The zinnia flower heads should be allowed to finish drying on the plant. When a bloom is ready to be picked, it will be dry to the touch and dark brown in color. An early attempt to harvest a blossom will provide immature seeds that won’t sprout.
Cut or remove the dried zinnia blossoms from the plant. Unless you don’t mind a combination full of surprises, make sure to keep kinds separated and labeled!
Harvested seed heads should be placed on a screen to dry completely on all sides. Depending on the moisture content and seed head, this could take a week.
Release the Zinnia Seeds
On a clear, level surface where you may work to collect the seeds, spread some paper towels. A paper plate should be placed there, and the variety name should be marked with a marker immediately on the plate.
To release the seeds from a dried zinnia bloom, gently “flail” the blossom, peel it apart, or rub it between your fingers over a paper plate. The arrow-shaped seeds are tiny. Some may still be joined to a petal’s base. In that instance, carefully remove the seed. Repeat this procedure with each dried flower you have, tossing the petals and saving just the seeds. Keep the different types apart.
Store the Zinnia Seeds
After the seeds have dried, store them for later use in a paper bag or envelope. Unless you don’t mind combining different zinnia varieties in your garden, separate the seeds for each variety if you have many. To help you remember what’s inside each envelope, label it.
Put the seed envelope in a glass jar with a lid and keep it out of direct sunlight in a cool, dry area. The closet works best. You can plant your seeds outside once the threat of frost has passed for the upcoming growth season.
When should zinnia seeds be harvested?
Zinnias are certain to blossom profusely from summer until the first frost, regardless of whether you planted them in your raised-bed kitchen garden, flower beds, or in-ground pollinator garden. (If you’re not receiving as many zinnia flowers as you’d like, try following these suggestions to boost bloom production.)
Take a fresh pair of pruners and trim the stems beneath the blooms as soon as you see that they are beginning to wilt or look exhausted (as though their time in the garden is coming to an end). The best time to harvest flower heads in the Chicago area is in late September or early October, when the weather is getting colder and the blooms appear to be past their peak. You can likely continue to enjoy your blooms for several more months if you reside somewhere with a warmer winter.
Step Two: Let zinnia flowers dry
For about a month, hang your flowers upside-down to dry until they are entirely desiccated. If there is any moisture present when you store them, mold could develop.
Step Three: Store dried zinnia flowers over winter
You have two options: either remove the petals and save the seeds in seed-saving packets, or keep the dried petals on and just put the whole blooms in a Ziploc bag. The neat thing about this is that when it’s time to plant, you’ll be able to determine by the dried petals what color the future blossoms will be.
Step Four: Separate the zinnia seeds from the petals
Many seeds are present in each flower head, which you can separate by rubbing them between your fingertips. Each little spear-shaped seed would already be detached from the petal if you were to purchase a seed packet. It’s okay if the seeds are more tan than gray because they might not germinate. Still have a ton of it!
Step Five: Sow your zinnia seeds
Wait until the last threat of frost has passed before you even consider planting zinnia seeds. If you still have at least 60 (ideally 75) days until your first frost and you still want to enjoy some zinnia flowers this year, you can plant one cycle of seeds.
Choose a location that receives full light in your raised garden beds, a flower bed, or an in-ground pollinator garden. For maximum bloom, zinnias require at least 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight.
You can plant zinnias utilizing what I like to refer to as the lazy woman’s method (trademark pending… just kidding). In order to plant in this manner, you practically shake the seeds out of your palm.
If the seeds are still attached to the petal, which is intended to enable the seeds be dispersed by the wind, use a small shovel or hand rake to cover them up a little. Give your seeds plenty of water.
If you’re the organized sort, you might use the colors of the petals you collected to grow an ombre field or a rainbow display of zinnias.
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The seed is located where on the zinnia flower?
Zinnia seeds are among the simplest to preserve, and they might be a lot of pleasure to study about how seeds are made from. Sharing them and watching yours flourish in other people’s yards is also enjoyable. It’s one of the most vibrant and adaptable ways to share the beauty of nature and to garden the planet.
What does a zinnia seed look like?
The arrow-shaped seeds of zinnias are distinctive. They develop at the tips of the petals, in the middle of the head. Depending on the flower kind, there are distinct roundness, length, and thickness variations. As soon as they are ripe, you can gently pull a dried petal, and the seed will fall from the flower head’s center and connect to the end of the petal.
How to harvest zinnia seeds
Zinnia plants are kept in bloom all season long by deadheading. However, if you want to collect zinnia seeds, you must allow the plant’s older blossoms to wither, turn brown, and dry out so they can produce the priceless seeds you will sow the next year. They don’t have to all go to seed at once. Deadhead regularly to keep the plant producing buds and flowers all summer long, while choosing a few to leave on so they can set seed. I let yellow finches enjoy the upper blossoms and leave some of the lower ones among the branches to dry out because I have to contend with them for the seeds. I completely quit deadheading in the late summer and early fall. Existing buds will continue to produce blooms, but right now, before the first frost, you want to see some healthy zinnia seed production.
