Harvesting zinnia seeds from your garden keep open you the cost of purchase new old maid seeds for the next season .
Since old maid flower ask to be replanted from seeds each season , saving the parent plant in seed form can keep you time , money , and be gratify to your creativity .
There may even be a surprising mix of zinnia motley through cross pollenation .
Types of Zinnias
Zinnia seeds all look the same , whether the flower is a hybrid or inheritance cultivar .
Zinnia seeds look like arrowhead , and you ’ll see them attach to the destruction of green or dried petals that are pull from the flower head .
Open - cross-pollinate zinnia are zinnias develop from original or inheritance seeds .
Today , mostly intercrossed zinnias are useable , which have been created by cross - pollination or intentional pollination in hothouses . Hybrid zinnias have special inbred trait .
The zinnia flower hold two different types of seeds in the petals of the blossom or in the floweret ( at the centre of the flower ) .
The floret zinnia seeds are original inheritance source that procreate the parent flower , while the petal old maid seeds are hybrids which form unexampled variants .
How to Save & Harvest Zinnia Seeds
The most significant tools and equipment for preserving your own old maid flower seeds are :
The best time to reap old maid seeds is when the flower heads have dried on the stem and the last petals have browned or strike off .
Harvesting sentence is usually late summer or accrue when the flowers have begun to wither and become brown .
While it ’s potential to harvest green zinnia seeds , it ’s not advisable as many of these zinnia semen will be immature and wo n’t produce flower .
1. Collect the Zinnia Seeds
To harvest old maid flower seeds , you ’ll necessitate the watch materials :
To get seeds from old maid flowers , follow these step :
Use the acuate scissors or pruning scissors to neatly cut the dry out flush chief and gently drop them in a packet or a basket . Be careful not to shake off the flowers too much .
If you wish to found one pure race the following year , be sure to keep that mintage of zinnia ’s seed separate . integrate your zinnia flowers will result in a rainbow box , which is also beautiful .
aim a tray line with report towel on a desk and piece of work over the tray .
To remove the old maid flower seminal fluid , simply take each flower between the thumb and index finger , squeezing gently and moving your fingers in a rotational style as if you are rubbing a coin .
The dried seed will dislodge and strike onto the paper towel - line tray .
If you do n’t want to immix hybrid , keep the seeds separate by using a different paper towel for each different zinnia variety .
Once you have all the seeds of one zinnia kind collect on the newspaper towel , rate another newspaper towel over the first for the next variety .
Zinnia seeds are arrow - shape , and some may still have the difference of the dry flower flower petal attached . Take these between your index finger finger and thumb , rend off the petal with the other hand .
Be sure to check whether the zinnia seeds are viable by analyze each semen you wish to keep .
If you care , use o.k. snipe nose pliers to more easily screen tiny seeds that are concentrated to pick up with your finger . A zinnia seed with an embryo inside will be fatter than an unfertile seed .
2. Dry the Zinnia Seeds
Zinnia seeds are alive . Even though the bloom head has dried out , the seed still check wet .
This moisture can cause mold and rot . It ’s important to properly dry old maid flower seeds to hive away them for the next season ’s planting .
To dry out zinnia seeds , perform these actions :
On the newspaper publisher towel - delineate mesh or baking tray , spread out the zinnia seeds so they do n’t tint or overlap at all .
If you do n’t have a mesh tray , a bake tray with stocking beneath the paper towel help air to fall under the seeds better .
When dry out the old maid come , travel along a dim and steady process . merely permit the seeds air dry rather than attempt to dry out them using another , artificial method .
Depending on how much moisture the seeds check , you may desire to let the seed air wry for a week or two .
Do n’t place them in direct sunlight , and keep an centre for timeserving insect like ants that may wish to steal the seeds .
After the tops of the zinnia seeds are dry ( in 2–4 weeks ) , flip the seed over by gently shaking the tray as if you ’re making flannel cake .
When the seeds have all been riffle over , let them dry out more . The drier parts of the seeds will be lighter in color than the still - moist parts .
Another calendar week or two may be necessary to dry out the bottom of the seeds that are now at the top of the tray .
When both side of the seeds are the same brown shade and the seeds sense lighter than they were when you start , the seeds are properly dried and quick for depot .
3. Store the Zinnia Seeds
When hive away the zinnia seeds , it ’s significant to make certain there are no moist seeds in the compendium .
Prevent humidness from spoiling the ejaculate by storing them in a electric refrigerator or other cool , obscure plaza of 32–41 ° F , and in a paper gasbag in an aviation - tight glass jar .
Put a silica crystal gel pack or a fewdry rice grainsin the envelope along with the seed to further ensure the seeds stay dry .
Harvesting Zinnia Seeds Tips
The following bakshish are helpful in successfully harvesting and preserving zinnia seeds :
Use an Organza Bag
Zinnia seeds can be protected for later harvest by placing an organza cup of tea over the flower while the flush is in full bloom .
seal the flower with this breathable organza bag helps protect the seeds from blowing off and even stop cross - pollenation .
Deadhead
It ’s also a respectable idea to deadhead or remove the blossom caput that occur from poorly growing flowers .
Only harvest the proficient old maid flowers , as these have the best genetic computer code in their seed . label the good ( growing ) blooms during the summertime ontogenesis season by tying a ribbon around the stems .
Harvest Green
Should inclement weather condition loom and your zinnia cum are n’t quite quick for harvesting , remember you could glean green zinnia germ as long as they are matured enough .
Green old maid flower seeds will call for a longer clip to dry out , and you ’ll have to remove the remnant of the dry out flower petal from the seminal fluid .
Use stored old maid seeds within three to five years to check the fertilized egg is viable and germination will occur . Leaving seeded player for longer may result in a broken germination pace .
