WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE about zinnias? Natural seed farmer and breeder Don Tipping of Siskiyou Seeds and I each vote an emphatic “sure” in favor of constructing zinnias part of each backyard yr.
However what goes into creating the range of zinnia colours and varieties and sizes? And what are some new trying ones that you just may wish to strive in 2024?
Don Tipping based Siskiyou Seeds, a household run farm-based seed firm, in 1997. His farm with a view is situated at 2,000 ft of elevation within the Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon, and has near 1,000 styles of greens, herbs, and flowers in its assortment. As if that weren’t sufficient, Don creates a YouTube channel of how-to movies and a long-running weblog, and hosts a number of on-farm trainings for gardeners and farmers annually.
We talked about that beloved annual flower, the zinnia (that’s ‘Queeny Lime Orange,’ above), and extra.
Plus: Remark within the field close to the underside of the web page to enter to win a $25 reward certificates for Siskiyou Seeds.
Learn alongside as you take heed to the Feb. 5, 2024 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant beneath. You possibly can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
zinnias and extra, with don tipping
Margaret Roach: Winter! However I suppose it’s seed-selling season, so in all probability not winter, not quiet, for you.
Don Tipping: Yeah.
Margaret: You and I lately collaborated on a narrative in “The New York Instances,” a backyard column on rising onions and leeks, one thing you taught me learn how to do nearly a decade in the past, learn how to develop them from seed. And so I’ll give a hyperlink to our former dialog, for individuals who wish to get began on these earlybird crops. However zinnias: We share this ardour, as I stated within the introduction, for zinnias, sure?
Don: Yeah, very a lot so. It looks like sort of an apparent factor to love, like having vanilla ice cream be your, or I imply chocolate be your favourite kind of ice cream. However I feel as a result of they’ve a lot potential when it comes to range of flower varieties and colours, I simply hold coming again to my intrigue with them.
Margaret: Yeah. I imply, I’ve at all times identified them since I first gardened, and but I by no means knew ones just like the sizes and shapes and no matter that I’m seeing today. And so, I discover, I see on some catalog web sites that there are some hybrid zinnias, however all of yours, the entire Siskiyou Seeds’ styles of all the things, are open-pollinated, sure?
Don: Right, yeah. And I feel it’s troublesome; folks wish to cut back issues down into binaries of open-pollinated or hybrid. However the reality of the matter is, is that populations are continuously hybridizing, and that’s the place Dr. John Navazio taught me: to make use of the time period proprietary F1 hybrids when referring to these business ones. Whereas zinnias, specifically, as a result of they’ve what are referred to as leaping genes [laughter], they’re transposons, the molecular-biologist time period for them. However principally, that is how epigenetics present up in flowers, of genes that may be turned on or off.
So, it’s actually troublesome to stabilize among the distinctive variants of zinnias. You actually need to develop 1000’s of crops to see that one-in-a-thousand particular person. And simply since you save seed from it doesn’t essentially imply that you just’ve stabilized it and people traits will proceed to precise in subsequent generations.
Margaret: Proper. So, the mother or father plant, all its infants gained’t be similar, any greater than I don’t appear like my dad and mom [laughter].
Don: Yeah, precisely.
Margaret: To simplify issues. So, what number of years because you first tinkered with a zinnia, because you let a complete inhabitants develop out in a discipline someplace at your home and stated, “Ooh, I actually like that one over there. I’m going to avoid wasting seed from that one.” How way back, do you suppose?
Don: Properly, it was type of an evolution. We used to develop zinnia seed yearly for Seeds of Change [catalog] in giant portions, the place we’d develop 5 or 10 kilos of seed. And once we are doing that, we’re sometimes rising a single colour. So something that deviated from that, we’d truly destroy these crops, pull them out by the roots. So then finally, in about 2009, is after I started to understand that, oh, these distinctive ones, that is perhaps one thing value saving seed from and truly starting to nudge it in that course, as a result of similar to my analogy with ice cream, you will get vanilla and chocolate wherever.
However distinctive sorts, I feel that’s actually the bread and butter for these small regional seed corporations like Siskiyou Seeds—not providing the same old form, however having distinctive sorts. Yeah, and it retains it fascinating for me, as a result of I’ve been doing this 30 years, so I’ve bought to seek out new methods to maintain it thrilling.
