Zinnias are truly marvellous flowers that are incredibly easy to grow and come in an array of colours, shapes, and styles. They’re a perfect plant for beginner gardeners as they require minimal care but will bloom generously throughout the summer, decorating your garden with colour and providing you with beautiful cut flowers to brighten your home. Their easy-to-handle seeds also make them a top choice when gardening with children. Learn how to grow zinnia flowers from seed to create a rainbow of colour in your garden.
Learn how to grow zinnia flowers from seed
Zinnia flowers are one of the most spectacular flowers to grow. They bloom in shades of orange, pink, purple, red, white and yellow. There are also bi-colour and even tri-colour varieties that provide an explosion of colour when mass planted in the garden or a pot.
There are three main varieties of zinnia flowers you can choose to grow. Single zinnia flowers form only one row of petals making the centre of the flower visible. This variety is the best for attracting bees and butterflies to your garden. Semidouble and double varieties have numerous rows of petals, and their centres are usually not visible.
These pretty annuals are native to Mexico and grow best in full sun with well-drained soil. If you forget to water them for a day, it will likely be okay as zinnias are forgiving and quite drought tolerant.
It’s best to plant zinnia seeds in spring after the danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm. We recommend planting seeds directly into your garden bed or pot as they don’t like to be transplanted.
Water your zinnia seeds daily and when they’re half-grown, pinch out the tips to encourage the plant to grow more flowers. Fertalise with a liquid fertaliser every fortnight to maintain bright coloured flowers and foliage, and cut flowers as they bloom to encourage the plant to continue producing flowers all summer long.
Sow: Spring
Seeds germinate: 4 to 7 days
Soil type: Well-drained soil
Sunlight: Full sun
Flowers emerge: 60 to 70 days
Want to grow zinnia flowers in your garden or send someone a Gift of Seeds? Shop zinnia seeds here.
