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corrine123_gw

Harvesting cornflower/dephinium/zinnia from newbie

corrine123
18 years ago

Hi everyone!

I am a fairly new gardener, and this year I would like to collect seed for next year. I am having a hard time figuring out how to best get the seed from my delphiniums, cornflower, and zinnia. Some seeds, like the marigold, I can easily find. Do I need to even collect my delphinium seeds, or will it multiply next year?

Thanks for answering my questions in advance!

Comments (3)

  • greengrower2007
    15 years ago

    i can tell you how to find the zinnia seeds, but that's all i'm good for i'm afraid when your zinnia heads die and turn brown check if they are ready by tugging on a petal if they come out easily, they are ready this is so simple you are going to jump for joy (at least i did!)when you pull the petals out of the head the seed is at the end of the petal they will be spade shaped (most of them)if they are hard and not green you can pinch off the petal part and you will have your seeds! when i figured this out, i soon had more zinnia seeds than you can imagine!!! these are so easy to grow and maintain! they won't all be the same size but the same basic shape after your first one you'll be a pro! hope this helps

    jules

  • remy_gw
    15 years ago

    Hi,
    Jules gave good info on the zinnia.
    The delphinium will develop pods that will start to open when the seeds are ready. The seeds look like little dark chips. Dephiniums are short lived perennials, so it always good to start seeds to ensure having plants if you love them.
    Centaura seeds develop at the base of the flower. It will dry up and the seeds look like small gray rice with tails attached. Only the plump ones are good. See the link below for a pic of the seed.
    Hope this helps,
    Remy

    Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Site page of Seeds w/Tails

  • somesara69
    15 years ago

    I have cornflowers and zinnias also. JUles is right about the zinnias, and the best thing about them is they also self-sow very easily, and so if you collect the flower heads, put them in a paper bag or large envelope (to ensure air circulation so they won't accidentally retain too much water and rot) you can do as Jules suggested or you can just rub the dried heads between your thumb and palm or thumb and fingers, or between both palms over where you want your seeds (assuming you want a naturalized effect)and press into soil. Or continue to saveThey will grow very very quickly in warm weather if they have adequate water. The cornflowers I have I usually apply the same principal, when the flower fades and begins to dry, I pick them both to discourage a few more blooms than I would otherwise get and to save and sow the seeds... like the zinnias I store them in a paper container ( personally I think manila envelopes work great) and whenever you wish you can rub the seeded head between your fingers and palms or thumb and fingers. As with the zinnias this loosens the flower base from the seeds I find, making it much easier to gently pull the seeds away from the base. Mine are kind of papery and very light, kind of like really light and thin marigolds, or very flat daisy floss... scatter sow and press into the ground or save them for next year. PS -- you know the little silica or other dessicants you get in things like vitamin bottles or boxes of leather shoes or at the bottom of leather bags? I put one of these in each envelope I am using to store the seeds, so that they will stay dryer and be more likely to stay viable and not mold... I hope this helped you some...

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