Part 1- Taking down the zinnia seed beds.
We’ve had our first brush with frost so it’s time to start taking down the zinnias and harvesting the seeds. This job will take me a few weeks to complete, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that a hard freeze holds off until I’m done!
#zinnias #zinniaseeds #zinniabreeding #flowerfarm #seedfarmer
We’re called “Windfall Flowers” for a reason!
We get a lot of wind here. The way I grow my zinnias (densely, in rows) means that I have to support them, otherwise they would get completely flattened.
I support them using a method called corralling. There are variations on how to do this, but here’s how I do it:
One or two 7 foot t-posts (depending on how wide the row is) get pounded in on the end of each 20 foot row. I then add a couple of wooden stakes or rebar down the rows on each side. The t-posts provide the bulk of the support and the wooden stakes/rebar help to cinch the twine in along the row. I tie baking twine to the t-post on one end of the row, and stretch it down the row, looping it around the wood stakes/rebar and cinching it up as I go, then tie to the t-post on the other end. Do this for both sides of each row- it creates a box around the row. I then tie “cross-ties” with the twine between the wood stakes on either side of the row, making smaller boxes.
As the plants grow taller, I add more layers of twine (about every 9 inches). This means i’m adding twine every few weeks for the whole season.
It’s a lot of work but absolutely necessary in a windy environment with plants planted densely (they get really tall when planted densely). The corralling not only prevents them from falling over but also keeps my narrow paths clear!
#zinnias #flowerfarmer #flowerfarming
I thank the bees every day for their work.
Without bees and other pollinators, we wouldn’t have zinnia seeds… or not many anyway! I work hard but my pollinating skills don’t come close to matching what a population of bees can do. It’s thanks to them that I can grow enough seeds to share. Thanks to them, I’m able to spread the joy of zinnias 🐝🥰
#zinnias #zinniaseeds #pollination #pollinators
These are my Windfall Peach zinnias in a “flysolation”. A flysolation is an isolation tunnel covered in bee netting, that keeps flies inside. The flies pollinate the flowers, so that I don’t have to do it by hand!
If you are interested in learning more about flysolations check out Blomma Flower Farm and Floret. Both are amazing zinnia breeders.
Zinnias have had a tough start to the year in many places, including here. A long, cold, wet spring and a major cutworm problem slowed us down. But, the zinnias pushed through and now they are on the verge of exploding into a sea of blooms. Get ready for zinnia season!!
#zinnias #cutflowers #cutflowergarden #cutflowerfarm
Help me name this zinnia!
For me, the most difficult part of breeding zinnias is giving them a name. This one is calling me to name it by something other than just its colour (I mean, what would you even call this colour?!)… something graceful and sophisticated. Help me brain storm!
#zinnia #zinniabreeding #flowerbreeding #cutflowers #flower
I get this question so often from people walking by, and I love to answer it! The “socks” are actually organza bags- the kind often used for party favours. I put them on the zinnias that I am breeding for two reasons:
1- to keep pollinators out of the flowers that I am hand pollinating to prevent unwanted cross pollination
2- to stop the pollinators from “stealing” all the pollen every morning before I have a chance to get out and do my hand pollinating that day
There are other ways to isolate (keep pollinators out) zinnias for breeding, like using cages and distance. But my favourite and probably least well known method is to grow and breed 🏠INDOORS. Indoors, you are not competing with pollinators and have full control of the pollination process.
Of course, I love growing zinnias outside, but growing indoors has its perks and it’s easier than you might think!
🌱I’m working on an indoor zinnia breeding resource - let me know if you have any questions you want answered!
🌱If you want to hear about resources or seed sales make sure to sign up for the newsletter - comment “news” below to get a sign up link sent to your DMs
#zinnias #zinniabreeding #zinniagarden #zinniaseeds #zinnialovers #flowerbreeding #zinniaflowers #cutflowers #canadianflowers #canadian #canadiangarden #canadianslovetogarden
Canada has so many amazing seed growers. Help me create a list of amazing Canadian small business seed companies. Add your favorite Canadian flower or veggie seed grower or seed company in the comments!
British Columbia
@pacific.floral
@good_earth_farms_seeds
@fullcircle_seeds
@ivywayfarm
@cicadaseeds
Alberta
@fraicheflowerfarm
Saskatchewan
@farmgirlsk
Manitoba
@heritageharvestseed
Ontario
@antoniovalenteflowers
@seedsofimbolc
@hawthornfarmorganicseeds
Quebec
@floramamafermeflorale
@northernseeds.ca
@fermetournesol
Nova Scotia
@sowlocalseeds
@revivalseeds
@annapolis_seeds
#canadianseed #canadianseedcompany #localseeds #seedfarm #seedfarming #seedgrowers #seeds #seedsaving #smallbusiness #canadiansmallbusiness #shoplocal #shopcanadian #shopcanadianmade
This seed cleaning machine is a game changer for cleaning seeds in bulk. Although I enjoy cleaning seeds by hand - touching, sorting and inspecting each seed individually- it’s not practical to clean large volumes of seed by hand.
To use the Office Clipper seed cleaner, I first thresh and roughly winnow the dried zinnia seeds (not shown here). I’m then left with a mixture of good seeds, bad seeds and chaff. I pour the mixture into the clipper and it uses screens and fans to separate the good seed from the bad seed and chaff/debris.
This machine made it possible for me to clean enough seed to hold a seed sale this year. I feel very fortunate to have had access to it through the @farmfolkcityfolk mobile seed cleaning trailer. If you are working with seeds in BC, you need to check it out!
#seedsaving #seedsavers #seeds #seed #seedcleaning #seedcleaner #seedfarm #zinniaseeds #seedcompany #winnow #flower #flowerseeds #cutflowerseeds #cutflowers #cutflowerfarm #gardenseeds #seedkeeping #seedsaver #satisfying #bcfarmers #bcfarmersmarket
These gems will be featured in the upcoming seed sale. The variety doesn’t have a final name yet, but it’s working name is “Windfall Peach”.
I’ll be sharing the date of the seed sale with newsletter subscribers first, so head to my website www.windfallflowers.com (link in bio) to subscribe!
#zinniaseeds #zinniabreeding #canadianseeds #canadianflowers #canadianflowerfarmer #cutflowers #cutflowerseeds #flowerfarm #flowerfarming #flowerseeds
