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| Wall of spent Zinnias |
After years of forking out cash for Zinnia seed packets at the local garden center, I decided to harvest my own. This was a surprisingly simple process, and the number and quality of seeds harvested from the seed heads was impressive!
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| Zinnia seed head ready for harvesting |
Starting in late fall or any time in the winter, cut off the seed heads of the flowers a few inches from the base of the flower. Collect as many heads as possible in a paper bag to allow any residual moisture to escape.
Next, spread the heads out onto some newspaper and allow them to completely dry out for a week or so.
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| Do the Twist: Separating seeds from the head |
Take each head in your hand and gently but firmly twist the lower half of the seed head. The seeds, which resemble arrowheads, will unwind and fall out. Each head may produce 100's of seeds.
Store your stash in a paper bag labeled with the month and year you picked them.
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| Fine pile of seeds |
To "proof" or test the germination rate of your seeds, wrap a few in a damp paper towel and place inside of a zip-lok bag. Place in a warm area. In a few days. check to see how many sprouts have formed. This will give you an idea of germination rate. These seeds make nice gifts for friends and neighbors - put them in little paper envelopes with a fancy label. To sow in early spring, just scratch a line about 1/2" deep and generous thread a line of seeds into the crease. The time invested will result in a nice, tall colorful set of free blooms that last for months come early summer. Enjoy your harvest!
