How to grow Zinnia? Sowing time and planting methods

Zinnia is a plant introduced to China from abroad, mainly grown for ornamental purposes, and it is now distributed in many parts of China. The flowers of zinnia are quite attractive, and red or white ones are generally the most common. Many people like to grow it now, and before planting, most people probably want to have a thorough understanding of how to grow it!

How to grow zinnia

1. Suitable soil. It needs a sandy growing medium with four qualities: humus content, fertility, looseness, and good drainage.

2. Suitable temperature. Keep the suitable temperature for germination at 20℃—25℃. Make sure the ambient temperature for sowing is suitable and not too high or too low. If the temperature is too low, the seedlings will become “little old seedlings.”

3. Sowing method. Zinnia seeds can be sown in individual holes or broadcast, and because it is a light-shunning flower seed, after sowing it must be covered with a layer of vermiculite. At a temperature of 21-23℃, it will germinate in 3-5 days. No light is needed during the germination period. After germination, keep the seedbed at 50-60% moisture content; it must not be too wet, so as to avoid root rot or damping-off disease.

4. Seedling management. After zinnia seedlings grow 1 true leaf, transplant them once for seedling separation. Zinnia has an undeveloped root system with few lateral roots, so it is generally transplanted and potted when it has 2 true leaves. When transplanting, keep soil around the roots. The transplanting medium should be loose, fertile, and well drained. It can be made from 3 parts pond mud, 1 part leaf mold, and 1 part decomposed manure compost. Plant at a depth of 0.5 cm below the cotyledons. After planting, press the soil lightly and water thoroughly.

When to sow zinnia

The sowing time for zinnia depends on the desired flowering time. Generally, sow in a greenhouse 2-3 months in advance. For direct sowing outdoors, it should be after the severe cold of early spring, otherwise the seedlings will develop poorly. If it is to be used for autumn flower beds, it is best to sow in summer. For spring sowing, do it in March-April, transplant when there are 4-5 leaves, plant out in early June, and it will bloom from July until frost.

How to pinch zinnia

1. Timing. When zinnia has grown to four to six leaves or more, it needs to be pinched.

2. First pinching. When zinnia seedlings grow to 4 leaves, plant them out and pinch them. About one week after planting out, begin pinching. When the zinnia seedlings are about 10 cm tall, keep two pairs of leaves and pinch off the rest.

3. Second pinching. It is not that after one pinching no further pinching is done. When the side branches grow 2-3 pairs of leaves, carry out the second pinching. Chlormequat solution can be used, spraying it evenly on the upper leaves of the plant, once every one to two weeks, for a total of 2-3 treatments. The number of pinchings cannot be done whenever you feel like it; whether to do the next pinching should be decided according to the plant's growth and branching.

How to water zinnia

1. Controlling water amount. Actually, how to water is really hard to decide. Too much water and the roots will rot, but too little water is certainly not okay either. Let me tell you, there is no standard measure for watering zinnia; we can only decide based on its growth habits combined with the actual situation.

2. Watering at the seedling stage. When choosing the sowing method to grow zinnia, water as little as possible during the small seedling stage, so as to promote healthy growth of the seedlings. After that, just keep the soil moisture at 50%-60%. Do not let it get too wet, otherwise root rot is very likely to occur.

3. Water more after transplanting. When transplanting zinnia, pay attention: at this time you must water thoroughly, so that it can absorb more water and nutrients and its growth can be ensured.

4. Water according to light. In places with particularly strong light, water evaporates especially quickly, so you can water appropriately more. But if zinnia is placed in a spot with insufficient light, the soil will evaporate water very slowly, and at this time you must reduce watering. If you still water heavily, it may very likely affect root development and cause leggy growth.

Growing zinnia is actually not difficult. First choose suitable soil, then choose an appropriate time to sow. In the later stages of growing, management needs to be strengthened, and timely pinching is beneficial to the growth of zinnia. Controlling the amount of water is also key; the amount of watering differs at different growth stages.