 | Zinnias are one of the most popular garden flowers for two main reasons: their multitude of shapes, sizes and colors; and their rapid growth from seed. Zinnias will add a plethora of visual appeal to your garden, and they are fairly easy to grow. They are perfect for people eager to see flowers growing quickly, and their many forms make them handy for filling in spots around borders, or for covering a lot of ground space.
Zinnias are in the Asteraceae family with about twenty different species (both perennial and annual) making up their genus. Zinnia elegans is the most common variety you will see in gardens, with its common name being “youth-and-old-age.” Zinnias were originally native to Mexico, and they still grow best in dry grassland areas. Spaniards in earlier days considered them to be ugly, dubbing them ‘evil eyes.’ But that was before breeders turned them into the beautiful flowers we now enjoy.
To start growing zinnias, pick a spot in your garden that receives at least five hours of daily sun. The hotter the temperature, the faster the seeds will germinate. Around 80 degrees F will allow them to appear within 3 days, and 70 degrees within a week. If starting from seed, you will see blooms after 2 1/2 to 3 months. There should be a lot of room for air to circulate in the garden as this will cut down on disease. Your soil should also be well-draining. For fastest growth, work some compost into the soil. Remember that zinnias love heat (although if your area is intensely hot, you should provide some light shade in the afternoon), and frost will kill them. Also, humidity will cause powdery mildew, which is always the biggest threat to zinnias.
There are basically two types of zinnias: the tall variety with large flowers that are good for cutting; and the smaller dwarf type that grows low to the ground and has a tendency to spread – then there are crosses between these two. If you look closely at the flowers, you will see that they have a multitude of florets, while the sizes of the flowers range from a large coin to just under a frisbee. They bloom in pink, purple, white, red, lavender, orange, yellow, and green. And the shapes range from domelike structures to single rows of petals.
Keep in mind that zinnia seedlings don’t transplant well, but if you decide to do it be sure to separate the roots carefully and place them in deep – all the way to the lowest leaves. However, it’s best to start them from seed. For the dwarf zinnia variety, plant them about 6 inches apart; medium-sized ones a foot; and the tall kind about 18 inches. To cut down on diseases, allow even more space for an abundance of air flow. If your leaves ever start looking pale, use a soluble fertilizer, but one with a low amount of nitrogen so they don't over-grow. Be sure to give them plenty of water. And if you want the striking ‘double flower’ zinnias, make sure not to damage the taproot.
For cut zinnias, harvest them after they have reached full maturity but are still fresh looking. Usually when you start to see pollen, it is the right time to harvest. Use a bucket of water to submerge the cut flowers as soon as they are cut, then recut them later while still underwater. Once they are in a vase, use a flower preservative or a teaspoon of sugar and one of bleach to make them last longer.
If you want butterflies in your garden, you should definitely plant zinnias. The lighter colored varieties such as pink and red are types that usually attract the most butterflies. If you want to guarantee multiple surges of zinnias appearing throughout the fall, sew seeds every two or three weeks.
The most potent threat to zinnias is powdery mildew. They are highly susceptible to it so it’s best to choose a mildew resistant variety. When moisture and humidity combine, watch out. Spores will set in and spread, and your zinnias will die. But many varieties are now resistant, such as ‘Profusion,’ ‘Pinwheel,’ and ‘Blue Point.’ If you choose one that isn’t and mildew appears, you can apply a coating of baking soda solution to the ones around the infected area to keep it from spreading. The solution should consist of a half teaspoon of baking soda in two quarts of water with about five drops of liquid soap added. You can also use fungicides such as benomyl or chlorothalonil to fight the infection.
A few types of insects have been known to attack zinnias. Usually these are mites, aphids and Japanese beetles. Simply use insecticidal soap to combat them.
The Zinnia genus was named after Johann Gottfried Zinn, a German anatomist and botanist who lived from 1727 to 1759. He was the first botanist to describe the zinnia wildflower. Then in the 19th century, breeding of various cultivars began. Since that time there have been over 100 different ones produced, and new types are being introduced all the time. The zinnia is Indiana’s state flower, and they were commonly seen back in the roaring 20s in which the ‘flappers’ made them popular.
Some popular types of low growing zinnias are the Lollipop series, the Peter Pan series, Thumbelina Mix, and Candy Cane mix. A few medium-sized popular zinnias are Whirligig, Ruffles series, Border Beauty series, and Sun series. A few taller ones are the Oklahoma series, Dahlia Flowered mix, Bright Jewel mix, Yoga, State Fair, and the Blue Point series.
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