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 creating zinnias part of each backyard yr.
However what goes into creating the range of zinnia colours and kinds and sizes? And what are some new trying ones that you simply may need to attempt in 2024?
Don Tipping based Siskiyou Seeds, a household run farm-based seed firm, in 1997. His farm with a view is positioned at 2,000 ft of elevation within the Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon, and has near 1,000 kinds 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 every year.
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 present 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’ll be able to 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 assume 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 tips on how to do virtually a decade in the past, tips on how to develop them from seed. And so I’ll give a hyperlink to our former dialog, for individuals who need 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 form of an apparent factor to love, like having vanilla ice cream be your, or I imply chocolate be your favourite sort of ice cream. However I feel as a result of they’ve a lot potential when it comes to range of flower kinds and colours, I simply hold coming again to my intrigue with them.
Margaret: Yeah. I imply, I’ve all the time recognized them since I first gardened, and but I by no means knew ones just like the sizes and styles and no matter that I’m seeing nowadays. 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’ kinds of every part, are open-pollinated, sure?
Don: Right, yeah. And I feel it’s troublesome; folks need to cut back issues down into binaries of open-pollinated or hybrid. However the fact of the matter is, is that populations are always 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 industrial ones. Whereas zinnias, particularly, 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 mainly, 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 must develop 1000’s of vegetation to see that one-in-a-thousand particular person. And simply since you save seed from it doesn’t essentially imply that you simply’ve stabilized it and people traits will proceed to precise in subsequent generations.
Margaret: Proper. So, the father or mother plant, all its infants gained’t be equivalent, 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 area 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: Effectively, it was kind 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 after we are doing that, we’re sometimes rising a single coloration. So something that deviated from that, we might really destroy these vegetation, pull them out by the roots. So then ultimately, in about 2009, is once I started to appreciate that, oh, these distinctive ones, that may be one thing price saving seed from and really starting to nudge it in that path, as a result of similar to my analogy with ice cream, you may get vanilla and chocolate anyplace.
However distinctive sorts, I feel that’s actually the bread and butter for these small regional seed firms like Siskiyou Seeds—not providing the standard form, however having distinctive sorts. Yeah, and it retains it attention-grabbing for me, as a result of I’ve been doing this 30 years, so I’ve acquired to search out new methods to maintain it thrilling.
Margaret: New adventures. First, there have been, a long time in the past, I don’t even bear in mind the names of the zinnias, after which the ‘Benary’s Giants’ (above) turned a factor. However these days, these Queeny Lime ones, those with the phrase queen in them-
Don: Precisely.
Margaret: … are simply so attractive, and so they form 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 numerous catalog descriptions in numerous locations, however I don’t see who it was (laughter). So, that’s been kind of one of many newest in ages.
However you’ve gone off in a path; yours, as you described, a few of them appear like “undersea creatures,” and simply a few of them come off kind of cactus-shaped flowers and get even wilder and crazier. Yeah? (Under, a few flowers from his ‘Tidepool Combine.’)
Don: Effectively, I feel you’re really shining a light-weight on, whenever you describe a few of these new varieties that present up within the huge mainstream catalogs, on a little bit of the underbelly of the largely Dutch flower-seed commerce. And I can’t confirm this, however I need 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 all the time in search of the brand new factor, and genetics tends to throw out the off sorts. The mutants have a tendency to not categorical readily.
However by actually irradiating or doing novel breeding applied sciences like cell fusion and cisgenics, the mainstream trade has been tinkering with issues. So, it’s totally different than the normal GMO.
We’re not doing that right here. I’m simply actually combing the fields in search of novelty, and we take little ribbons of surveying tape the place I really use jewellery luggage which can be like breathable mesh.
So, if I’ve a big inhabitants, let’s say 1,000 vegetation or extra, and I observed a person, zinnias are within the Asteraceae, in order that they’re associated to calendula, sunflowers, lettuce, marigolds, chrysanthemum, asters, that sort of factor. And that they broadly open-pollinate, and so they have two varieties of flowers in them. They’ve disc flowers and ray flowers. And in the event you’ve ever held calendula seed in your hand, you’ll be able to actually see this, or checked out a zinnia, as an example, 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 might 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, in order that they don’t make pollen, however they’ll obtain pollen. So, whenever 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 in the event you rigorously type out your zinnia seed, you’ll be able to work out 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’ve gotten a complete myriad of, it could possibly be self-pollinating. So, I’m explaining this to explain the jewellery bag. Why use that? As a result of then you recognize 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, you need to exit within the morning—when it’s nonetheless form of cool out and there’s dew—and search for flowers which can be a bit of on the immature facet, after which put the bag over it after which let it mature. You’re enormously lowering the quantity of viable seed whenever you do that, however it’s a strategy to start to slim down within the path you need to go.
