Before you start cleaning up all those tired-looking flowers in your garden this fall, take a closer look at them.
Those brown, dried-up flower heads may not look like much, but some of them are holding hundreds of free flowers for next year.
Saving flower seeds is one of those gardening chores that sounds complicated until you actually do it. In most cases, it takes just a few minutes, and you probably already have everything you need.
I grow quite a few flowering plants around my home, and this time of year I start paying attention to which flowers I want to save seeds from before I start cutting everything back.
If you have zinnias, marigolds, coneflowers, cosmos, sunflowers or other seed-producing flowers growing in your yard, don’t be too quick to throw those old blooms away.
When Should You Collect Flower Seeds?
The biggest mistake you can make is collecting flower seeds too early.
You generally want to leave the flower on the plant until the bloom has faded and the seed head has turned brown and dry.
I know it’s tempting to deadhead an ugly flower, especially when you’ve spent all summer trying to keep your flower beds looking good. But if there’s a flower I want seeds from, I’ll leave a few of those old blooms alone.
You’re basically letting the plant finish its job.
A good rule of thumb is:
If the flower head is still green and moist, give it more time. If it’s brown, dry and starting to crumble apart, start checking for seeds.
How to Save Flower Seeds in 4 Easy Steps
You don’t need any special seed-saving equipment.
I usually keep it simple.
1. Cut Off the Dried Flower Head
Wait until the flower head has dried on the plant and then cut it off with a pair of garden snips.
I like to drop the entire flower head into a paper bag or onto a paper plate. That keeps those tiny seeds from disappearing into the grass.
2. Separate the Seeds
Once the flower head is completely dry, gently break it apart with your fingers.
You’ll usually find the seeds mixed in with dried petals and other plant material.
Don’t worry about making them perfectly clean. Just remove most of the dried flower material and keep the seeds.
3. Let the Seeds Dry
This part is important.
Before putting your seeds away, make sure they are completely dry.
I like to spread them out on a paper plate or piece of paper for a little while before storing them.
Putting damp seeds into a closed container can cause mold and ruin your seeds.
4. Label and Store Them
Don’t trust yourself to remember what they are!
It seems obvious when you’re collecting them, but several months later that little envelope of brown seeds may be a complete mystery.
Write the flower name, color or variety if you know it, and the year collected on the envelope.
Then store your seeds somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sunlight until you’re ready to plant them.
That’s it.
You just saved yourself some money and already have a head start on next year’s flower garden.
Easy Flowers to Save Seeds From
If you’ve never saved flower seeds before, start with some of the easy ones.
Some of my favorites include:
- Zinnias
- Marigolds
- Cosmos
- Sunflowers
- Coneflowers
- Nasturtiums
- Calendula
Zinnias and marigolds are especially good flowers to start with because the seeds are fairly easy to find once you pull apart the dried flower heads.
Sunflowers may be the easiest of all because you can actually see the seeds developing right in the center of the flower.
What About Coneflower Seeds?
Don’t overlook your coneflowers.
Once those beautiful purple flowers fade, you’re left with that dark, prickly center cone.
There are seeds in there.
You can collect some of those seeds for yourself, but I also like the idea of leaving some coneflower heads standing in the garden. Birds, especially goldfinches, will feed on the seeds.
So you don’t necessarily have to choose between saving seeds and feeding the birds.
Take some and leave some.
Will Saved Flower Seeds Look Like the Original Plant?
Maybe—and this is one thing you should know before you start saving every seed in your garden.
Seeds collected from open-pollinated varieties are much more likely to produce plants similar to the parent plant.
Hybrid flowers are different.
You can still collect and plant seeds from many hybrids, but the new plants may not look exactly like the plant you collected them from.
You might get a different flower color, size or growth habit.
Personally, I think that can be part of the fun.
If you’re determined to reproduce one particular flower exactly, however, check whether the plant is a hybrid before relying on its seeds.
Can You Just Scatter Flower Seeds in the Garden?
Sometimes!
If you grow flowers that readily reseed themselves, Mother Nature may do most of the work for you.
Cosmos, zinnias and several other flowers can drop mature seeds around the parent plants and produce volunteers later.
I’ve had plenty of plants appear in places where I certainly didn’t plant them.
If you don’t care exactly where the flowers grow, you can even crumble some mature seed heads over the flower bed and see what happens.
For seeds you really want to keep, though, I prefer collecting and labeling them. That gives me control over where I plant them next year instead of hoping they come up where I want them.
Don’t Throw Away Next Year’s Flowers
This is one of those little gardening habits that can save you money year after year.
Before you clean up your flower beds and toss all those brown flower heads into the compost pile, spend a few minutes looking for seeds.
Grab a paper bag, collect a few dried flower heads and save them.
What looks like a dead flower today could be an entire flower bed next year—and it won’t cost you a dime.
