Zinnias

March 20, 2023

Life Cycle	Annual
Zone 5 Treatment	Plant seedlings outside after the last frost
Seedling Care	Transplant within 2 weeks of receiving otherwise the roots can get too crowded and harm the overall health of the plant.
Netting / Staking	No
Temperature Range They Will Tolerate	45-95 degrees F
Spacing/Height	6” spacing36”-60”” height
Soil Preference	Nutrient rich, break up heavy clay soils and amend with compost to allow better root potential
How to cut for maximum blooms	Harvest when the stems pass the wiggle test. Hold the stem about 8 inches below the flower and gently shake. If the stem is stiff, it’s ready to harvest. If it flops over, it needs more time. Cut right above a leaf set to ensure tons of new blooms form after your cuts. Zinnias are truly a workhorse in the garden and will exponentially keep producing until it freezes.
Pinching	Yes, when they are about 12 inches tall
When to Plant if you are NOT in Zone 5	After the last frost
Post Harvest Care	Room temp water with flower food. Take off all of the leaves and foliage. Leaves and foliage of any cut flower should never be submerged underwater because they decay quickly in water and cause a fast build up of bacteria.
Diseases / Insects	Alternaria (fungal), Bacterial, and Cercospora(fungal) Leaf Spot. Organic Treatment: Prune, Neem Oil or Arber Bio-Fungicide, Keep Leaves dry while recovering, Mulch the Soil to prevent spread of spores. Powdery Mildew – white/grey powdery coating on the leaves. Resource for organically controlling powdery mildew: https://www.growingagreenerworld.com/controlling-or-eliminating-powdery-mildew/ Asters Yellow – leafhoppers spread this and you will see yellow mottling on the leaves at the site of infection from the leafhopper. The flowers will start to distort and ultimately die. Treatment – no cure, must throw entire plant away.
Sweet Pea’s Notes	Truly the fastest flower to send out new stems and blooms after cutting. Fast turnover equals large production. You can’t have a cutting garden without them!
Vase Life	6-8 days