Q: I’d like to try saving seeds from my zinnias to plant next year. I’ve stored seeds from milkweed but not from vegetables or garden flowers. How should I harvest them? Where should I store them? Do they need to be cold for a while in order to germinate, like milkweed seeds? Will they be the same color when they flower as they are this year?
A: Zinnias are a great choice for seed saving, especially if you are up for some surprises and not too particular about what color the blooms are. If you want the exact zinnias you grew this year, though, you are better off buying seed. Here’s why:
A lot of the zinnia seed sold commercially comes from hybrid plants. Breeders deliberately cross two plants to develop desirable traits, and then they sell the seed from that cross. But the genetic traits from cross-breeding may not be preserved in the next generation. Some hybrid flowers may not even produce seed.
Derek Hoffbauer picks zinnias at Duluth Flower Farm in 2019.
Tyler Schank / File / Duluth Media Group
When they do produce seed, the seeds may grow flowers that resemble one of the parents, or that look like something else entirely. They may not look much like the flowers you gathered the seed from.
Even if the zinnias you grew this year were labeled “open-pollinated” or “heirloom,” their seeds may produce flowers that are different from those on the parent plant. That’s because zinnias are easily cross-pollinated by bees and other insects. A neighbor’s zinnia may have provided pollen for yours, leading the next generation to produce flowers of a different form or color. Seed sellers avoid that problem by growing their zinnias in strict isolation.
That said, you may end up with flowers similar to those from which you collected seed — or with something you like even better. That’s part of the fun of saving zinnia seeds. And the process is simple.
To collect the seeds, choose plants that look healthy, since some diseases can be carried by the seeds. Wait until the flower has died and dried out. When the bloom is completely brown, cut off the flower head and remove the petals. Rub the flower head to remove the seeds. They’ll be shaped like little spearheads. Let those seeds dry for a week before storing them.
You don’t need to subject zinnia seeds to a cold treatment as you do with milkweed. Just store them somewhere cool, dark and dry. A sealed jar or resealable plastic bag works well. Adding a silica gel packet can help keep them dry, but that’s optional.
The seeds can be stored in a dark cupboard or closet as long as the temperature is 35-70 degrees. If your house is warmer than 70 degrees in winter, you can keep the seeds in the refrigerator. Don’t freeze them. Wherever you put them, be sure to label the container. Otherwise, come spring, you’ll be puzzling over a bag of mystery seeds.
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