Zinnias are aster plants and belong to the daisy family. They bloom profusely from May to October and are therefore among the most popular summer flowers, which are surprisingly durable even in the vase. The pretty flowering plants are easy to grow from seed and can be transplanted to the garden or balcony box after the ice saints.

Zinnias can be grown indoors as early as February

The seed procurement

You can get zinnia seeds from many nurseries or specialist retailers. In the seed bags there is usually a seed mixture of the different colors. If you have already cultivated zinnias in your garden, you can harvest the seeds yourself in the fall.

The Cultivation

You can start growing zinnias indoors as early as February. Special cold frames for the windowsill are best suited. Follow these steps:

  • Fill the seed trays with nutrient-poor seed soil.
  • Do not sow seeds too closely. A maximum of three seeds should be placed in small seed pots (€16.68), or even just one seed at a time. A distance of five to ten centimeters is recommended for growing bowls.
  • Cover seeds thinly with soil, as zinnia is a dark germinator.
  • Moisten well with a sprayer.
  • Put a lid on. This should always remain slightly open (insert a wooden stick) so that the seed does not start to mold or rot. Alternatively, you can remove the cover for a short time each day.
  • Place the containers in a warm place on the windowsill, where the zinnias will germinate after eight to ten days.
  • If several seeds have been placed in a pot, pricking out must be carried out at a plant height of ten centimetres.

transfer to the open air

After the ice saints, when the temperatures no longer fall below freezing, the small zinnias are planted in the garden.

direct sowing

Zinnias also germinate well outdoors. If you do not want to rely on self-sowing, which is not reliable because of the frost sensitivity of the plants in our latitudes, you can sow zinnia directly into the bed from mid-May. The seeds are placed three centimeters deep in the ground at a distance of about twenty centimeters, covered with earth and watered with a soft stream.

tips

Zinnias are well suited as attractive balcony plants that can easily withstand hot phases and thunderstorms. However, it is important to water zinnia sufficiently and to fertilize it regularly so that it continuously drives new flowers.

Category:

Vegetable garden