Margaret: New adventures. First, there have been, many years in the past, I don’t even keep in mind the names of the zinnias, after which the ‘Benary’s Giants’ [above] grew to become a factor. However recently, these Queeny Lime ones, those with the phrase queen in them-
Don: Precisely.
Margaret: … are simply so beautiful, they usually sort of appeared and all people, lots of people began promoting them. I can’t discover any data on who bred them or the place they started. I see “the breeder” known as simply “the breeder” in varied catalog descriptions in varied locations, however I don’t see who it was [laughter]. So, that’s been type of one of many newest in ages.
However you’ve gone off in a course; yours, as you described, a few of them appear like “undersea creatures,” and simply a few of them come off type of cactus-shaped flowers and get even wilder and crazier. Yeah? [Below, a couple of flowers from his ‘Tidepool Mix.’]
Don: Properly, I feel you’re truly shining a light-weight on, once you describe a few of these new varieties that present up within the large mainstream catalogs, on a little bit of the underbelly of the largely Dutch flower-seed commerce. And I can’t confirm this, however I wish to begin trying and poking round. I’ve heard that they use irradiation to induce polyploidy and novelty in a number of flower variants, as a result of florists are at all times searching for the brand new factor, and genetics tends to throw out the off sorts. The mutants have a tendency to not categorical readily.
However by means of actually irradiating or doing novel breeding applied sciences like cell fusion and cisgenics, the mainstream business has been tinkering with issues. So, it’s completely different than the standard GMO.
We’re not doing that right here. I’m simply actually combing the fields searching for novelty, and we take little ribbons of surveying tape the place I truly use jewellery baggage which can be like breathable mesh.
So, if I’ve a big inhabitants, let’s say 1,000 crops or extra, and I seen a person, zinnias are within the Asteraceae, so that they’re associated to calendula, sunflowers, lettuce, marigolds, chrysanthemum, asters, that kind of factor. And that they broadly open-pollinate, they usually have two kinds of flowers in them. They’ve disc flowers and ray flowers. And if you happen to’ve ever held calendula seed in your hand, you possibly can actually see this, or checked out a zinnia, as an illustration, up shut and see how the disc florets have little yellow flowers that in and of themselves are flowers, which have each female and male flower components and may pollinate themselves or be cross-pollinated. Whereas the ray florets, what we take a look at as petals.
Margaret: Petals, proper.
Don: … are literally showy bracts, to make use of the botanical time period. These don’t have stamens, so that they don’t make pollen, however they’ll obtain pollen. So, once you take a look at the calendula seed, again to that instance, you see what appear like little grey fishhooks, after which bigger buff-colored fishhooks. The little ones are from the disc florets, and the bigger ones are from the ray florets. This differentiation is much less pronounced in zinnias, however if you happen to fastidiously type out your zinnia seed, you possibly can determine which seeds got here from the disc florets-
Margaret: Wow.
Don: … whereas those who got here from the ray florets.
Margaret: Cool.
Don: So, each time a pollination factor occurs, you will have a complete myriad of, it may very well be self-pollinating. So, I’m explaining this to explain the jewellery bag. Why use that? As a result of then you realize that entire plant is self-pollinated, or that flower, and that’s assuming you bought to it earlier than the florets on the disc opened up. So, it’s a must to exit within the morning—when it’s nonetheless sort of cool out and there’s dew—and search for flowers which can be a little bit on the immature facet, after which put the bag over it after which let it mature. You’re drastically decreasing the quantity of viable seed once you do that, however it’s a method to start to slender down within the course you wish to go.
Margaret: Oh, O.Okay. So, you’re not irradiating, you’re placing jewellery baggage on it.
Don: Yeah.
Margaret: So that you’re making observations and placing ribbons on them and placing jewellery baggage on them [laughter] and so forth, and sort of steering the inhabitants, if you happen to can, in a course that appeals to you. And the assortment of zinnias that you just promote within the Siskiyou catalog, I imply, you will have some actually enjoyable ones. You do have a kind of Queeny sorts, I neglect which one you will have. And one other combine that I’ve at all times favored, the ‘Jazzy Combine,’ which I feel is so well-named as a result of it’s bought such enjoyable type of colours in it. However you will have one which I’ve by no means truly grown, referred to as ‘Crimson Spider?’ [below]. Inform us about that one. That’s fairly completely different. It seems to be like a species plant to me, that one. Are you aware what I imply? It looks-
Don: Oh, completely.
