Save Your Flower Seeds for Next Year
“Keep planting seeds. You never know what may take root.”
If you have any flowers growing in your garden, be sure to save those seeds for next year. This summer I grew calendula, zinnia, and sunflowers in my garden. Sunflowers have always been my beloved flower and I use calendula in so many herbal recipes. Zinnia’s are just so lovely with vibrant colors I had to try growing my own. Fortunately, they all grew beautifully and now, as they begin to die, I’m recycling them by saving their seeds for next season.
Many types of plants produce seeds that you can save from one year and sow the next, which helps you grow the same varieties in your garden space again. Additionally, with each year’s harvest, you typically have plenty of seeds that you can share with others.
Saving seeds is key to creating a self-sufficient garden, but even better, it saves money in buying seeds year over year. But even better than that, there’s a great deal of satisfaction that comes from knowing these are your babies from previous years.
For any flower you plan to save the seeds, it’s always best to do some research on how to harvests the seeds first. Today, I’ll share my experience with how to save sunflower, calendula, and zinnia seeds.
CALENDULA
I’ve found that the easiest seed to harvest are calendula seeds. You essentially let the flower completely dry on the plant then pinch the flower head and the seeds fall right off. Calendula seeds are odd looking and the seedheads simply need to fully develop on the plant, which you will know by how they turn brown and papery as they dry. Then they fall right off as you pinch them. Allow the seeds to dry on a sheet of paper or a paper plate for a few days before placing in a seed envelope for storage.
SUNFLOWER
Sunflowers are little more involved as you need to dry the flower and work the head to allow the seeds to fall out. To get the seeds, cut the flower and allow to dry for a few days. You can either let the flower head dry on a plate or tie a few together and hang upside down to dry fully. To remove the seeds, firmly rub the sunflower head over a plate or bowl to catch the seeds. You’ll also get petals and other sunflower matter in with the seeds, which is fine; you can pick the seeds out of the debris to minimize the leftover flower parts. Allow the seeds to dry for a few days and place in your labeled seed envelope until next year.
ZINNIA
Zinnia is another interesting seed, and it wasn’t until this year that I learned where they were housed within the flower. To get your seeds, allow the flowers to dry out on the plant until they are brown and the petals are crunchy. Cut the flower off the plant, then begin to remove the dried petals from the flower. You’ll see the seed at the base of the dried petal. Place the seeds on a plate and pick out any dried petals that may be mixed in with the seeds. Alternatively, you can leave them if you like, it shouldn’t affect the saved seeds.
For any and all seeds, be sure to store in a cool, dry place. I like to place them in seed envelopes that are labeled so I know what they are and when I packaged them up.
To sow the seeds next year, plant them directly in your garden or start the seeds indoors to get get these babies underway.
Seed saving is such an easy process and brings incredible pride knowing they are YOUR seeds. Recycle, recycle, recycle.
Peace & Love.
Nikki
Do you save your seeds?
Please leave me a comment below or share a photo on Instagram and tag @TheSunshineHustle.
“A good gardener always plants 3 seeds; one for the bugs, one for the weather and one for himself.”
