Zinnias are one of the easy anthesis annual to raise , bringing bright , elated , plentiful colour to any garden . Their bloom is reliable , with flowers in peak from previous spring right up until the frost begins in fall . With their minimal maintenance needs , and the plentiful variety of hues , size , and material body , zinnias make a cracking choice for your backyard or garden .
There are 3 types of zinnias
Zinnias come down into 3 family , base on their blossom :
There are many varieties and colors of zinnias
Zinnias are perfect for any sunny smirch in your garden where you want to inculcate vividness . With names like ‘ pappa fine art ’ , ‘ Star Orange ’ , ‘ Green enviousness ’ , ‘ Persian Carpet ’ , and ‘ Candy Cane ’ , the blooms do in many hues . One can choose from pink , red , orange , royal , lily-white , and yellow — or any combination of two or three of these colors .
Zinnias are also characterized by their shapes and heights . Zinnias can bloom in star , daisy , dahlia , quill feather - cactus , button , spider , and dome shapes . The tall kinds , likeZinnia elegans , are more appropriate for a garden background . Shorter types , such as the Thumbelina and dwarf zinnias , are dandy for borders , edgings , and evenwindow box . Mid - height old maid flower , those in the Magellan and Zahara serial , grow to be about genu - marvelous . The blooms are tolerant of all kinds of weather and last from summer to hang .
When to plant zinnias
await to plant zinnias until after the terror of icing has passed in your area – zinnias will not tolerate a outpouring frost . This date varies by positioning so it is critical to know thelast frost date for your arena . If sowing come outdoors , do so in several successiveness , with generous amount of seeds each time . Doing this over the path of several weeks will provide blooms well into fall .
Zinnia seminal fluid should be planted 1/4 inch deep in the soil . The spatial arrangement of the plant life count on the variety show you are planting , so record the semen pack for the specific . seedling should emerge within 10 mean solar day if the territory is warm and blooms generally follow 60 days later on , depend on sort .
Where to plant zinnias
Once you have determine when you will plant your zinnias , you require to guess about where you will put them . Zinnias need full sunshine and sizeable air movement to dissent fungous diseases . The land should have sufficient constitutional material and have adequate drainage . Compost tot to the soilcan add organic cloth and gently feed the flowers , advance abundant bloom .
Starting zinnias from seed
Zinnias organ transplant well and can be started indoors from source 6 - 8 weeks before your last frost . See our berth on starting plants indoors .
Caring for Zinnias
Zinnias only need compost after set and necessitate minuscule in the room of fertilizer . If your soil is healthy , the zinnia will have enough nutrients to flower until icing . Zinnias can withstand periods ofdrought , as they ’re native to the southwest U.S. , Mexico , and Central America . But for optimal resolution give them one inch of water per week in the absence of rainfall .
You can encourage zinnias to branch and produce more flowers
When old maid reach between 8 and 12 inches ( 20 to 30 atomic number 96 ) , nip 3 or 4 inches off the top , decently above a top set of leaves , withsharp pruners . This will indicate the plant to produce multiple stem below the cut , yield abundant flower production and elongated stems . Deadheading , or removing old heyday , facilitates the formation of newfangled zinnias . After flower , if you permit the germ dry fully on their shank , you could save the zinnia come for planting the following give .
Helping zinnias avoid disease
Zinnias are prone to bacterial and fungous infections like powdery mould and wilt . Sufficient airflow between plants can help discourage these diseases .
When the seedlings are about 8 inches marvellous , make certain they ’re 6 - 12 inch apart ( depending on diversity ) . If they ’re too close , fragile or transplant the seedlings so they have sufficient airflow between them . Spraying zinnias against mealybugs , mites , and caterpillars is not necessary unless plague is significant and leaf damage is solid .
(Even) More Reasons to Plant Zinnias
Overall , old maid are the kind of plants that find out several box : they are bountiful , beautiful , and easy . They are the type of peak that is laborious to NOT admit in your garden , as they add so much color for very little work . Perhaps the hard part of including zinnia in your yard will be deciding which variety you need to grow … and an exciting prospect of annuals like zinnias is that you could try out each year .
We garden in Pennsylvania , United States , geographical zone 6B. Much of the information we partake is based on gardening in our temperate region . But many of the blossom , vegetables , and yield we write about can be grown in soil other than ours ( clay ) and significantly different weather conditions and elevation . You might ask to select specific varieties for your region , alter your garden , lend soil amendment , or adjust the stain pH to pit our resolution . Please check your local university extension service web site for specific for your area .
