thistle plant seeds Milk thistle seed pack

thistle plant seeds Milk thistle seed packSowing and growing: Either sow seeds in early spring for late summer flowering, or sow in late summer for flowering in early summer the following year. Either way, as these are large seeds that germinate and grow quickly, we recommend sowing the seeds directly into pots (rather than trays) one seed per pot. If you sow in the spring, sow indoors and plant out as soon as they are big enough to handle. Space the plants at least 2 3 feet apart and allow

Sowing and growing:

Either sow seeds in early spring for late summer flowering, or sow in late summer for flowering in early summer the following year. Either way, as these are large seeds that germinate and grow quickly, we recommend sowing the seeds directly into pots (rather than trays) – one seed per pot.
If you sow in the spring, sow indoors and plant out as soon as they are big enough to handle. Space the plants at least 2-3 feet apart and allow plenty of space. If you sow in late summer, sow outdoors and move the pots indoors for the winter, then plant out the following spring. Late summer sowing normally produces higher seed yields.

Uses:

The seeds help the liver to do what it does best by encouraging the flow of bile from the liver and gallbladder. It seems to bring life to the liver acting as an antioxidant that restores the liver to optimum function.

Harvest:

The seed heads do not all mature at the same time, so you will need to keep coming back to catch the seed heads between starting to open and flying away in the wind.
Once harvested, leave them to dry somewhere the seeds can fall as they open up. Then you can carefully pull the seeds out or bash-rub in a bag. Winnow off the pappus and store in an airtight container.