An Amazing Guide for How to Harvest Zinnia Seeds

Do you know how to harvest zinnia seeds? Do you know about its specialities? You will know about its vibrant colours, charming and delightful appearance, and ease of growing, but do you know how to keep their beauty year after year by harvesting and saving the zinnia seeds? Let’s learn some initial steps. This article helps you know how to harvest zinnia seeds differently.

Steps for how to harvest zinnia seeds

Step 1:Wait for the right time

You have to wait for the right time to learn more about how to harvest zinnia seeds.Inorder to harvest the zinnia seeds, you need to look up the flowers throughout the growing season.The zinnia plants have to bloom and dazzle by their colourful displays.When the season goes, you will notice the mature stage of flowers and then you will start thinking about seed saving.

At the right time, petals will start to fade in colour, turn into brittle and brown.The seed head will changes the colour as and when matures.It is more visible for single-petalled flowers than double flowers, the structure becomes dry and brittle when mature.The seeds become dark and firm.

Step 2:Observe the seed heads

When the zinnia flowers start to fade and completed their entire life time, it is the time to inspect those seed heads.You can see the little pods which contain the magic of zinnia seed saving.Then, you will observe that petals are dried and fallen, only leave behind the seed heads.Now, you get an idea about how to harvest seeds from zinnia.

Step 3: Harvesting zinnia seeds

Another  important step in how to harvest zinnia seeds. Take a pair of scissors or garden shears and carefully remove the seed heads. You have to ensure that harvest the seeds only on dry days because if we do it in humid conditions, it will lead to mold issues.So, you have to be gentle to understand how to harvest zinnia seeds, because you will not damage the seeds inside.

Step 4 : How to harvest and dry zinnia seeds

To learn about how to harvest and dry zinnia seeds, place the freshly harvested seed heads in a dry place. So, like to use a paper bag with small holes punched in it, so, it will give a good air circulation when keeping the seeds contained. Then, hang the bag upside down in a cool, dry spot,like a garage or the well ventilated room and make those zinnia seeds to dry out  for a few days.They are typically ready for harvest zinnia seeds 4-6  weeks after the flower started blooming.It is better to wait when the flowers are faded and turned brown.

Step 5: How to harvest and save zinnia seeds

Now , you learn about how to harvest and dry zinnia seeds, lets learn more about how to harvest and save zinnia seeds for future planting.You have to place the seeds in a labeled envelope or an airtight container.You have to learn more about the varieties of zinnia and the year you harvested it inorder to keep track of the seed collection.By observation, we can notice that pink and purple variety is the most dominant.

When you harvest the seeds from a certain colour or variety, you didnot have a guarantee that the plant you grow from that seed will come back to the same colour. Because it is done by pollinators, as cross-pollination will change the colours.So, if you want a preferred colour, you will have to add fresh or new seeds to the planting regime for the next year.

Step 6: How to harvest and store zinnia seeds

You have to store zinnia seeds on a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. For that, dark cabinet or drawer in your garden ensure to work perfectly.By a proper storage technique, you can keep your seeds viable for years.Inorder to store the zinnia sees, you have to  choose the right container , because selecting the right container helps to protect them from moisture and pest.

Glass jars:Select glass jars such as mason jars as an excellent choice. Ensure that the lids are gone to sealed properly.

Plastic containers:You have to ensure that seeds become completely dry before you store in plastic bags or containers.

Paper envelopes:By storing in a paper container , we can prevent moulding by the seeds after drying. You can also use the  brown paper tag, which makes the labelling very easy.

Make sure that you have to label the containers with the names of which you are saving.Because the seeds of hybrids, open pollinated varieties will look like similar, so, label it properly.

How to harvest zinnia seeds for next year

An important step is to wait when the flowers become brown and die to select when the flowers are ready for harvest and how to harvest zinnia seeds. off but they are still on the plant.In this case, you don’t need to harvest the seeds from cut flowers, you have to harvest the seeds from dried flowers on the vine are the best.You can see that flowers literally crumble when you touch them.But if you notice any green or when you have to force the seeds out, its mainly a hair too early.

Then, sort the seeds by colour is an important need for how to harvest zinnia seeds.After you cut the flowers, an important thing is to do is sort them by its colour. Then, you have to spread the flower heads out of the paper towels.Then, you have to crumble the flower heads and take the seeds out.You can see as other parts of the flower will also crumble out. Just pick those parts and keep them aside. You can see that seeds will attach to the dried petals, but you know that when the flower is dry, they will eventually fall off by their own.

We know that the seeds are already too large.But after you picked up them and isolated, keep them unobstructed to ensure that they are totally dry for a few days. If it is not dried completely , mold while they are in storage over the winter.You have to take the fully dried seeds in a small paper or plastic bags. You have to keep the seeds in a dry place over the fall and winter so then you are ready to start it on the early spring.

Then, you can label by a colour or type if needed.In this way , you have to harvest the zinnia seeds for next year.So, be cautious about all those steps before the learning of how to harvest zinnia seeds.

Choosing the healthy seeds

After harvesting the zinnia seeds, you have to choose the healthy seeds for successful germination and future growth.

1. Size: Select seeds having larger in size , because larger seeds have high germination rate.
2. Colour: You have to choose the seeds having a consistent or greenish colour.Immature seeds have variation in colour than other seeds.
3. Integrity:As you know that , healthy and viable seeds are firm and solid. So, non viable seeds are paper like and then , it can be easily bent.

Benefits of harvesting zinnia seeds

Actually, harvesting the zinnia seeds  is a practice which gives rewards for gardeners for several reasons,which offers practical benefits and personal satisfaction. Some of the benefits are;

1. Cost savings:We can reduce the gardening costs by collecting your own seeds, otherwise you will lost money by purchasing new seeds or plants each season.
2. Sustainability: One of the sustainable practice is harvesting and reusing seeds. Thereby we reduce the need for new resources and minimize the waste.
3. Genetic diversity:Genetic diversity of plants can be preserved by saving the seeds from your garden, which gives more adaptable garden varieties.
4. Plant adaptation: Plants which was grown from harvested seeds adapt to better conditions of your garden over time, which gives healthier plants and beautiful blooms.
5. Personal satisfaction: We get a personal satisfaction by seeing the view of plants which grow from our seeds, which enables us to make a deeper connection with your garden and a pride by seeing the plants.
6. Educational experience:We learned so many things by the process of collecting, storing and by planting the seeds, which is a gainful experience for gardeners of all ages.We learn to know about how the seeds grow, where you have to find it and in which way it look like.
7. Assurance of quality: When we are trying to harvest your own seeds,you must have to check the quality and treatment of the seeds and ensure that it is organic.
8. Selective breeding: By experiments, you can save the selectively seeds from the plants which performs best in the garden, which potentially improves the characteristics of the future plants.

Conclusion.

Guys , now you learn detail about how to harvest the zinnia seeds. So, you can plant zinnia seeds in your house by the methods I gave you. And enjoys its beautiful scenery in your house.Please be sure to follow the instructions when the zinnia seeds are planted.By harvesting the zinnia seeds, we can actually enjoy the beauty of gardening.