How To Collect Zinnia Seeds | Save Money and Grow More Flowers Next Year, by Anya Lautenbach on YouTube. 11 min 10 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 10 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Leave the spent zinnia blooms on the plant until the petals fade and the flowerhead feels dry and papery. Do not pick them while still soft or damp.
Choose a dry, sunny day for collecting. Wet flowerheads can go mouldy in storage and ruin the seed.
Snip the dried flowerhead off with the stem, or pinch it off with your fingers. Keep a few heads from your best and healthiest plants.
Pull the dry petals away from the centre of the flowerhead. The seeds sit at the base of each petal, so the seed comes away with it.
Look for the flat, arrow-shaped seeds. They are usually brown or grey and about the size of a grain of rice.
Separate the seeds from the chaff over a tray or sheet of paper so nothing is lost. Pick out any bits of leaf or petal.
Tip the seeds into a paper envelope and write the variety and the date on the front. Paper lets any leftover moisture escape.
Store the envelopes in a lunch box or tin in a cool, dry place, away from damp and direct sun, until you sow them next spring.
Tips and common mistakes
Only save seed from open-pollinated zinnias if you want the same flower next year, as hybrids may not come true.
Label each envelope straight away, because zinnia seeds all look alike once they are mixed.
Pick from your strongest plants with the colours you like best, not from weak or diseased ones.
Questions
How do I know the zinnia seeds are ready to collect?
The flowerhead should be dry and papery and the petals should pull away easily. If the centre is still soft or green, leave it on the plant a bit longer.
How long do saved zinnia seeds keep?
Kept dry and cool in paper envelopes, they usually stay good for sowing the following spring. Label them with the year so you know how old they are.
Can I collect seeds from double or pompon zinnias?
You can, but the seeds may not grow into identical flowers. Save from single, open flowers if you want reliable results.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
