Cut flowers from seed: sowing, succession, spacing and picking
A packet of cut-flower seed costs far less than the same flowers from a shop, and the best cutters are easy annuals. Sow in succession, cut often and condition stems in water.
Best cutters to start with
Zinnia, cosmos, sunflower, snapdragon, china aster, larkspur, cornflower, calendula, celosia, statice and strawflower all cut well. Tall and dwarf varieties exist; choose long-stemmed cutting types.
Sowing times
Winter sowing indoors or under cover for hardy annuals; spring sowing for the main crop; successional summer sowing for autumn flowers. Check the plant pages for how many weeks before the last frost to start each.
Thinning, transplanting and spacing
Thin crowded seedlings to the spacing on the plant page; crowded plants give weak stems and disease. Transplant young seedlings carefully on a cloudy day and water in.
Watering and feeding
Even moisture and a balanced organic feed once or twice during growth give long stems. Pinch the first bud of zinnias, cosmos and snapdragons to get more stems.
Harvest and storing
Cut in the cool of the morning, strip lower leaves and stand stems in cool water straight away. Dry statice and strawflower by hanging them upside down. Store seed of your best plants in a cool, dry envelope for next year.
Plants in this guide
| Plant | Germination temp | Depth | Days | Light | Before sowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinnia Zinnia elegans | 70 to 85°F | ¼ in (6 mm) | 3 to 7 | Cover | Nothing needed |
| Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus | 68 to 72°F | covered lightly | 5 to 10 | Cover | Nothing needed |
| Sunflower Helianthus annuus | 70 to 75°F | ½ in (12 mm) | 5 to 14 | Cover | Nothing needed |
| Snapdragon Antirrhinum majus | 70 to 75°F | surface | 7 to 14 | Needs light | Nothing needed |
| China aster Callistephus chinensis | 70 to 72°F | covered lightly | 7 to 14 | Either | Nothing needed |
| Celosia Celosia spp. | 70 to 80°F | covered very lightly | 8 to 14 | Needs light | Nothing needed |
| Statice Limonium sinuatum | 70 to 70°F | just enough to hold the seed | 5 to 14 | Needs light | Nothing needed |
| Strawflower Helichrysum bracteatum | 70 to 75°F | surface | 7 to 10 | Needs light | Nothing needed |
| Larkspur Consolida ajacis | 55 to 55°F | ¼ in (6 mm) | 14 to 21 | Cover | Nothing needed |
| Cornflower Centaurea cyanus | 60 to 65°F | see page | 7 to 14 | Nothing needed | |
| Calendula (pot marigold) Calendula officinalis | 70 to 70°F | ¼ in (6 mm) | 7 to 14 | Either | Nothing needed |
| Sweet pea Lathyrus odoratus | 55 to 65°F | ¼ to ½ in (6 to 12 mm) | 14 to 21 | Cover | Nothing needed |
| Dahlia Dahlia × hybrida | 65 to 70°F | ¼ in (6 mm) | 3 to 5 | Either | Nothing needed |
| Gomphrena (globe amaranth) Gomphrena globosa | 70 to 78°F | covered lightly | 5 to 14 | Either | Nothing needed |