The timing for harvesting seeds is dependent on when the plant was pollinated. If a plant were to be pollinated in the mid to later stages of flowering, the seeds may not be ripe untill the plant is about dead, and the fruit from that plant would be far past ripeness for medicinal usage. If you are growing the plant specifically for the seed, then you can just let it continue it's cycle; just put something under the plant to catch the seeds as they mature and fall off. If you are growing the plant for both purposes, then the timing of pollination is important so that the majority of the seeds are matured at the same time as the fruit. If you are harvesting just for the fruit, then pay no attention to seed ripeness.

JSG.