Harvesting zinnia seeds is a great way to save money on your garden and ensure you always have plenty of lush blooms. Zinnias are easy to grow from seeds, making them an ideal choice for home gardeners who want to enjoy their beautiful flowers without spending a fortune. But before you can reap the rewards of these colorful blooms, you must first master the art of harvesting and storing zinnia seeds.
When to Harvest Zinnia Seeds
Nurturing the seeds until full ripening takes around 55-65 days, so it’s wise to keep the first flowers in place. In addition, those that bloomed earlier are frequently bigger and brighter; by doing this you can also perform selective breeding – choosing each year for reproduction only the earliest, grandest and most stunning blooms.
How to Harvest Zinnia Seeds
To harvest the flowers, snip off the bloom and place it in a warm and dry room to further desiccate. Delicately remove each petal from the wilted head until you can access its seeds. Lastly, put them through one more drying process on newspaper sheets before placing them into paper envelopes for storage.
How to Select Quality Seeds
To ensure abundant, high-quality blossoms, select only elongated spear-like seeds with a pointed triangular tip. These often have a grayish tint and should be discarded dark brown heart-shaped ones. Keep in mind that such a selection won’t guarantee every flower will be double but there will definitely be more of them! Additionally, larger and better quality seeds tend to germinate faster so immediately after acquiring them from the flowers you can sort out those desired for storage.
Shelf Life and Storage Conditions
When properly stored, zinnia seeds can last up to 4 years. Zinnia seeds should be stored in a cool, dry place with temperatures between 40-50°F (4-10°C). This temperature range helps to slow down the metabolic process and prevent premature germination. It’s also important to maintain low humidity levels as excessive moisture can cause mold growth. Place the envelopes that contain the dried seeds in an airtight jar or container; this will help keep out intruding moisture and dust particles.