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Zinnia seeds - Tips and best results for June sowing?

rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
in The potting shed
Hello! I have just purchased come Zinnia seeds (Cupid Mixture and Queen lime with blotch) and am wondering if I will get faster growth and earlier blooms for August by sowing in a tray and positioning on a sunny windowsill Vs direct outdoors into prepared soil? It's pretty warm and sunny weather so perhaps direct outdoors is ok?
Any general advice on how best to grow zinnias also welcome, as it's my first time with them and hoping for some helpful pointers!
Thanks!
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Posts

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    It's my first time with Zinnias too (Purple Prince and Liliput Orange) - I sowed both in modules and outdoors among my cannas; both sets of seedlings came up in about a week and appear evenly matched. The lovely warm weather must be helping!
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    First timer here as well. I sowed 15 in a seed tray on Sunday and about 12 have already popped up.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    I never really thought of sowing Zinnias before but a couple of YouTube videos in and I'm kind of obsessed. Let's hope they turn out OK! Also have a tray of Tagetes just sown, variety 'Cinnabar'
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    I think it could be too sunny on a windowsill and maybe harder to keep the soil moist in a shallow seed tray. I’d go for outdoors but why not do half and half And see which does best?
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
    Hi! @Butterfly66 - good idea! I might do a bit of both.

    Just as footnote all - I asked cut flower specialist online and she advised that they are VERY sensitive to root disturbance so sometimes prefer a direct sow or VERY careful transplanting 

    Good luck everyone!


  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Very difficult conditions at the moment to direct sow.......
  • hallstina77hallstina77 Posts: 12
    Hi, Im new to this forum so Hello! 
    Im a very keen gardener and have sown seeds for the first time this year (I usually buy established plants as I'm so impatient!) I bought some Zinnias and have sown them in a tray on a windowsill as I worry planting bulbs and seeds straight out that I might end up pulling them up when I'm weeding! I planted out some bulbs a few weeks ago, and get very nervous every time I weed
  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
    @Mary370 - Why? Where are you based?

    @hallstina77 - Welcome!!
    I feel the exact same way as I can get quite carried away in my weeding sessions! However this spring I started to direct sow and plant bulbs in my prepared beds outdoors, and then around the area I make a little circle or oval from stones and pop in wooden labels. I have found that in this way, when I come to the same patch in 3/4 weeks I know to leave well alone :)
    Below examples from some Ammi, gladioli bulbs and poppies that I decided to circle and now have grown away fine (I've now removed the stones and thinned them out since). Hope that helps!




  • hallstina77hallstina77 Posts: 12
    Hi!
    yes I was going to plant lolly sticks, but got carried away and forgot! All of my bulbs went straight in the ground, but the seeds I put in trays. After reading this thread I went to check on my zinnia seeds and I have a couple poking through. I only showed them on Monday!
  • hallstina77hallstina77 Posts: 12
    *sowed
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