Harvesting Zinnia Seeds
For gardeners who want to triple their flower production without having to put the money out for the seeds each year, especially if the flowers are annuals like zinnias, turn to harvesting seeds for the answer. Harvesting seeds is a cost effective way to ensure that you continue planting flowers without having to return to the store each year to buy the seed packets. Cost of gas, food, and everything else is going up. Why not cut and save in the areas that you can? Harvesting seeds is a great area to do it in.
However, harvesting seeds isn't as easy as picking the dead flowers and collecting the seeds. They need to be collected by color. That may sound easier than it actually is because all flowers turn brown and lose their color once they have died. Therefore, you will have to keep an eye on your plant during the blooming season and flag the flowers that you will want to pick and harvest once the growing season is over or once they have wilted and died. Because seeds will automatically fall from the flower when it begins to die to ensure that their seeds will be automatically sown into the soil, you will have to be proactive when you see it turn brown. If you have a pair with a hole and wish to recycle them, tie a cheese cloth bag or a pair of nylons around the flower's blossom when it begins to change color. This will allow you to catch the seeds before they have fallen. Only some of the seeds will fall off during this process. Therefore, after you pick the flower, you will have to remove all of the petals from the flowers and harvest the seeds from there. They must be kept in a cool dark place so that the seeds can be allowed to dry further. Putting them in a paper bag and placing them somewhere dry is an effective way to ensure they don't become moist or damaged in anyway. Once the seeds have become fully dry, you can collect them and place them in jars to store until spring time.
Keep the colors separate so that you know what type you are planting when the snow melts and the ground thaws. Your flower seeds don't have to be used for simply gardening either. During the winter, make a display with your seeds. If you store them in a bottle with decorative lids, they can be placed on a shelf to add a unique decor. This works especially well if you have a gardening shed or a sunroom in your home. By placing a dried blossom inside the jar, it adds an additional touch. If you have any friends or family members who also love to plant, trading seeds or giving them as a gift is a great, inexpensive gift. Because of the time it takes to dry them, it also is more thoughtful than most other gifts and sure to demonstrate just how much you care for them!
