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So it's okay to transplant zinnias?

14 years ago

I'd always read that transplanting zinnias alters the flowers, producing single instead of double blooms. Therefore, zinnias should be sown directly in the ground. Yet I've been reading here that it's okay to start them indoors. Is there a trick to transplanting them, or is my previous information simply an old wives' tale?

Thanks!

Susan

who bought way too many zinnia seeds this year

Featured Answer

chocolateis2b8

14 years ago

I've transplanted zinnias. I adore them and plant tons of seeds directly in the flower and vegetable gardens. Once they are up, I don't have the heart to throw away the ones I thin and they end up in containers and other areas that need a little filling in. So far, no problem. They look a little sad at first, but I just keep them watered and they spring right back and bloom up a storm, and in double or single blooms, depending on the plant.

BTW Susan, you can never have too many zinnia seeds, I think I have over 2000 seeds to plant this year. I consider them the workhorse of my gardens, can put them almost anywhere and have beautiful flowers. One of my favorite things to do with them is to put in rows interspersed in the veggie garden, like right next to a veggie that has an early harvest so the space is filled the rest of the season aka, cool weather crops like peas. I've also made living fences out of the taller ones, made a border in the open space next to my tomtoes one year to block the turkeys, worked great, got unturkey pecked tomatoes and beautiful flowers at the same time, lol.

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Comments (10)

calliope
14 years ago
I have to have zinnias up and running by Mother's Day and hate to do them in the g'houses. The profusions are a snap, but the zinnia elegans are very temperamental as seedlings. They can transplant just fine though, especially if you transplant them on the green side.

That being said, I much prefer to sow them directly in the ground when doing them for myself. They are so happy when you wait until it's consistantly warm and sow them in situ. Nothing could be easier. They take off and fly quickly so why bother with transplanting. Sort of like growing melons or corn. LOL
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Well now, depending on where you live in zone 8, it might be okay now. My night time lows are forecast to be in the mid fifties with daytime highs in the seventies to low eighties for the foreseeable forecast. That is warm enough for zinnias. You did start them too early for a normal year, but that's not what I'm having. The groundhog was so right! We've had an extraordinarily early spring! I am going to start my zinnia seeds this week. And will grow them outside with the option of bringing them in if nights get cold again. (A real possibility until early April.)
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Tom... Those purple queens (and many, many more not shown) I dig up and pot up and put in the garage. Yes, they are perennials and are supposed to come back but instead here's what I do: After taking them out of the pots in the spring (after last frost date), they continue to grow (they never died in the pot). They become so tall that I break off the long stems (the plants you see there have been broken off) take about 7/8 stems and pot them up. THey look beautiful in a pot and I am ready with those for winter storing. Again, I wait until the ones in the ground are tall, break off the stems there and pot up again. Around November (before first frost), I dig out the purple queens and pot those up. Why do I do that with perennials? Because someone told me that if we have a bad winter, they don't come back, plus.... when I plant mine out they are already huge! Hope I have enough energy this November to continue this because I love those plants. Carrie
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Do you mean you want to replant in a larger pot, separating the corms? Or just planting it in the ground? If the first, I wouldn't. Crocosmia is not a great container plant to begin with and attempting to separate a growing clump at this time of year could very well abort or alter the flowering cycle. But if you just want to plant the clump in the ground, I don't see any reason why you cannot do so now. And there is no need to try and separate the corms. By nature the corms tend to grow very densely.
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
Susan, to specifically answer your question: transplanting does not alter the bloom....and that's one old wives' tale I hadn't heard!

I start all of mine inside.
franeli
13 years ago
Zone 4 is a short growing season.
I always start my zinnias indoors and transplant after frost danger.
I make sure they never get root bound,so that means they are usually transplanted from quart size containers.
I've never had single flowers.
alisande
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the advice, everyone. This is such a wacky spring, weatherwise. I normally have sunflowers ready to transplant by this time, but this year they haven't even germinated yet. I thought it was late to be starting zinnias, but if I'd started them at the same time as the sunflowers, I'd just be looking at more little pots of dirt.

However, onward and upward.......I'll start some zinnias this weekend. Again, thanks!
v1rt
13 years ago
alisande,

I transplanted zinnias from pot last year and they did fine. This year, I direct sowed them about 2 weeks ago since it was warm. Just last weekend, I saw 3 sprouts. Lately, it's been cold here. They've seen 38F and the seedlings are still doing fine. My sprouts in the pots are also doing fine.
susaninnorthga
13 years ago
Thanks for all this great info. I sowed some in some peat trays and getting ready to set them out. They are the Giant Cactus type. I guess its called that because the blooms look somewhat like cactus flowers. Anyone grown this type? Also, does anyone have any tips on preventing powdery mildew? Thanks in advance.
Susan.
susaninnorthga
13 years ago
PS, I meant to mention that I am a different Susan. Sorry!
davemichigan
13 years ago
I grew some giant cactus last year, and I liked them. After a rain and humid day, they got powdery mildew, but they continued to bloom. I am in Michigan, and I think it would be more difficult to prevent that from hapeening in GA.
alisande
Original Author
13 years ago
I planted six kinds of zinnias, and noticed that one of the seed packets said starting the seeds early and then transplanting will results in smaller (not single) flowers. I hope this isn't true either, as I love those big, extravagant blooms, especially the quilled and ruffled.

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