Margaret: Oh, O.Okay. So, you’re not irradiating, you’re placing jewellery luggage on it.
Don: Yeah.
Margaret: So that you’re making observations and placing ribbons on them and placing jewellery luggage on them (laughter) and so forth, and form of steering the inhabitants, in the event you can, in a path that appeals to you. And the assortment of zinnias that you simply promote within the Siskiyou catalog, I imply, you’ve gotten some actually enjoyable ones. You do have a type of Queeny sorts, I neglect which one you’ve gotten. And one other combine that I’ve all the time favored, the ‘Jazzy Combine,’ which I feel is so well-named as a result of it’s acquired such enjoyable kind of colours in it. However you’ve gotten one which I’ve by no means really grown, referred to as ‘Crimson Spider?’ (beneath). Inform us about that one. That’s fairly totally different. It seems like a species plant to me, that one. Are you aware what I imply? It looks-
Don: Oh, completely.
Margaret: …very previous, back-to-the-roots form of genetics. Yeah.
Don: Effectively, you talked about the ‘Jazzy Combine,’ and that’s really a distinct species from the normal zinnias that individuals develop. So, the normal zinnia that most individuals are conversant in, the Latin title 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 title is haageana, so it’s really a distinct species. All of them originated in central Mexico, the place it was mainly 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 vegetation are extra diminutive. They solely develop 18 to 24 inches tall. They’re all pink. I’ve by no means seen one other one which’s a distinct coloration. They usually don’t are inclined to thrive as a lot right here, and maybe we dwell within the mountains, so perhaps it’s our cool nights, whereas subtropical central Mexican highlands is a distinct local weather than Oregon. However nonetheless, I like rising them only for their novelty. And the petals are usually thinner, so I feel that’s the place the title spider comes from.
You’ll be able to consider dahlias, that are additionally native to central Mexico. And in the event you take a look at the seed-grown varieties, you get to see kind of the parental kinds that gave beginning to all of the totally different trendy ones that have been finally hybrids, after which folks went to tuber copy.
Margaret: Yeah. You’ve some enjoyable with them. I imply, you’ve gotten, talking of ones which can be within the Zinnia elegans, the extra anticipated species or extra widespread species, you chose from one that individuals might know, the ‘Peppermint Stick,’ to make one that you simply name, I feel ‘Firestarter?’ Is that proper?
Don: Yeah. Effectively, this began, Frank Morton and I, we had a dialog of, I simply requested him like, “Hey, the ‘Peppermint Stick’ is 2 totally different colours.” And actually three, there’s kind of yellow and pink, after which white and pink, however there’s additionally kind of a cream and pink in there, which I feel is an middleman one.
Margaret: Yeah, and we should always say Frank is a seed farmer, Wild Backyard Seed. Sure, yeah.
Don: Yeah, thanks for mentioning that. And he’s positively an expensive buddy 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 form 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 pink. So I used to be like, “Effectively, I’ll do the yellow and pink.”
So, we use greenhouses typically if we need to stabilize one thing that’s actually enticing to pollinators, with the pondering that we are able to management pollination a bit of bit extra. So, the ‘Firestarter’ is admittedly simply saving seed from probably the most yellow and pink ones.
And I need to point out a extremely enjoyable factor, and perhaps you’ve observed this in zinnias or different flowers, is that selection particularly tends to supply what are referred to as chimeras. And you can too see leaping genes in motion. So, in my number of that selection, I await the primary flower to occur, and I solely need to save the vegetation that produce yellow-and-red-striped ones, that actually appear like both yellow petals that any individual took a paintbrush and painted a stripe of pink on them, or not directly.
So then, I rip out all those which can be white and pink, 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 pink ones. Then, I let all of them flower, and what I’ve seen occur is ones that produce all pink flowers. And earlier than I realized this, I’d reduce these off or rip these vegetation out. However then, I started to note, like wow, on the identical plant, they’ll produce all pink and yellow-and-red-striped. And what that’s, is the plant doesn’t distribute progress hormones and its genetic potential equally.
Margaret: Oh.
