I am growing the large Zinnias that are supposed to reach 30".

But I have a slight lack of sunlight(June-July:6-7 hours, Now: 3-4 hours), so mine have grown much taller, to between 45" - 72".

They were planted from seed very late, in late June.

Now, some of the flowers are ready for seed removal. The seeds are coming off easily, and are mostly black or dark green colored, so I have cut 4 of them and pulled the petals and set them out to dry. Then I will keep them separated by color.

But I am wondering if maybe they need to be winterized or hardened in any way. I know some plants and seeds need to experience cold weather for awhile to be viable or survive, so I was wondering if I need to store or treat these seeds in any special way?

What do I do with them to prepare them for next year?

Can some be grown inside now? Will they germinate now?

**Also, with tomato, cucumber and pepper seeds, I am throwing many old rotten tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers back into the garden where they were originally grown, so that maybe some will automatically grow back next year. How will this work out? Is there any special way to do it? I've just been cutting them up a bit and tossing them onto the ground....