How to collect the best flower seeds is not difficult and only takes clippers or snips for tools, a pan or area to allow them to dry and lunch bags or envelopes to store them in once you have the seeds ready to store for the winter.
Collecting flower seeds is very satisfying, knowing you have the ability to grow your own plants from the seeds you harvested. It is also a great gift that you can share with others to add to their garden.
One suggestion is to take pictures at the height of the flowering of the plants you intend to save seeds so that you share with others what they will look like.
Flower seeds are easy to collect on many plants and are a great way to save money for next year’s planting. The key to being successful in harvesting your seeds is to make sure they are collected at the correct time to make sure they will germinate next year.
Be sure to store the seeds in a paper envelope labeled with variety, date, and any details about the plant.
The seeds can last up to 5 years in most cases.
How to collect the best flower seeds
Wait for the flowers to dry on the plant before harvesting the flower buds
Cut just the flowers and 1-2 inches of the stem
Lay the flowers out to complete the drying process
Separate the seeds from the flower petals before storing them in a paper envelope or bag
Label the package with the seed variety, color, and any details about the plants
Store the seeds in a cool dark location for the seeds to last several years
The Best Flower Seeds to Collect
Sweet Pea Seed Pods
These seed pods are easy to collect as long as you do not wait too long to collect them off the plant. Once they turn brown you can remove them from the plant before they begin to open. If you wait until the pods open your seeds will drop and will reseed for next year.
When you have the brown pods removed from the plant, you will need to split them open to remove the brown seeds from the pods. Discard the pods and lay the seeds out to dry for a few days before storing them to make sure they are dry.
Zinnias
From one flower head, you can collect more than 20 seeds.
When collecting seeds from Zinnias you should wait for the flower head to turn brown and dry. By waiting until this happens you are insured that the seeds have developed so that they can be saved for growing the next year.
Cut the flower head off the plant and lay the flower head out to continue to dry. When you deadhead the flower head you will also get more flowers setting on the plant.
After the flower head drys, you can pull the flower head apart revealing the seeds which are attached to the flower pedals. Each seed can be removed from the flower petal so that the seeds do not take up too much space. I have also saved the entire flower head if I did not have time to separate the seeds and planted the entire petal and seed.
A big decision for you will be to separate the seeds by flower color or to collect them all together for planting the next year.
Marigolds
To collect marigold seeds wait for the flower head to turn brown and dry on the plant before removing them from the plant.
Once you have removed the flower heads lay them out to continue to dry.
When they are completely dry you can remove the seeds. You will collect 30 or more seeds from each flower head.
Cosmos
Cosmos will reseed themselves but you can also collect the seeds if you can beat the birds to them. Over the years of growing the cosmos I have seen birds eating the seeds daily, so they must really like the seeds. American Goldfinches and other very small birds love to eat the cosmos seeds.
Cosmos are a great companion plant to have in the garden attracting bees, birds, and butterflies.
Flower seeds are great to collect and share with others to add to their gardens. I recommend you take a photo of the plants you will collect seeds from to attach to the packet so that when you share the seeds the receiver will see what they will look like once they plant them. Provide them with details to successfully grow each plant.
Tools for collecting seeds
Collecting the best flower seeds is a great way to add color to your yard and not have to spend a lot of money. It is also very satisfying to know you grew the flowers from the seeds you collected.
