But when to plant zinnia seeds direct? Wait until the weather is T-shirt warm, which might not be until early June in cool climates. When to plant zinnia seeds directīecause zinnias dislike root disturbance, sowing direct often reaps the best results. This is because zinnias need summer heat to flower well outside.
Instead, sow your zinnias direct into greenhouse beds or into the soil under a polytunnel and leave them to bloom there all summer, rather than sowing in modules or pellets to transplant out later. If you live in a very cold climate (such as north Scotland), don’t bother with modules or pellets.
If you see moisture, place them back on the screen and dry them for a longer period.Keep the modules, pellets, or guttering well watered, but never waterlogged to prevent the seedlings damping off. Store them in an airtight container, checking carefully for any signs of moisture for the first two weeks. When the seeds are fully dry they should snap cleanly in half and not bend. The seeds are brown and arrowhead-shaped.Īllow the seeds to dry on a screen out of direct sunlight for at least a week. Bring them indoors and pull the flower heads open. Harvest the mature flower heads on a dry day. If the petals are still colorful and pliable, the seeds may not have fully matured. Wait until the flower heads are fully mature, brown, and dry to harvest them. You can use it to plant new beds the following year, share with friends, or join a seed swap. Zinnias self-seed well, but it’s also quite simple to save seed from them. You may want to let some spent flowers go to seed, especially towards the end of the season. If you’re not harvesting cut flowers, deadheading also encourages blooming. Cutting flowers encourages them to bloom more. If you’re interested in bouquets, you can continuously harvest zinnias. You can stake individual plants, grow them along a fence, or let them grow through a suspended flower support netting, fencing, or other similar material. Taller zinnias may need support to prevent lodging. Keeping your zinnia bed weeded and consistent watering will encourage your zinnias to bloom more. Depending on the mature size of the variety you select, you should thin your zinnias from 12 to 24 inches apart. Thin zinnias so that they receive good air circulation and sunlight. They attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, ensuring good pollination and wasps and lady beetles that feed on pests. These showy flowers make excellent companion plants for various vegetable crops, including squash and beans. Zinnias should be transplanted when they’re still relatively small, and you should take care to disturb the roots as little as possible.
Sow a few every 1 to 2 weeks for several weeks to ensure a steady supply of blooms all season.Īlternatively, you can start them indoors 3 to 4 weeks before your last expected frost. Here in the Southeast, the easiest way to plant zinnias is to direct sow them when all danger of frost has passed, and the soil is around 70☏. Spreading a couple of inches of finished compost over the bed and broad forking it can help your plants thrive. Though they’ll tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, well-drained soil rich in organic matter is ideal.
Growing zinnia from seed indoors full#
Zinnias are pretty adaptable, but they need a bed that receives full sun. Zinnias provide a lot of variety, so you’re sure to find something to suit your garden’s design, from the spiky-looking blooms of the cactus-flowered zinnia to the dark red double flowers of Red Beauty. At SESE, we also carry a couple of varieties of Zinnia peruviana and Zinnia marylandica. Most of the zinnia seeds you’ll find at local garden stores are Zinnia elegans. They’re also an excellent nectar source for pollinators and are long-lasting cut flowers. If you’re looking to add more color to your garden in 2022, you might want to add zinnias to your seed list! These colorful flowers are some of the easiest annual flowers to grow.
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