Margaret: …very outdated, back-to-the-roots sort of genetics. Yeah.
Don: Properly, you talked about the ‘Jazzy Combine,’ and that’s truly a special species from the standard zinnias that individuals develop. So, the standard zinnia that most individuals are aware of, the Latin identify is Zinnia, the genus, and elegans is the species.
Whereas the genus for the ‘Jazzy Combine’ is Zinnia, as soon as once more, the species identify is haageana, so it’s truly a special species. All of them originated in central Mexico, the place it was principally a wildflower. And so, the ‘Crimson Spider’ is, I feel, actually extra of a progenitor of recent zinnias.
Margaret: Isn’t it like tenuifolia or one thing? It’s like a complete species into itself.
Don: Precisely, yeah. So, the crops are extra diminutive. They solely develop 18 to 24 inches tall. They’re all crimson. I’ve by no means seen one other one which’s a special colour. And so they don’t are likely to thrive as a lot right here, and maybe we dwell within the mountains, so possibly it’s our cool nights, whereas subtropical central Mexican highlands is a special local weather than Oregon. However nonetheless, I like rising them only for their novelty. And the petals are typically thinner, so I feel that’s the place the identify spider comes from.
You possibly can consider dahlias, that are additionally native to central Mexico. And if you happen to take a look at the seed-grown varieties, you get to see type of the parental varieties that gave delivery to all of the completely different fashionable ones that have been finally hybrids, after which folks went to tuber replica.
Margaret: Yeah. You’ve got some enjoyable with them. I imply, you will have, talking of ones which can be within the Zinnia elegans, the extra anticipated species or extra frequent species, you chose from one that individuals could know, the ‘Peppermint Stick,’ to make one that you just name, I feel ‘Firestarter?’ Is that proper?
Don: Yeah. Properly, this began, Frank Morton and I, we had a dialog of, I simply requested him like, “Hey, the ‘Peppermint Stick’ is 2 completely different colours.” And actually three, there’s type of yellow and crimson, after which white and crimson, however there’s additionally type of a cream and crimson in there, which I feel is an middleman one.
Margaret: Yeah, and we must always say Frank is a seed farmer, Wild Backyard Seed. Sure, yeah.
Don: Yeah, thanks for mentioning that. And he’s undoubtedly a pricey pal and mentor of me.
Margaret: And so many.
Don: And an early pioneer.
Margaret: He’s superb. Yeah.
Don: And yeah, verify them out earlier than, I feel they’re inching in the direction of retirement, so sort of get it whereas the getting’s good. However we have been joking round. I used to be like, “Hey, have you ever ever considered stabilizing one of many colours?” And he was doing the white and crimson. So I used to be like, “Properly, I’ll do the yellow and crimson.”
So, we use greenhouses typically if we wish to stabilize one thing that’s actually engaging to pollinators, with the pondering that we will management pollination a little bit bit extra. So, the ‘Firestarter’ is absolutely simply saving seed from essentially the most yellow and crimson ones.
And I wish to point out a extremely enjoyable factor, and possibly you’ve seen this in zinnias or different flowers, is that selection specifically tends to provide what are referred to as chimeras. And you too can see leaping genes in motion. So, in my collection of that selection, I look forward to the primary flower to occur, and I solely wish to save the crops that produce yellow-and-red-striped ones, that actually appear like both yellow petals that someone took a paintbrush and painted a stripe of crimson on them, or indirectly.
So then, I rip out all those which can be white and crimson, after which I reduce off all of the flowers of the yellow-red ones, that first flower, as a result of it might have cross pollinated with the white and crimson ones. Then, I let all of them flower, and what I’ve seen occur is ones that produce all crimson flowers. And earlier than I discovered this, I might reduce these off or rip these crops out. However then, I started to note, like wow, on the identical plant, they’ll produce all crimson and yellow-and-red-striped. And what that’s, is the plant doesn’t distribute development hormones and its genetic potential equally.
Margaret: Oh.
