Detailed Guide to the Cultivation Methods and Precautions for Zinnia
Zinnia, also known as the common zinnia, is an annual herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family. It has high ornamental value and is very popular as a potted plant in all parts of China. In addition, the whole zinnia plant can be used as medicine, with effects such as treating upper respiratory tract fever and wind-fire toothache. So how should zinnia be cultivated? Below, the editor brings you the cultivation methods and precautions for zinnia. Let's take a look!
1. Propagation methods
The propagation methods for zinnia are divided into two types: sowing and cuttings. Because the seedling uniformity rate of cutting propagation is not as high as that of sowing propagation, sowing propagation is generally the main method. Before sowing propagation, we should select healthy, disease-free seeds and carry out disinfection and germination-promotion work on the seeds. Then sow in spring; the specific sowing time can be adjusted according to the time you want the flowers to bloom. The time from sowing to flowering for zinnia is generally about three months, so everyone can adjust according to this time point. However, pay attention to the temperature at sowing, which should be maintained at around 20 degrees.
2. Water and fertilizer management
When planting zinnia, we should first apply sufficient base fertilizer. If it is potted, then after the roots grow to the bottom of the pot, topdressing can begin, about 3 times per week, with an appropriate supplementary application of calcium fertilizer. Provide sufficient growth nutrients for zinnia to ensure normal growth. Then pay attention to controlling the amount of watering, because zinnia has strong drought tolerance, so its water requirements are not too high. Keeping the soil appropriately moist is enough, but in summer and autumn, you can water appropriately more, though be careful not to let water accumulate in the soil.
3. Plant shape adjustment
When cultivating zinnia, we should also pay attention to pinching. If pinching is not done in time, the plant will have too few side branches and the flowering rate will decrease. Proper pinching can dwarf the plant and increase the number of flowers. When the seedlings grow about 4 leaves, carry out pinching together with planting to promote the growth of lower branches and adjust the plant shape. About 7 days after planting, carry out pinching, retaining about 8 leaves, and then determine whether to continue pinching according to the growth of the zinnia. After flowering, apply an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote the growth of flower heads. After the flowers fade, cut off the withered flower heads to avoid consuming too many nutrients.
4. Precautions
Zinnia likes to grow in a warm environment and has a relatively large demand for light, but its tolerance to high temperatures and cold is relatively poor. So we should pay attention to controlling the temperature well; the daytime temperature should be controlled at around 20 degrees, and the day-night temperature difference should be kept at around 5 degrees. Zinnia grows very fast in summer, and full sun exposure can be used to let sunlight shine directly on it. If there is insufficient light, zinnia is very prone to leggy growth, and its resistance will also decrease as a result, affecting flowering.
The above is a brief introduction to the cultivation methods and precautions for zinnia. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!