Tracking Flowers for Seed Saving

When I get ready to save my zinnia seeds, I first make a numbered list of the colors I will be saving, because I have so many colors. Then I use a paint pen to put the number on plant tape (plant tie tape) and give it a couple of minutes to dry. I then just tie the tape around the stem of the best flowers of that color, so I will remember the ones I should allow to dry and later snip to save the seeds. When the flower heads are dry, I can just clip all of them, separating them into envelopes or containers at a later time without forgetting which are which.

This works for saving different kinds of seeds, as well as many colors of one kind. I save a lot of seeds, so I might list salvia, rudbeckia, gomphrena, etc. As long as the number on the list corresponds to the number on the plant tape that I tie the flower head with, I can keep them organized.