They came from the flower that wasn’t totally dried up. Your email address will not be published. I placed a sheet of paper next to my dish of seeds and carefully picked each one out. Do not pull the heads too early. And they produce many seeds per plant, so you shouldn't have to purchase seeds or nursery plants if you want to continue growing zinnias. Collecting seeds of Zinnia Elegans is fairly easy. It's getting time to clear out the summer flowers and refresh your beds with cool weather plants that should be arriving in nurseries soon. I have been unsure about when to cut the flowers to harvest the seeds. Keep the varieties separate. As I reflect on the ones that did well, I keep coming back to the mixed Lilliput Zinnias. Spread some paper towels over a clean, flat surface where you can work to gather the seeds. This is the seed you want to keep. Pinterest. Aim to save seeds from plants that display qualities you enjoy, such as an ideal bloom color or optimal plant height. There are also a few green seeds in the photo that I will not keep. First year growing them and they turned out beautiful. Lovely! I am a seed collector and through a bit of research I found out that I could collect seed from this Lilliput Zinnia and it would still come true from collected seed. Notice the two on the right are nice and brown. University of Florida Extension Website. As the blooms fade, air dry the flowers by hanging them upside down. Will try out next year. How to Collect Zinnia Seeds - That Bloomin' Garden. I have grown a few in the past but this year I had three different types. If that’s the case, gently pull off the seed. Leave the bag on until the flower is done blooming. Take a dry zinnia flower, and "flail" the seed head--hit it gently to release the seeds, or pull it apart or rub it between your fingers over the paper plate to release the seeds. Marilyn, I live in zone 8 near Vancouver,BC. Was I excited! I love zinnias, too! Thanks for the info. The blooms that were on the plants had real staying power. This year I grew all different heights up to 3′!!! Thanks SO much! This may take up to a week, depending on the seed head and moisture level. What does a zinnia seed look like? Transitioning from Spring to Summer in the Vegetable Garden. I only planted about eight plants but they branched out nicely with loads of new blooms each week. Oh my I have been cutting off the bloomed out flower heads and tossing them. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board, Basket or other container for harvesting flowers. I am grateful to come across this post of yours. 531. All you have to do is pull the petals apart carefully on the dried up bloom. My neighbor’s are amazed! I have gone on and on about how much I love Zinnias. Still have plenty to start saving the seeds. The seeds in the second photo might With zinnia seeds, I get out whatever chaff is easy to remove and leave the rest. I’m so excited to go out and find some flowers tomorrow and try my hand at collecting seeds. When the seed head is brown all the petals have fallen off. Trying to harvest a flower too early will result in immature seeds that won't germinate. I hadn’t tried them down here on the Washington south coast as I didn’t think they would grow here. I am an awful gardener and usually my zinnia seeds don’t even come up but this one did ,first one bloom than moreand more.it is so heavy I propped it up.now I am very attached to it. Not sure if any butterflies will come, though it would be nice if they did – we live on the 17th floor! Repeat this process with all of your dried flowers, discarding the petals and only keeping the seeds. Let the entire blooms dry on the plants until the seed pods are ready to harvest. Won’t be doing that anymore thanks to you. Someone said to put the in a Mason jar in the fridge, where else can they be stored, or is the fridge the best place. Yes you have to catch the petals before they fall off. You can remove the rest of the flowers before they turn unsightly. Place the harvested seed heads on a screen so that they dry thoroughly on all sides. Is it unusual to have a plant with 25 plus flowers at once..it’s huge. However, this is my first time to know how to collect seeds. (They are from Seed Savers and it’s a tropical climate here). The one on the left was faded but not brown enough. See the seed on the bottom center of the photo? Each seed will look like that. Thanks for dropping by. More information... People also love these ideas. Zinnia. You also might have enough seeds that you could consider giving away some as gifts. Read our, Wait for the Zinnia Flowers to Dry Before Harvesting, How to Save Lettuce Seeds From Your Garden, How to Save Tomato Seeds to Grow Next Year, Seed Saving - Quick Tips for Saving Your Garden Favorites, How to Save Cucumber Seeds From Your Garden, Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, and Hybrid Seeds, How to Save Beans to Plant in Next Year's Garden. In the first photo on the left, these seeds are ones that I would save because of their shape, size, color and firmness. Trying to harvest a flower too early will result in immature seeds that won't germinate.Once the zinnia flowers are dry, cut or pull them off the plant. It's Time for Ladner Seedy Saturday and Garden Expo 2019! The seeds of zinnia’s have a unique arrow shape. I have grown a few in the past but this year I had three different types. I have gone on and on about how much I love Zinnias. Then, place the seed envelope in a lidded glass jar, and store it in a cool, dry place out of direct sun. This was my first year for zinnias (cut and come again). Zinnia seeds are some of the easiest to save, and can provide a fun learning experience on how these seeds are formed. Garden Seeds Planting Seeds Garden Plants Growing Flowers Planting Flowers Growing Zinnias From Seed Flower Gardening Organic Gardening Gardening Tips. Hope to get seeds from it. I went out with scissors in hand and had to really look down below the clump of Zinnias to find three blooms to pick. Tip #3 - Take time to look at your seeds. Thanks so much. Also, avoid watering the flower bed before harvesting seeds, or the seed heads will need more time to dry. However, seed saving requires a little planning if you want to make sure that your open-pollinated seeds remain pure, since zinnias can be cross-pollinated by insects from different varieties. are fast-growing, easy-care annuals that provide plenty of color from summer through fall. This year they were beautiful. It’s one of the most colorful and versatile ways to share nature’s beauty and garden the earth. Colleen Vanderlinden is a freelance writer and the author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest. I went out with scissors in hand and had to really look down below the clump of Zinnias to find three blooms to pick. Thank you! Zinnias are among the quickest and easiest flowers from which you can harvest and save seeds. The seed will be on the tip of the petal. I am a seed collector and through a bit of research I found out that I could collect seed from this Lilliput Zinnia and it would still come true from collected seed. The Zinnia seed should be black on one end. I let people know it'll be a mix of chaff and seed, and I make sure there's a generous amount of seed in the packet.

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