How to Grow Zinnias

Love color in your garden? Plant zinnias!

Zinnias are beautiful, easy-to-grow flowers that come in a rainbow of colors. They’re perfect for attracting bees and butterflies, and they look great in both flower beds and vegetable gardens.

Planting Zinnias

Sunshine, Please!

Zinnias love sunshine. They’ll flower best in a spot that gets full sun all day long. In warmer climates, they can handle some afternoon shade, but they might not bloom as much.

Pick the Perfect Soil

Zinnias like their soil to be fertile, well-drained, and rich in organic matter. This means water can drain away easily, which is important because zinnias don’t like wet feet.

Spacing Matters

When planting your zinnias, start with seeds a few inches apart. Once the plants get a bit bigger (around four leaves), you’ll need to thin them out. How far apart you space them depends on the type of zinnia you planted, so check the seed packet for instructions. Most zinnias will need between 8 and 18 inches of space.

Planting time

Wait until there’s no danger of frost before planting your zinnias outdoors. This is usually around the same time you’d plant your tomato plants. You can plant your zinnias directly in the garden, or you can start them indoors a few weeks before your last frost for earlier blooms.

Zinnia Care Tips: Keep Your Blooms Beautiful All Season

Zinnias are known for their vibrant colors and easy-going nature. With just a few simple steps, you can keep your zinnias thriving and blooming throughout the season.

Happy Zinnias Start with Happy Soil

Before planting, enrich your soil with compost. This provides essential nutrients and promotes good drainage, which is crucial for zinnias as they dislike soggy conditions.

Sun and Water: The Essentials

Zinnias are sun worshippers! Aim for at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. When it comes to watering, find a balance. Water deeply a few times a week to keep the soil moist, but avoid overwatering. Established zinnias are quite drought tolerant.

Feeding for Bigger Blooms

A little fertilizer goes a long way with zinnias. When flower formation begins, give them a boost with an organic fertilizer. You can use a balanced 5-5-5 option for best results.

Mulch for Moisture and More

Applying a 2-inch layer of mulch around your zinnias is a great way to retain moisture in the soil, suppress weeds, and keep the planting bed looking neat.

Trimming for Beauty and Abundance

Regularly deadheading (removing spent flowers) encourages continuous blooming and keeps your zinnias looking tidy. For taller varieties, pinching the growing tip when young can promote bushier growth, more flowers, and a shorter plant. However, keep in mind that this might slightly delay flowering in cooler areas.

Zinnias: Winding Down the Season Beautifully

As summer winds down, your zinnias might be past their peak bloom, but there’s still time to give them some TLC and prepare for next year’s success.

No Transplanting Hassles

Zinnias are annuals, meaning they complete their life cycle in one season. So, there’s no need to divide them. If you started your zinnias indoors, using larger pots from the beginning helps minimize root disturbance when transplanting them outdoors.

Protecting Your Zinnias from Common Threats

Keep an eye out for these potential troubles:

Powdery Mildew: Watch for a white, powdery film on leaves, a sign of this fungal disease. It loves humidity and can quickly spread. To prevent it, ensure good air circulation by spacing zinnias properly. Consider choosing disease-resistant varieties and using organic solutions like neem oil or a baking soda spray early in the season.

Japanese Beetles: These pesky beetles can wreak havoc on your zinnia leaves. To fight them, apply beneficial nematodes or milky spore powder in early summer and fall to target the beetle larvae living in the soil. During summer, use traps placed away from your garden or handpick adult beetles in the morning and drop them in soapy water.