It’s seed saving time for my Atropa belladonna plants. I wrap up my belladonna berries with cheesecloth and twist ties so I don’t lose the berries and all their seeds to the ground or to wildlife. Belladonna seeds have the best germination rate when allowed to fully ripen, BUT the berries also fall off the plant when full ripe. The cheesecloth catches them before they fall to the ground and decompose. You can re-use any organza gift bags or small muslin bags you have instead of cheese cloth, but they often will only contain a few berries, so I prefer cheesecloth so I can cut custom sizes to wrap an entire branch of berries.
You want to wrap them when they are fully black, but still shiny and the shine hasn’t started to dull yet. Harvest them when the berries turn dull, the calyx shrivels and browns, and some berries start to fall off. Don’t wait until the berries dry out on the plant as the seeds may mould.
If you’re looking for full instructions on safely harvesting, processing, and growing belladonna seeds –The downloadable Belladonna Growing Guide has a detailed section on seed saving and is available in the gardening section of the shop.
