Am I Taking Good Care Of My Zinnias?

Are your zinnias planted in a place where they can get at least 6 hours of bright sunlight?

Are your zinnias planted in a well-drained and rich organic soil?

Are your flowers spaced as indicated on the seed packet?

Are you keeping the soil moist at all times, but never soggy or flooded?

Are you cutting faded flowers from zinnias?

Are keeping pests away from your zinnias?

Consider moving your zinnias to a more sunny place. Choosing a location that gets full sun is essential because zinnias bask in the sunlight and suffer in shade.

Consider amending your soil with compost to enrich it with organic matter. Zinnias are adaptable, but the ideal soil is rich in organic matter and well-drained. Soil pH should be between 5.5 and 7.5. If soil is amended with compost, the flowers will grow more quickly.

Zinnias should be planted 4 to 24 inches apart, depending on the variety. Many common varieties are planted 6 inches apart within the row and 2 feet in between rows. See back of seed packet for variety-specific advice.

Zinnias love moderate soil moisture, not too wet, and not too dry. Before watering always check if the soil had dried. If it is dry to the touch, it is a good time to water them.

After zinnias flower, cut off the old flowers to encourage more flowers to form. Zinnias are annuals and will die with the first fall frost. If you want them to reseed, let the last flowers of the season mature fully and scatter their seeds.

Good work! You are taking good care of your zinnias.

Zinnias are fragile annual flowers that are often attacked by pests. Most notable damage dealers to zinnias are caterpillars, mealybugs, aphids, and spider mites. Bacterial and fungal spots, powdery mildew, and bacterial wilt may also affect zinnias. Minimize the wetting of foliage and space plants properly to avoid disease.