A detailed guide to zinnia cultivation techniques, from sowing to care and management
Zinnia generally refers to Zinnia elegans, an annual herbaceous plant. Zinnia is native to Mexico and is a well-known ornamental plant, as well as one of the plants used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is grown throughout China, and in many places wild zinnias even exist. So do you know how to grow zinnia? Today we bring you the cultivation techniques for zinnia, let's take a look.
1. Field selection and preparation
Zinnia has the characteristics of preferring warmth, being intolerant of cold, liking sunlight, fearing intense summer heat, having strong resistance, tolerating drought and tolerating poor soil, and it is suitable for planting in fertile, deep soil. Also, it should not be grown continuously, and it cannot be rotated with plants of the Asteraceae family. Deeply plow the land, break up the soil clods, and when preparing the land, turn and mix in base fertilizer together, mixing the soil and fertilizer evenly. Finally, level the ground and open furrows; generally a furrow depth of 20 cm and a width of about 20 cm is sufficient, with about 1 m between furrows, and the furrows connecting with one another. Finally, level the furrow surface and planting can begin.
2. Propagation methods
The propagation methods for zinnia are generally seed propagation and cutting propagation. Before sowing, seeds need strict treatment, which can enhance the plant's resistance. Sowing is generally chosen during the period from early April to the end of June each year; the seeds need to be soaked in potassium permanganate for about half an hour, then removed and rinsed clean with clear water, dried off, and placed in an environment at about 22°C to germinate, and after 3 to 5 days they can be sown. After sowing, seedlings generally emerge in about 5 to 10 days; during this period, water and temperature management are important so as not to affect zinnia seedling emergence. Cutting propagation grows relatively quickly, but it is not as uniform as seed sowing. We usually select robust seedlings of about 10 cm for cuttings, and they generally root in about a week.
3. Field management
During the growth of zinnia, we first need to carry out planting out; whether from cutting propagation or seed propagation, we need to plant them out at a row spacing of 50 cm and a plant spacing of 40 to 45 cm. Second, during the growth of zinnia, pinching should be done to promote the growth of side branches, increase zinnia yield, and at the same time also play a role in dwarfing the plant. Also, scientific water and fertilizer management is needed; generally, an appropriate amount of compound fertilizer is applied as a top dressing at planting out, along with one watering, and later top dressing and watering should be carried out according to the growth of the zinnia. If the plant is relatively thin and weak and the leaves turn yellow, then this is a case of malnutrition, and fertilizer is needed at this time.
4. Pest and disease control
The main diseases of zinnia are white spot disease, black spot disease (brown spot disease), and mosaic disease. White spot disease mainly harms the leaves of zinnia, while black spot disease and mosaic disease harm the entire plant to varying degrees. At the early stage of these diseases, we can use Bordeaux mixture plus sulfur powder and carbendazim wettable powder respectively for control. Mosaic disease, however, can only be avoided by strengthening field management; at the same time, when diseased plants are found, they should be promptly pulled up by the roots, and the planting holes should be disinfected to reduce infection by pathogens.
Zinnia, as a medicinal material, is actually very common in our lives, and in most cases we can see it in parks or in many landscaping projects. This mainly reflects its ornamental value, and I believe that in the future the planting prospects and market prospects for zinnia will also get better and better.