Don: Identical to we don’t appear like our siblings, regardless that we technically have the identical genetics. And the opposite factor it’ll do is chimeras, which is, I don’t know if that’s a botanical time period or simply within the flower commerce, one the place the flower is principally half crimson and half one other colour, like on this occasion, red- and yellow-striped. I’ve tried saving seeds from this, however I don’t suppose chimeras is one thing you can pin down genetically. It simply has to do with development hormones and transposons, and the way genetic potential is distributed in a given plant relying on environmental stresses.
Margaret: Yeah, it’s fairly cool. So, that’s a enjoyable one, ‘Firestarter.’
A few of yours are these mixes, otherwise you typically name them remixes. You’ve got one that you just name the ‘Dreamin’ Remix,’ as an illustration. And that was already a cross of elegans, and haageana.
Don: Yeah.
Margaret: That was already a cross of elegans and haageana, that another person did, at Peace Seedlings, Dylana Kapuler. So that you then take a look at the inhabitants and you retain going, yeah? You may hold going?
Don: Yeah. And this will’t… Perhaps you could possibly describe it as a backcross, so it’s a hybrid between these two zinnia species, then backcross to the ‘Cactus Combine,’ and making an attempt to get my objective with that. And I feel gardeners like novelty, and I try to be clear in our catalog to not anticipate each plant to exhibit the identical traits. However you’re certain to, it’s sort of like, I don’t know, Cracker Jacks, you’re going to get a special shock in each field or one thing.
That my objective is to provide one that appears just like the ‘Dreamin’ Combine,’ that Dylana took over from her father, Dr. Alan Kapuler, of that cross. And so they’ve by no means disclosed it’s a cross, however I’ve grown sufficient zinnias the place that’s my hunch, due to that trait that you just see within the ‘Jazzy Combine’ or the ‘Persian Carpet’ kind zinnias.
I wish to get one which has that fascinating sort of bullseye sample of various colours on each petal, however with the quilled petal form of the cactus sorts. So, we’ll see. There’s no assure. I feel typically when you will have a breeding goal, it’s truly counter to the reproductive success of the plant [laughter], and the one means you study that’s by means of trial and error.
Margaret: Yeah. I like the identify of 1 that you’ve your providing that you just bred, you name it ‘Loopy Legs’ [above]. Inform us about ‘Loopy Legs,’ talking of this type of cactusy…
Don: Properly, in order that began by rising giant quantities of the ‘Cactus Combine,’ which has a quilled petal form, which the botanical time period would both be revolute, like rolled outwards on itself, or rolled inwards on itself (which is involute).
And I started to note ones that had these different traits. One truly has a botanical identify referred to as fimbriated, the place the petals don’t finish at a tidy level, however are extra splayed out.
After which I seen one the place the petals themselves, as a substitute of rising straight, have been type of squiggled. And my preliminary breeder’s identify for that was Frippertronics, after Robert Fripp, who was the guitarist for the sort of ’60s, ’70s progressive rock band King Crimson. However my seed workers, who’re all underneath 40 was like, “No, that doesn’t work.”
Margaret: “No, Grandpa.” They stated, “No. Grandpa.” Proper? [Laughter.]
Don: Yeah, completely. Properly, and I take these surveying ribbons and I write with a Sharpie on there simply so I can hold monitor of all these things. So, I used to be like, “O.Okay., you’re going to be Frippertronic,” as a result of he invented the primary digital tape-loop music, simply one thing novel. So, ‘Loopy Legs’ was a extra descriptive identify. ‘Loopy Legs’ is a fuchsia one. I’ve cream-colored model in improvement and an orange one in improvement and a yellow one. However these aren’t stabilized but.
Margaret: Properly, they’re enjoyable and wild as is your one I discussed earlier than, the one which type of seems to be like undersea anemones, the ‘Tidepool Combine.’
Don: Yeah.
Margaret: So, earlier than we take up on a regular basis with zinnias, I wish to simply ask you about what else are you enthusiastic about in the intervening time? As a result of it sounds such as you’re nonetheless taking part in with zinnias. Are there different issues that you just’re…
Don: Properly, yearly we choose three or 4 issues to do selection trials on, and that permits us right here on the farm to actually use the farm not only for seed manufacturing, but additionally as a analysis and improvement facility. So, those we’re doing for that this yr are radicchios, as a result of there’s a complete pattern beginning there and we simply wish to study as a lot as we will to develop as a lot range. After which we are going to provide that blend as a seed crop for 2025, which feels bizarre to say that.
