Maine Garden Ideas
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How to Grow and Care for Zinnias

butterfly on Zinnia
Butterflies love zinnias.
Zinnias create an explosion of color in the garden bed with their daisy-like flowers in colors ranging from pale yellow to brilliant reds and orange. But, zinnias include a range of more subtle colors, as well. Available in nearly every color except blue, black and brown, zinnias are extremely versatile.

​Heights range from tiny dwarf plants of 6 to 8 inches to towering 4-foot varieties. Blooms can be single (like a daisy) or double or even dome shaped.These quick-growing flowers are best sown directly in the garden in late spring once the danger of frost has passed.

  • Location: Select an area for zinnias that receives full sun for 6 to 8 hours a day. These sun-loving plants thrive in  full sun.
​
  • Soil: Prepare the bed by digging or tilling to a depth of 8 inches. Remove any rocks, roots or other debris. Add a 2 to 3 inch layer of well-rotted manure or compost and work it in well with the existing soil. Organic matter improves the texture of the soil, increases aeration and promotes good drainage. Nutrients release slowly as the organic matter breaks down in the soil.
​
  • Planting: Plant zinnias to a depth of 1/8 inch and cover lightly with soil. Space dwarf varieties 8 inches apart and tall varieties 12 to 18 inches apart. Many prefer to sow zinnia seeds closer and thin to the healthiest plants when seedlings emerge. Zinnias for cut flowers can be spaced closely to encourage tall stems, but this does increase the chance of disease, particularly powdery mildew.
​
  • Watering: Water to moisten the soil and keep it moist until seedlings emerge and young plants show signs of vigorous growth. Reduce water to once a week. Water to moisten the soil to the root level and allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Zinnias are drought tolerant and survive well in hot dry weather. Supplemental water encourages lush growth, but is not required.
​
  • Pinching: Pinch back new growth when seedlings are 4 to 6 inches high to encourage dense compact foliage. Repeat in 3 weeks, pinching out new growth on all branches.
​
  • Deadheading: Deadhead zinnia blooms once they fade. Deadheading tricks the plant into believing it has not produced enough blooms to reproduce. With regular deadheading zinnias continue to send out new flowers. Cut zinnias for floral displays and fresh bouquets by cutting just above a leaf node, the area where leaves join the stem. This forces the plant to produce new flowers on the same stem.
​
  • Fertilizer: Apply water-soluble fertilizer once a month.

Try old-fashioned zinnias to add life and color to your garden bed. These easy-to-care-for flowers produce blooms 8 to 12 weeks from planting and produce a profusion of flowers that last until fall frost threatens.

Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables