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Obtaining true seed from open-pollinatiors #869097
Asked May 19, 2024, 12:46 PM EDT
I want to save seed from open-pollinated Zinnia Zahara. I have read that you have to avoid cross-pollination in order to obtain seed that is true to the parent plant. I read that you can cover the buds with mesh before they open to avoid this cross-pollination. My question is: If you bag the bud, won't they avoid getting any kind of pollinators? If they aren't pollinated, how do they form seeds?
Weld County Colorado
Expert Response
Thanks for contacting us about ensuring your open-pollinated flowers produce the appropriate seeds.
The simple answer to your question is you can’t have seeds without pollination (fertilization). However, like self-pollinated plants, open-pollinated plants are quite stable and typically produce seeds that will be like the parent plant.
See these two fact sheets from universities for more details:
- https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/dkk-mg-seed-swap-hybrid-heirloom.pdf
- https://ag.umass.edu/sites/ag.umass.edu/files/fact-sheets/pdf/seed_saving.pdf
Note that these fact sheets often reference vegetable plants…but the same information applies to all plants.
Karin