Don: Similar to we don’t appear like our siblings, although 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 mainly half pink and half one other coloration, like on this occasion, red- and yellow-striped. I’ve tried saving seeds from this, however I don’t suppose chimeras is one thing which you can pin down genetically. It simply has to do with progress 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 one that you simply name the ‘Dreamin’ Remix,’ as an example. 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 may’t… Perhaps you can describe it as a backcross, so it’s a hybrid between these two zinnia species, then backcross to the ‘Cactus Combine,’ and attempting to get my aim with that. And I feel gardeners like novelty, and I try to be clear in our catalog to not count on each plant to exhibit the identical traits. However you’re sure to, it’s form of like, I don’t know, Cracker Jacks, you’re going to get a distinct shock in each field or one thing.
That my aim is to supply one that appears just like the ‘Dreamin’ Combine,’ that Dylana took over from her father, Dr. Alan Kapuler, of that cross. They usually’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 simply see within the ‘Jazzy Combine’ or the ‘Persian Carpet’ sort zinnias.
I need to get one which has that attention-grabbing form 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’ve gotten a breeding goal, it’s really counter to the reproductive success of the plant (laughter), and the one means you be taught that’s by trial and error.
Margaret: Yeah. I like the title of 1 that you’ve got your providing that you simply bred, you name it ‘Loopy Legs’ (above). Inform us about ‘Loopy Legs,’ talking of this kind of cactusy…
Don: Effectively, 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 really has a botanical title referred to as fimbriated, the place the petals don’t finish at a tidy level, however are extra splayed out.
After which I observed one the place the petals themselves, as an alternative of rising straight, have been kind of squiggled. And my preliminary breeder’s title for that was Frippertronics, after Robert Fripp, who was the guitarist for the form of ’60s, ’70s progressive rock band King Crimson. However my seed employees, who’re all below 40 was like, “No, that doesn’t work.”
Margaret: “No, Grandpa.” They stated, “No. Grandpa.” Proper? (Laughter.)
Don: Yeah, completely. Effectively, 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 title. ‘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: Effectively, they’re enjoyable and wild as is your one I discussed earlier than, the one which kind of seems like undersea anemones, the ‘Tidepool Combine.’
Don: Yeah.
Margaret: So, earlier than we take up on a regular basis with zinnias, I need to simply ask you about what else are you enthusiastic about in the meanwhile? As a result of it sounds such as you’re nonetheless taking part in with zinnias. Are there different issues that you simply’re…
Don: Effectively, yearly we decide three or 4 issues to do selection trials on, and that enables us right here on the farm to actually use the farm not only for seed manufacturing, but in addition 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 development beginning there and we simply need to be taught as a lot as we are able to to develop as a lot range. After which we’ll 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 simple to develop and I feel simply as spectacular. And I feel it could possibly be one of many subsequent huge issues for house gardeners and small-scale farmer-florists.
Margaret: I feel these are, what Callistephus, is that the genus? Callistephus, I feel.
Don: Yeah.
Margaret: Yeah. They usually’re stunning flowers. And talking of issues that may come in several flower kinds, they’ll appear like an enormous double chrysanthemum (beneath, ‘Tower Chamois’ China aster) or they’ll look ethereal and, I don’t even know tips on 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 totally different.
Don: Yeah. And I’m simply now pondering they might make a wonderful companion, like some cool variant combine with the ‘Tidepool Combine’ zinnia. And perhaps for some future Octopus’ Backyard assortment or one thing.
Margaret: Oh, I like that. The Octopus’s Backyard assortment. Yeah, a number 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 form 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 mainly, on the stage of consuming, I’ve this selection in improvement that could be a candy corn, and whenever you eat it, every kernel seems like any individual took a small paintbrush and drew a bit of starburst of pink on it.
And I’m 85 % of the best way there of getting a range 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 all the time promote out. It’s very restricted amount proper now.
Margaret: Huh. Fascinating. You’ve executed so much through the years with flour corns, those as in you’d 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 stunning 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 answer the place the tradition goes. And that’s one thing I’ve observed an enormous 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 new herbs to develop, what ought to we be both rising. Or we additionally work with an excellent firm out of Washington referred to as Buddies of the Timber Botanicals, and that’s Michael Pilarski who goes by the title Skeeter, who’s one among our permaculture elders right here within the Northwest. They usually develop and harvest medicinal herb seed that we provide.
Margaret: Effectively, a number of enjoyable selections. As I stated, there’s like 1,000 issues in your assortment and perhaps 700 in any given yr being supplied. I’m so glad to talk to you; I all the time be taught from you, Don, and I hope that we’ll hold the teachings going for extra years to return. So, thanks, thanks, and have an excellent seed-selling season, huh
Don: Thanks a lot.
extra from don tipping
Our earlier dialog about rising onions (and leeks) from seed
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