water based separation of seed from pulp using agitation, i then pour off the water (and most of the pulp) then I spread the seed on cloth, let dry and then rub the cloth a bit over a sheet of paper, seeds fall off to the paper, the remaining pulp sticks to the cloth...

it works well for me

[Hellonasty]

I use a different method for most of my seeds.

Break open the pod or cut it in half using a sharp knife. Using a small spoon scrape out contents of seeds and attached fruit, now spread contents onto a flat surface using your finger or a knife. Allow it to dry in current state for a day or two. Once dry simply run your fingers over the seeds this will dislodge them and you can collect them up. The seeds will still have a small amount of dried pulp attached but they are fine for storage etc. Before using any seeds I soak them in a diluted white spirit bath.

HN

Edited February 8, 2011 by Hellonasty

[Sola]

I've just collected my first cactus seeds, T. spach, can't believe how many there are. I've used the massaging water in pulp and then spread them over

a baking tray. Hopefully it separates out when it dries, was quite a messy process but seem to have thousands of seeds.

Felt and looked like I was squashing frog spawn but the result is good. Thanks for the good tips.

I'll be collecting lots more seed now.

[Halcyon Daze]

I just came up with a great method for separating cacti seeds from the sticky mucilage.

The Halcyon Daze Method:

1. Spread the ripe sticky contents of the fruit onto a sheet of newspaper using your finger, the idea being that the sticky mucilage will cling to the newspaper. Be careful that you don't crack or crush the seeds.

2. Use a straight/flat edge to drag the goop and seeds along the newspaper, a stainless steel ruler or flat spatula will be good for this.

This may need to be repeated once or twice, ensuring the seeds and goop are spread onto a fresh section of the newspaper each time. Spread it carefully with your finger so that the sticky stuff really comes in contact with the paper. Most of the goop will stick to the newspaper on the first drag and technique plays a role. When clean, the seeds will still stick to eachother and the ruler just a little bit, but there is no visible slime (at this stage they could be dried and stored but a final rinse is best).

3. Now rinse the seeds in a bowl of water, strain and rinse in a tea strainer, and finally spread the seeds on a sheet of paper or china plate to dry thoroughly before storing.

This method is surprisingly thorough and efficient, so good I just had to share it with you all. Cheers!

Edited July 11, 2012 by Halcyon Daze

[Auxin]

No one uses their tongue?

I think its fun to shove fruit in my mouth and just sort of flap my tongue all over the place until it turns liquid, spit it in a large beaker, and do more.. then proceed to wash and ferment and wash and dry from there. I recently processed 6,000 Hylocereus seed that way and theyre giving me 100% germination so giving a cactus some proper oral action doesnt seem to hurt it.

Tastey too

[2Deep2Handle]

I do Auxin. I pollinated a Cereus peruvianus monstrose recently, and as i was eating the fruit, i was gathering up masses of seeds in my forming spit wad...

got 75mmx75mm with searles cacti and suc mix, with a 2mm layer of prop sand on top, spat gooey seed filled mix in. 3 days later there were hundreds of CPM babies. Must have been close to 100% germination rate as well. Got to admit, got some green algae forming within 3 weeks of being in a humidy chamber, but just did a repot recently, and they are all loving life!