Among gardeners, a decorative plant called zinnia (zinnia) is very popular. The ancient Aztecs began to grow the flower. The birthplace of zinnia is southern Mexico. A flower is used in Russia to decorate the garden and adjoining territories.
Zinnia: Seed Growing
Both perennial and annual zinnia can be propagated in a generative way.
Zinya graceful
How and when to collect seeds
Seeds for subsequent planting must be collected from flowers that have a bright color and the correct shape. It is best to pre-select specimens that are especially pleasing to the eye during flowering. It is recommended to take seed material only from those plants that have a thick stem and a well-developed head. It is better not to take seed material from stunted plants, since it will be of poor quality.
For your information! Zinnia seeds need to be collected two months after the beginning of flowering. From that moment on, they are considered mature.
How to collect seeds
It is necessary to collect zinnia seeds in dry and sunny weather. If it has rained before the expected harvest time, then you should wait until the buds are completely dry, as a rule, this happens within 3-4 days. If the summer is rainy, experienced gardeners in such situations cut wet flowers and dry them at home. Otherwise, the seeds may lose germination due to rotting.
Before you start collecting seeds, you need to prepare a dry container, a sheet of paper or bags of cotton. Subsequently, the collection is performed in the following sequence:
- First, the most suitable and dried flowers are determined. The fact that they are ready to collect seeds is evidenced by the dark color of the head and the stem of a brown hue. A stiff brush should resemble the middle of a flower.
- With your fingers you need to carefully remove the middle from the flower and put it in a container.
- As soon as the middle is extracted from all the flowers, the seeds should be gently shaken from them onto a sheet of paper, then iterated over.
After the seeds are sorted, you need to sort them and arrange them in matchboxes, bags or paper envelopes, depending on your preference.
Note! It is strictly forbidden to store seeds in plastic bags, as this threatens to rot them, as a result of which they become unsuitable for planting.
Zinnia seeds
Seed selection and planting time
When collecting seeds, experienced gardeners immediately sort them into groups depending on their shape and size. They are stored in breathable bags or packages, in places protected from light and freezing temperatures. If everything was done correctly during the collection of seeds, then they perfectly retain germination for 3-4 years. To make sure the quality of the seeds before planting, they must be soaked. There are no difficulties in choosing seeds.
Planting dates are determined depending on the method of planting and climatic conditions of the region. In the southern regions of zinnia, it is immediately sown in the ground in early spring. In all other regions, the most optimal time for sowing seeds for seedlings is considered to be mid-April.
Preparing seeds for planting seedlings
When planting a flower such as zinnia, growing from seedlings is considered the best option in all regions of Russia except the South. Seedlings can be grown both at home and in greenhouses or greenhouses.
Before sowing, seeds collected from plants, it is recommended that you independently hold in a solution of potassium permanganate or phytosporin. Such events will help destroy spores of fungi. If the seeds were purchased in the store, then they do not need preliminary preparation.
Sowing seeds in spring directly into the ground
Once the weather in the region is established, zinnia is planted in the ground. In regions where winters are not very cold, seeds can be sown before winter, as they are not afraid of low temperatures. In spring, the flower is sown from late March to late May. In Siberia and the Urals, it is better to sow as late as possible.
Seeding rules for seedlings
Seeds are planted in the ground and watered abundantly. If the germination is too dense, then it must be thinned out. It is not recommended to transplant the flower, since it has a very weak root system. Such events significantly slow down the development process.
Seeds are recommended to be sown in soil no deeper than 1-2 cm. The distance between rows should be between 30 and 40 cm.
How to grow zinnia seedlings at home
As mentioned earlier, planting zinnia seeds for seedlings should not be earlier than mid-April. If you do this earlier, then the stems of seedlings will be very fragile, and it will be problematic to transplant them.
Note! Before embarking on a planting, experienced gardeners recommend looking at the lunar calendar and, according to it, deciding on the most suitable date.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
When planting seeds for seedlings, it should be borne in mind that flowers do not really like picking, so it is best to sow them immediately in individual containers. They must be equipped with drainage holes.
An important stage during planting is the preparation of the soil mixture, which is carried out before sowing the seeds. The soil should be light, nutritious, permeable and loose.
The seedling method is considered the most time-consuming and involves the following step-by-step steps:
- Seeds are first sown in boxes and kept at a temperature of 18 ° C to 20 ° C. If all conditions are met, shoots appear after about five days.
- Throughout the growth, seedlings must be protected from direct sunlight and moderate watering.
- When the seedlings of zinnia at home give the first leaf, it must be dived.
- Since the second half of May, seedlings are grown in open ground.
Seed germination
Pickling seedlings and caring for young zinnias
As soon as several true leaflets appear on the seedlings, it is recommended that they be immediately planted in separate containers. When picking, you should be very careful about your plants, since it is very important to prevent damage to the roots.
This probability can be eliminated by preliminarily watering the flower abundantly and leaving it for several hours. After this, each sprout can be freely moved.
Note! In each individual container should be placed no more than three bushes.
In order for zinnia to develop well, it needs to provide the proper level of lighting and moisture.
Seedling hardening
An important stage is the hardening of seedlings, which should begin in early May. To do this, the plant must be taken outside on sunny and warm days. First, the residence time is limited to 30 minutes, and then it is gradually increased.
Why seedlings are pulled
When growing zinnia from seeds at home, you may encounter the fact that seedlings begin to stretch. This occurs mainly as a result of non-compliance with growing conditions. To provoke such an effect can be too early planting of seeds, high temperature at the location of seedlings, as well as too thick sowing.
So that the seedlings do not stretch, you should provide it with additional illumination with special phytolamps, systematic ventilation and maintaining the optimum temperature.
Zinnia seedlings stretched out
Planting zinnia
Before planting zinnia at home, gardeners recommend soaking it in a damp cloth. Such advice will help determine the germination of seeds. Sowing is carried out as soon as spring frosts end.
When to plant zinnias in the ground
Many beginning gardeners are concerned about the question of when you can plant zinnias in open ground. The answer is very simple: you can plant a flower as soon as the danger of frost return disappears. This usually happens in mid-May.
Planting zinnia in the open ground
To grow a beautiful flower, it is necessary to provide him with comfortable conditions. The area where it is planned to grow zinnia should be well lit, and also protected from soil acidity and drafts.
Before planting a plant in the soil and continuing to grow it, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures: the site needs to be cleaned of weeds. To do this, dig the soil to a depth of about 45 cm, and the soil also needs to be fertilized. If everything is done correctly, then zinnia will bloom in early June.
Thus, difficulties with the cultivation of these flowers should not arise even for a novice gardener. The main thing is to plant seeds on seedlings in time, and then carefully pick them. In addition, it is important not to miss a good time for planting in open ground. Only then will zinnia please its flowering all summer.
