2022 Zinnia's

[Toomanymatoes]

I was only able to collect seeds from a two types that were grown in pots - Uproar Rose and Starlight Rose. My main flower garden was a mix (Benarys, Queen Limes, Oklahoma, Redman) and I had plans to collect the seeds from the different types separately, but one day every flower was brown (likely due to frost). So I had no clue what anything was any longer. It is now just a big mix of all sorts of taller zinnias. I do have a Magellan mix and a couple others that I collected last year that I can try to send. Too many seeds to go through and not enough time....package is getting a bit too big too.

What did you think of Uproar Rose? It is highly recommended by Gardener's Workshop but gets mixed reviews in a 2008 NC State trial. Seeds are pretty costly!

- Lisa

It was a very beautiful flower. Grew very well for me. Not sure what else to say about it.

[greenthumbomaha]

I was only able to collect seeds from a two types that were grown in pots - Uproar Rose and Starlight Rose. My main flower garden was a mix (Benarys, Queen Limes, Oklahoma, Redman) and I had plans to collect the seeds from the different types separately, but one day every flower was brown (likely due to frost). So I had no clue what anything was any longer. It is now just a big mix of all sorts of taller zinnias. I do have a Magellan mix and a couple others that I collected last year that I can try to send. Too many seeds to go through and not enough time....package is getting a bit too big too.

What did you think of Uproar Rose? It is highly recommended by Gardener's Workshop but gets mixed reviews in a 2008 NC State trial. Seeds are pretty costly!

- Lisa

It was a very beautiful flower. Grew very well for me. Not sure what else to say about it.

I just put this on my wishlist. Well you are in good company with one of the most popular flower growers on the internet. Lisa Mason Ziegler from Gardener's Workshop aka The Cool Flower author says "It Has the Most Unique Color of Any Flower in the Garden". A few comments in the 2008 trial were about issues with the actual growth. Purple Benray's Giant from saved seeds had high germination, but it was also one of the latest to bloom from a backyard patch this summer. A real eye catcher with 3 purple seeds ended up growing together. They were literally my height (5'3.5 ish).

Like you, despite best plans to neatly separate the different colors, I made a last ditch effort to save seeds before and after frost, and nothing looks plump and viable. I still have dried Benray's bouquets from the summer before last and wonder if their seeds will germinate after being out in the dry indoor environment for so long. They still have their color, but time for a new look.

- Liaa

[GoDawgs]

I'm sending in some zinnia seeds tomorrow. What I grew this summer were California Giant Mix, Giant Cactus Mix, a tall mix from Nan in the MMMM and one Queen Lime which turned out to be a dusky red. I'm not so fond of lighter colors so saved a pretty magenta CA Giant, a beautiful orange Giant cactus, and a Will Rogers red that I've grown the past several years.

I sent separate disk and ray seeds for the magenta CA Giant and the Will Rogers, ray seeds only for the orange cactus. Unfortunately I didn't have enough seeds to send from the Queen Lime red, a beautiful pink I got from the tall mix and Daffodil, a pretty yellow I've had for a while. Now that I've got the hang of saving these seeds, I'll be sending in a lot more next year.

Looking forward to results of ray vs disk seeds.

There were germination problems with Scarlet Flame, Giant Enchantress Mix, Benray's Giant Mix and State Fair Mix. Maybe next year.

[Seven Bends]

I tried to save seeds from our tall mixed zinnias this year but found few viable seeds. I checked both the old, dried seed heads and the younger spent flowers that still had color.

What I did find were a lot of tiny pupae, generally similar to the picture below but very small, about the size of a grain of rice. My guess is whatever worm these used to be maybe ate the seeds before pupating? Nearly all the seedheads were infested; I only found one bloom that didn't have them, and that bloom did have some viable green seeds.

Does anyone have a guess as to what this insect would be? There was no obvious damage to the zinnia leaves or the flower petals.

My Zahara zinnia patch had not a single one of these critters in it; seeds were plentiful and perfect.
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Photo credit to "The BugLady," University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee (https://uwm.edu/field-station/pupal-cases/)

[BettyC-5]

I am waiting for an order from Uprising Seeds that has some zinnias in it, one of the Queen series. Will send some along with all the other stuff as soon as it arrives. I haven't yet received a notice that the order has been shipped. Hopefully soon.

[Toomanymatoes]

Well, I am tired of collecting and packaging seeds. So, I only managed to pack up 4 different zinnias - Starlight Rose, Cherry Ivory Swizzle, Uproar Rose and Zowie Yellow Flame. Some are from 2021. The rest were just mixes anyway.

[Tormahto]

Well, I am tired of collecting and packaging seeds. So, I only managed to pack up 4 different zinnias - Starlight Rose, Cherry Ivory Swizzle, Uproar Rose and Zowie Yellow Flame. Some are from 2021. The rest were just mixes anyway.

You picked four that are just about the most requested, last year.