Zinnia Planting Methods, Precautions, and Water and Fertilizer Care Tips
All around us there are all kinds of flowers and plants, adding plenty of color to our lives. Zinnia is a fairly common flower for us, and because its ornamental value is extremely high, its figure can often be seen in ordinary parks or residential communities. So do you know how zinnia should be planted?
Zinnia Planting Methods
1. Water and Fertilizer Management
Watering: Because the light requirement is high, water evaporates very easily, so appropriate moisture needs to be maintained frequently, and in summer it can be watered every day.
Fertilizing: When planting out, apply 2-3 grams of compound fertilizer to the bottom of the pot, and after planting out use an 800-fold dilution of Dexon to drench the roots for disinfection. Within 1 week after planting out, the potting soil should be kept moist to promote the growth of surface roots. Once the roots grow to the bottom of the pot, topdressing can begin, fertilizing 2-3 times per week (on sunny days apply water-soluble fertilizer, with the concentration controlled within 200 mg, and on rainy days apply granular fertilizer at 2-3 grams per pot), and 1 application of calcium fertilizer can also be added.
2. Temperature and Light
Temperature: Zinnia prefers warmth and sunny conditions, and is not tolerant of severe summer heat and high temperatures or severe cold. The suitable growth temperature is 18-20°C during the day and 15-16°C at night. Growth is especially rapid in summer.
Light: A full-sun method with direct sunlight can be used directly. If sunlight is insufficient, the plant tends to become leggy and its resistance is also weaker; in addition, flowering will also be affected.
Zinnia Precautions
1. Plant Shaping
If zinnia is not pinched, the plant will have too few side branches and also fewer flowers. Proper pinching can promote dwarfing of the plant and an increase in flowers. When the seedlings grow to 4 leaves, plant them out and pinch, encouraging the lower part to branch so as to form a better plant shape.
Begin pinching one week after planting out, keeping 4 pairs of true leaves, and depending on the plant's growth and branching, decide whether to pinch again. During the flowering period, continue to apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers such as monopotassium phosphate to encourage the flower heads to keep emerging. After the flowers fade, promptly cut off the withered flower heads to reduce nutrient loss.
2. Pest and Disease Control
Common diseases of zinnia: white star disease, black spot disease, mosaic disease
Zinnia also needs to be guarded against leggy growth. Zinnia seedlings are very prone to leggy growth during the growing period. Pay attention to lowering the temperature, pinching, and watering less.
Water and Fertilizer Care for Zinnia
Watering should be done at the appropriate time during the seedling stage; apart from that, generally it is not suitable to water too much. But during the over-summer period, watering needs to be frequent to keep the soil moist. Otherwise, the leaves will yellow and the flowers will be small, the color will be poor, and the ornamental value will be greatly reduced. During the entire growth and development period, usually 3 applications of light fertilizer are enough. During the seedling stage, a mixed fertilizer of chlorine and potassium is mainly used; during the bud stage, phosphorus fertilizer is mainly used; in early September, apply a compound fertilizer of chlorine, phosphorus, and potassium once. If too much fertilizer is applied, the plant easily becomes leggy and thus lodging occurs.
When cultivating zinnia as a cut flower, tall types should be selected, and pinching should not be done during the seedling stage, so that the flower at the top of the main stem is used for cutting. Because tall-type plants are relatively tall, their stems and branches break relatively easily in strong wind, so supports need to be set up in time. In the high-temperature season, zinnia's growth weakens, flowering is poor, and it does not set seed. At this time, watering should be frequent, and red spider mites need to be controlled in time; after the beginning of autumn, it can continue to grow and bloom again.
After each flowering, the spent flowers need to be cut off in time to reduce nutrient consumption and facilitate blooming again. At the same time, apply 1~2 topdressings of fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus and potassium. Do not plant continuously in the same plot, so as to reduce the occurrence of diseases.
Causes of Leggy Growth in Zinnia
1. Insufficient light. Zinnia is a plant with a very high light requirement, and it can also use the adjustment of light to change the flowering period, making it earlier or later. In the later stage of seedling growth, the growth rate is very fast, and with insufficient light it is very prone to leggy growth.
2. Too much water. In places with strong light, water evaporates relatively quickly, but if the light is not sufficient enough, it will cause the water in the potting soil to evaporate slowly. If a large amount of water continues to be given, it will affect the respiration of the root system, causing poor plant growth and the occurrence of leggy growth.
3. Too much nitrogen fertilizer in the sowing medium. In the sowing medium for zinnia, a small amount of fertilizer can be applied, whether phosphorus, potassium, or nitrogen fertilizer, but if nitrogen fertilizer is excessive, it will cause the growth rate of the seedlings in the later stage to exceed the normal level, thus causing leggy growth.
The above is the zinnia planting technique summarized by the editor, and I hope it can help everyone. I believe many friends like zinnia very much. In fact, you can grow a pot of zinnia at home! When it blooms, the brilliant and eye-catching flowers add a touch of color and vitality to your simple and cozy room.