I have added a sentimental journey to my zinnia seed planting this season.
Oh, how I pray it works.
I have pulled up all of the dead zinnia plants in my father’s garden, and my prayer is I can harvest the seed.
The stakes are a little high, and I may have already made a
mistake by pulling up the entire plant.
I have absolutely no clue about how to do this,
but I grew up hearing advice from him like
“Get after it”,
so that is what I intend to do.
He is giving me a zinnia planting lesson here, pointing with his homeade cane made from a lemon tree branch.
*****
If this works, it will be a miracle.
Why?
Because these seeds that I hope to harvest were taken from the zinnia plants below that he grew from harvesting his 2014 crop seeds.
*****
OK friends.
I can talk big about this project , but I do need some help.
Any suggestions?
16 comments:
The brown flowers that are dried will contain the seeds. You should be able to either roll them on a flat surface with maybe something like parchment paper to catch the seeds. Allow them to dry out well. Then store in a envelope until planting in the springtime. You should be able to find info or you tube videos on the internet. That's where are I look when not sure about things in our herb garden.
I think you'll have enough seeds that have already fallen to the ground so you really can't go wrong. It has been so mild here that I am already seeing some peeking out of the ground that fell in the fall. Don't worry, you'll do it right and your Papa will be proud.
Hope it's successful! It would a treasure for sure.
LKJ gave some good advice and hopefully, like Stacey's comment, many seeds should have self-sowed....or will "volunteer" as my Grannie used to say. Best of luck to you.
The brown ones are the ones with the seed.
What Simply LKJ said...
at one time, I had planted zinnia with my 2 year old daughter, every year I collected seeds and every year I planted them... until she was grown and married.
Somewhere in this house is an envelope of seeds from when she was about 22 or 23... I wish I had them... I'd plant them in faith this year! (not sure they'd bloom) ... but with Faith God might reward me and grow some flowers!
Wishing you the best with Papa's flower seeds!
Laura,
I know nothing except my grandfather had a yard full of zinnias and I plant them every year as annuals in honor of him. We are very cold here in the winter so I can't do much more. Sometimes seeds need a longer time to germinate and that doesn't happen here. I would Google it---that works for me all the time.
Love to you,
Jane
I have planted zinnias for the past several years (I've lost count of how many years). Starting with the second year of zinnia planting I have used mostly seeds that I saved from the previous year. This coming spring I will buy some new seeds at the store because it seems like I am starting to get too many of the same colored dark pinkish purple ones. I saved seeds last year from some pretty peach colored zinnias and some very light, bright yellow ones. I hope those seeds will grow in 2016. I had to save the flowers and seeds from the goldfinches before I could save them for next year. After the flowers are mature and in full bloom for a while, and have had enough time for bees, butterflies, and h.birds to visit, I tie those little tulle/fine mesh Christmas gift bags over a few of the flowers that are a pretty color that I want to save from the goldfinches.
For me, it works well to be sure and let the flowers be completely mature and start drying up a little on the plant. I then cut them, bring them inside, before the finches pluck and eat the seeds out of them. I store the flowers in a very dry place until they are completely dry. Usually, sometime in February, when it is snowy and freezing here, I cheer myself up by bringing my baskets of dried zinnias to the table and then proceed to make a huge mess as I pluck the seeds by pulling the dried petals out out of the dried bloom. The petals toward the bottom of the flower pods seem to have the biggest seeds attached to them. I am sure you know, but the seeds are the dark spade/shield shaped part that is attached to the dried zinnia petal. I save only the biggest, best seeds. It makes a big mess of dried flower shards, and bits of dried stems.
Certainly there will be some volunteer zinnias that will come up where the plants were pulled from. I always pull my plants at the end of summer, and there are always some volunteers come up as soon as Spring sunshine starts to warm the soil.
Spring will come and your Papa's zinnias will surely grow again. It will be so good when you see your Papa's flowers start to bloom. I will be watching your blog for pictures of your Papa's zinnias blooming in Spring/Summer 2016.
I hope that it works for you! xx
Google brings up lots of helpful web sites with answers. Store them in paper not plastic. Good luck!
What a precious project with every seed so special. When I collect my seeds I very carefully slip a small paper sandwich bag over the dried Zinnia when it is in the bag I snip the stem. At that point I can add more of the same or close the bag and label it. I sometimes leave it in the bag all the seeds will dry and fall away into the bag. But then sometimes I have used a method very much like LKJ.
Your Papa's Zinnia's will be beautiful and I look forward to seeing them.Thanks for sharing the journey.
Miz Helen
Oh such an endearing post and precious in every single way.
I can't wait to see the journey of your zinnia's and how your garden grows!
xxo
Jemma
I am not a big gardener(yet) but I have planted zinnias and they did come back the next year just from what dropped on the ground. I believe you can just save the heads from what you pulled up and just go for it! Zinnias are pretty easy to get along with..;-)
Good luck Laura. I'm sure they'll come up!
Precious post. Your dear daddy will make sure they come up and bloom for you! I'm so happy you are doing this!
Nancy
xoxox
Because I can't get anything to grow from seed, I'm totally clueless. But---if I were to give you advice, it would be two things. I would hold some back if for no other reason than to hold them and remember. Second, to pray over them first. Have faith the size of a zinnia seed and if only one tiny seed germinates, that is enough to make your Poppa proud you got after it.
XO
Deb
I am sure that your Papa's zinnias will grow from the seeds again. I'd take care with some heads, saving the seeds and planting carefully, and I'd also just drop some heads right into the bed. I'll bet you'll have flowers aplenty using both methods.
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