Tithonia seed collection

Question

I have tithonia plants that just started flowering a few weeks ago (today is Nov. 6) and I have a number of flowers now but none have dried out to remove seeds yet. We had our first frost last night and there will be frost most nights from now on. Should I wait until the flowers dry out more on the plant and cut them off to keep the seed for next year, despite the frost, or should I cut the flowers off now and let them dry out inside? Or should I cut the flowers off and put them in water inside until the flowers dry up?

Answer 1

They won’t continue to mature off of the stem, but I would say that your best bet is to harvest them now, and let them dry. You may get some seeds, or you may not. I fear the frost will destroy them, so it may be best to go ahead and try to salvage some.