How to Save Zinnia Seeds

2 Materials
$1
30 Minutes
Easy

Keep zinnias coming back year after year (for free!) by saving seeds from these beautiful flowers. It's incredibly easy to do, and there are no special tools required.

Dry out flowers


The process of saving zinnia seeds to use next year is quite easy. In fact, the most difficult part is in waiting for the flowers to dry out! Here are the steps.


Allow flowers to dry out on the plant until they are brown and petals are crunchy. Cut flower off of plant.

Remove Petals


Remove the dried petals from the plant and set to the side or compost. (Learn  how to compost here!)

Save the seeds


Break apart the center section of the flower that’s left and place the seeds on a plate or in a clean container. The seeds are thin and can be wispy, so don't do this outdoors on a particularly windy day. As you pull at the center part of the flower, the seeds should come off easily in your hand.


Pick out any dried petals that may be mixed in with the seeds. (You can leave them if you like. They shouldn’t really affect the saved seeds.)

Storing the seeds


Store the seeds in a sealed container or envelope in a cool, dry place. Seeds can also be kept in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use the following year.


You can also allow the flowers to dry out and simply sprinkle the seeds on the ground. Chances are some of the seeds will take and bloom the following year, no planting from you required!


Zinnia seeds will remain viable for 5-6 years if stored properly. So be sure they are fully dried out before storing. See the full post below for more tips on saving seeds!


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Courtney |The Kitchen Garten
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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Linda Linda on Sep 07, 2020

    Do you just sprinkle on the ground or dig a little hole for the seeds

  • Nancy Denton Nancy Denton on Sep 08, 2020

    Not really a question....I’m so excited to try this! I had a full garden of Zinnias this year & just loved watching the Bees and Hummingbirds visit my garden!

  • Frances Johnson Frances Johnson on Sep 13, 2020

    Planted Zinnia seed (plant food included in with the seeds) but put them in large pots and a window box (didn't want animals to eat them). Havent gotten any blossoms. Planted them in early July. Will they grow only in ground or deep planted?

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  • Sally Woodward Griffin Sally Woodward Griffin on Oct 09, 2020

    I planted zinnias in a raised bed two years ago and they were just gorgeous. When it became time to clean the bed I just let the seed fall back into the bed. I tapped the seed into the ground and waited for the spring. It was unbelievable to see how many plants came up. I immediately thinned and shared the young plants. The

    flowers were full color but most were smaller blooms. This year I just collected seed and cleaned the bed for a fresh start. I love zinnias!

  • Shannon Stordock Hecht Shannon Stordock Hecht on Oct 22, 2020

    Not all zinnia seeds will produce the same plant/flower of the original plant. The hybrids will only grow to be what 2 plants were used to produce the hybrid. The older original versions will grow true.

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