After which, we’re additionally doing carrots, however just like zinnias, not many individuals develop China asters, however they’re simply as straightforward to develop and I feel simply as spectacular. And I feel it may very well be one of many subsequent large issues for dwelling gardeners and small-scale farmer-florists.
Margaret: I feel these are, what Callistephus, is that the genus? Callistephus, I feel.
Don: Yeah.
Margaret: Yeah. And so they’re lovely flowers. And talking of issues that may come in numerous flower varieties, they’ll appear like a giant double chrysanthemum [below, ‘Tower Chamois’ China aster] or they’ll look ethereal and, I don’t even know learn how to say with simply, I don’t know, simply so effusive, a few of them.
Don: Precisely.
Margaret: So that they actually, they are often fairly completely different.
Don: Yeah. And I’m simply now pondering they’d make a wonderful companion, like some cool variant combine with the ‘Tidepool Combine’ zinnia. And possibly for some future Octopus’ Backyard assortment or one thing.
Margaret: Oh, I like that. The Octopus’s Backyard assortment. Yeah, a lot of tentacles [laughter].
Don: Yeah.
Margaret: ‘Loopy Legs.’ Numerous ‘Loopy Legs.’ Yeah. Good. O.Okay. So, these are three issues: radicchio, carrots, China asters.
Don: Yeah. After which, one other factor sort of, just like the zinnias that I’ve been engaged on, is a striped kernel candy corn that I name ‘Starburst Choose.’ And also you see this trait in flour corn, some Native communities name it chin-mark corn, named after the cultural custom of tattooing ladies in among the Northwest tribes. However principally, on the stage of consuming, I’ve this selection in improvement that could be a candy corn, and once you eat it, every kernel seems to be like someone took a small paintbrush and drew a little bit starburst of crimson on it.
And I’m 85 p.c of the way in which there of getting a spread that, so far as I do know, has by no means existed earlier than, and I don’t know why, as a result of it wasn’t that onerous to create. So, that’s thrilling. And we provide seed of that. We at all times promote out. It’s very restricted amount proper now.
Margaret: Huh. Attention-grabbing. You’ve executed quite a bit over time with flour corns, those as in you’ll make meal or flour out of them, not flower corns.
Don: Yeah.
Margaret: Very colourful, a few of them have been very colourful, that are simply lovely as effectively. And I feel it looks like you’ve been including some medicinal herbs to the catalog as effectively, yeah?
Don: Yeah. And as a seed firm, now we have what we’re enthusiastic about, however we even have to reply to the place the tradition goes. And that’s one thing I’ve seen a giant resurgence in curiosity in folks rising their very own medicinal herbs. So I’ve an worker who has some expertise with that, Taryn Hunter, who I’ve actually simply tasked with determining what’s the recent herbs to develop, what ought to we be both rising. Or we additionally work with an ideal firm out of Washington referred to as Pals of the Timber Botanicals, and that’s Michael Pilarski who goes by the identify Skeeter, who’s one among our permaculture elders right here within the Northwest. And so they develop and harvest medicinal herb seed that we provide.
Margaret: Properly, a number of enjoyable decisions. As I stated, there’s like 1,000 issues in your assortment and possibly 700 in any given yr being supplied. I’m so glad to talk to you; I at all times study from you, Don, and I hope that we’ll hold the teachings going for extra years to return. So, thanks, thanks, and have seed-selling season, huh
Don: Thanks a lot.
extra from don tipping
The Siskiyou web site
Our earlier dialog about rising onions (and leeks) from seed
enter to win a $25 siskiyou seeds reward card
I’LL BUY A $25 reward card to Siskiyou Seeds for one fortunate reader. All it’s a must to do to enter is reply this query within the feedback field beneath:
Are zinnias an everyday in your backyard? Any favourite varieties?
No reply, or feeling shy? Simply say one thing like “depend me in” and I’ll, however a reply is even higher. I’ll choose a random winner after entries shut Tuesday Feb. 13, 2024 at midnight. Good luck to all.
want the podcast model of the present?
MY WEEKLY public-radio present, rated a “top-5 backyard podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper within the UK, started its 14th yr in March 2023. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station within the nation. Pay attention regionally within the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Jap, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Feb. 5, 2024 present utilizing the participant close to the highest of this transcript. You possibly can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).