How do I voluntarily cross two zinnias?

Bees will make random crosses as well as self pollination. Reds will not always produce reds. When you buy a packet of mixed zinnias, unless it is a "formula blend", it comes from a field of mixed open pollinated zinnias, with most of the pollination being done by bees, which is a commercial version of the very thing you described.

If you want to cross two of your zinnias, simply take pollen from one zinnia and apply it to the stigmas of the other zinnia. The pollen is in the star-shaped yellow florets, and the stigmas are the yellow Y-shaped antennas at the base of each petal. The best time to pollinate is in the morning when the pollen is still fresh and the bees haven't "stolen" it yet.

Zinnias are relatively easy to cross, because their pollen and stigmas are relatively large and easy to manipulate. Their stigmas can remain receptive for over a week, but when they are successfully pollinated, they wither and die within a day or two.

Your hand-pollinated hybrid zinnia seed can be planted in only a few weeks, letting you see the results of your cross in the same year or even the same season. By crossing your own zinnias, you can get some new zinnias that you would never get from a seed packet. I enjoy growing and breeding zinnias as a hobby.

ZM

Your instructions should be most helpful.

Thanks again.

I now have another question, but I'll do another post for that.