Every winter we go through the Diggers Seed catalogue and I let the kids choose flowers and vegetables to grow in Spring. They both chose a variety of Zinnia this year. I've never grown them before, so appreciate any hot tips. How big will they get? I know they love a sunny spot and enriched soil. Any tips appreciated!
by capt_ironbark
2 Comments
My zinnias always grow really well at first. Flower prolifically, then get powdery mildew, the leaves all brown off, plants stop flowering and die. I’ve tried a few different ways and the same thing happens. I try to deadhead so more pop up, but the new ones aren’t coming through fast enough.
Hopefully others have some tips for me too
Flower farmer here who grows Zinnias. They are incredibly tough. Sun is a must for them; they originated from South America and love the heat. Keep up a decent fertilising schedule and mulch with sugar cane or straw. Usually growing around the 1.3-1.5m mark, can get up to 1.8m in the right conditions. As they get taller, they will benefit from some support. If planted individually, a stake will be fine. Powdery Mildew is common. I drip irrigate everything, but in the past I strictly watered in the morning. No water on the plant of an evening. With most plants, if you’ve got a hot day ahead, try to get them watered first thing. They are a cut-and-come-again plant. Feel free to deadhead or cut for an arrangement in your house, and watch new flowers shoot! Enjoy the process and decorate your house with them. They are a beautiful flower. There is a lot of breeding going on for colours and shapes. Our favourite last season was the Dawn Creek Blush series. I also fell in love in Zindarella. Cute little things.
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