5 Tips For Growing Great Zinnias

Zinnias are a staple for every cut flower garden. Their massive (or tiny, depending on variety) cheerful blooms will start putting on a show in late July if you’re a Zone 3 gardener like myself. In my initial years of flower growing, I didn’t follow the below tips, and couldn’t figure out why my zinnias weren’t producing like I wanted them to… so to make your growing pains less painful, I thought I’d share my secrets to zinnia success.

🌸DON’T START YOUR SEEDS TO EARLY🌸

Zinnias are heat lovers, and grow quickly. I will start seeds in mid-late April for planting out in late May. They also do ridiculously well direct seeded after last frost - in fact, the plants I direct seed are usually more robust than my started ones. But I like getting the blooms a bit earlier, so I do both.

🌸DON’T OVER WATER🌸

Zinnias are prone to getting powdery mildew, and while they need consistent watering, don’t over water. And avoid watering from above as getting water on the leaves is no bueno.

🌸PINCH AT ~20CM🌸

Pinching your zinnias when they’re 20-30cm tall will encourage more blooms. Cut them down to about 8-10cm, just above a set of leaves.

🌸WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE🌸

Ever heard of the wiggle test? Before cutting any stem, give it a little shake. If the head is floppy, not stiff, the flower isn’t ready. It’ll quickly droop in an arrangement.

🌸CUT HARD, CUT DEEP🌸

The great thing about zinnias is that they’re a “cut and come again” flower, and do better the more you cut and the deeper you cut. If you’re not using it as a cut flower, and just for landscaping purposes, be sure to deadhead any unused flowers to force the plant to push out more blooms.

BONUS TIPS:

- zinnias are a “dirty flower” and quickly make your water nasty. Change the water frequently and cut the stem to keep the zinnia, and any other flowers in the arrangement, lasting longer.

- use some kind of trellis or support to keep the plant from toppling over. These are massive, bushy plants, and will easily get wonky if not supported.

- they like full sun! They will not perform as well in a shady area.

My favourite varieties of zinnias include the Queeny series, Bernary‘s Giant series (especially Giant Coral, Giant Wine, and Giant Lilac Rose!), Oklahoma series (Carmine and Ivory are my fave), Zinderella Peach and Lilac, Zowie! Yellow Flame, and I’m especially excited to try Floret Originals Precious Metals!