How to grow productive Zinnia flowers from seed in your backyard + our most loved varieties
Gardeners across the world have fallen in love with Zinnia flowers, and the good news is they are really easy to grow from seed!
- Zinnias are frost sensitive, so wait until the last frost has passed to plant. Zinnias don't like being transplanted, so if you live in a warmer climate sow Zinnia seeds direct where they will grow, germination should occur in 3-7 days depending on soil temperature.
- If you live in a cooler climate, you will need to start them in a greenhouse environment. Using peat pots (biodegradable pots) that can then be directly sown into the ground will help prevent transplant shock. Transplant when they are young and if transplanting from regular pots try not to disturb the root system.
- Do not allow plants to become root bound and avoid disturbing roots; transplant shock or other stress events may cause double-flowering varieties to produce single blooms for a period following stress.
- Pinch out your zinnia seedlings when the are 30cm tall (3 true sets of leaves). Pinching out means taking the top 10cm off your seedling. This will encourage stronger, taller stems and more flowers!
- Zinnias are heat lovers, so plant in full sun with good air circulation, this will prevent them from getting powdery mildew.
- Space between 15 - 30cm apart (depending on the variety) and rows 30 - 45cm apart.
- Zinnias may require support, so the use of flower netting staked 30cm above the ground will give them the support they need.
- When established try not to water the leaves, water the base of the plant. They don't like to be water logged.
- Zinnias are annuals, when flowering, deadheading any flowers that have died will encourage more to grow!
- Harvest your zinnia blooms when they are in full bloom and the stems are stiff.
Types of Zinnias:
There are 3 main types of Zinnia flowers, double, semidouble and single.
Double - Multiple rows of petals and no visible centre
Semi Double - Multiple rows of petals with a visible centre
Single - A single row of petals with a visible centre
Our most loved varieties:
Queen Series including the gorgeous Queen Lime with Blush, Queen Red with Lime, Queen Orange with Lime and Salmon Rose Queen. The Zinnia Queen series are mostly double and semidouble blooms with a small percentage of singles.
Zinderella Peach fully-double, semidouble, and approximately 20% single flowers. Unique salmon / peach colour with cream-to-rose petals and a distinct dark eye.
Benary's Giant Coral is a cultivar is known as the dahlia-flowered zinnias, they have large double dahlia like flowers in salmon rose to coral.
Zinnia Benary's Giant Coral Flower
Zinnia Elegans Zinderella Peach