Making sure that the dried heads you are cutting are coming from healthy plants is the first step. It is likely that the flower heads are afflicted with the same disease and are undesirable if the plants have mildew, are infected with insects, or are weak from dehydration. Choose flower heads that are vigorous and in good health; size isn’t always important. Additionally, healthy, well-shaped tiny flower heads produce seeds that reproduce well.
You can remove the blossom once it has dried out and turned brown by cutting it off just below the head (no stem). Although it is preferable, you don’t have to wait until the head is completely dry and completely brown. When you notice the petals withering and the core beginning to dry out and split, you can clip the heads if insects or birds are a problem or you want to harvest a lot of seeds. The goal is that the seeds inside the head have become brown rather than being white or cream colored, as these are still immature and do not need to be completely colorless. Even though not all of the petals have turned brown, the example picture below shows what I would regard as suitable for harvest. The interior seeds have browned and are acceptable. Remember that dried petals don’t always turn brown as well. After the head has dried, they can still set healthy seeds while retaining some of their original color.
How to save zinnia seeds
The flower heads should be spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet, shallow pan, or bowl and left to completely dry for two to three weeks. They could seem as dry as they ever will be, but it’s a good idea to let them totally air out in case there is moisture still inside the building. It will be really frustrating to take out your seedlings in the spring only to discover that mold has entirely ruined them. It’s best to place the seeds and petals on something with sides to hold them because they will start to fall out as they dry and become a bit messy. For a couple of weeks, turn them every couple of days to ensure even drying. They can then be let to dry completely for a few more weeks. If it’s possible, keep the seeds alone because there’s no rush to separate them. The removal of the seeds might be an enjoyable winter project.
In order to preserve the seed structure, I like to store the seed and petal together. If you gently roll the heads, the seeds and petals will fall out on their own, or you can pick the petals out one at a time. If you are storing a lot of them, you can gently crush or shake the bag with the flower heads and petals inside to help the seeds fall to the bottom. I’ve used ziplock bags, brown paper bags, and zippered blanket shopping bags. Some people favor keeping the seeds in a jar in the refrigerator. The optimum location is cool and dry. The seeds should be stored in a location where they won’t become winter sustenance for animals because they are ideal for rodents to eat.
How to plant zinnia seeds
After the risk of frost has passed, put the petal/seed mixture straight in the ground 1/2 to 1 deep in the spring. They will easily sprout in 8–10 days if you keep them moist. They are simple to cultivate and care for even in my clay soil. I scatter my seeds around an open area, and when the seedlings are about 2-3 high, I dig them up in groups and transplant them in other places. If you choose this technique, don’t disturb the main root and maintain the plants moist until they are established. Each year, I get a fantastic colorful mix and flower variety since I prepare huge quantities with a variety of flowers. There will also be plenty left over to give to pals who envied your gorgeous zinnias from the previous season!
How can you tell if a zinnia seed will grow?
Pinch a green zinnia seed between your finger and thumbnail to determine its viability. If it feels difficult, you could have a good seed. Next, lightly scratch the seed coat with your thumbnail. The coating should scratch off in little pieces. Your seed has an embryo if you notice a white “nut inside, and this should suggest an excellent possibility of germination.
Are zinnia seeds recoverable from cut flowers?
- How long can I keep the seeds I saved? If properly preserved, zinnia seeds can last for 5–6 years. Therefore, make sure they are completely dry before keeping.
- After saving for the following year, may seeds be sown right away? It won’t be as constant as saving seed and planting them purposely the next year, though I have definitely had zinnias sprout where I had allowed some to go to seed the previous year.
- Are zinnia seeds recoverable from cut flowers? Yes, if the flower has dried out while still on the plant. The seeds may not have been fully developed and prepared for storing if the flower was cut while it was in full bloom and dried out after being displayed.
- How can the viability of seeds be determined? By following these simple procedures for testing seeds, seeds can be quickly tested before being planted in the spring.
How are zinnia seeds distinguished from chaff?
Obviously, eliminating the chaff is as simple as explained above if you are growing naked grains. Remember that the weight of the seeds and the chaff must differ significantly for this method to be effective. To separate the chaff from the seeds, a fan can also be used. Lay a tarp on the ground before winnowing in this way. A baking sheet should be placed on the tarp, and the seed should be slowly poured onto the baking sheet from a few feet (1 m) above. Repeat as often as required until no more chaff remains.
“Roll and fly” is another technique for separating the wheat from the chaff. Round, ball-like seeds perform well. Again, moving air is used to clean the seeds, but the finest tools are a fan, your breath, or a cool blow drier. In the middle of a sheet or tarp, place a flat box. A cookie sheet should be placed on top of the box, followed by the seed and chaff. Lift the end of the cookie sheet and turn on a fan to blow air across it, causing the seeds to fall. Repeat as necessary until the chaff blows off.
Sieves can also be used to separate the grain from the chaff. Place the sieves in a stack, with the largest on top and the smallest below. Shake the seed and chaff mixture into the smaller sieve after pouring it into the upper sieve. The chaff should stay in the larger sieve, while the smaller sieve should gather the seed.
There are other, less complicated techniques for sorting the grain from the chaff, no doubt. However, since this method of winnowing can take some time, it could be good to have a friend or two help if you have a larger crop of seed that has to be sorted.