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zinnias

Hi everyone, I would really love some advice on sowing zinnias without the use of heated prop. or a heat mat. The few seeds that have germinated have grown very leggy and are beginning to collapse.They are being kept moist and warm, after doing some research I have gained a lot of conflicting advice- needs light= keep in the dark until seedlings sprout, sow direct as don't transplant well = sow indoors in peat pots. I love the look of these beautiful flowers and really want some in my garden, I don't often have sowing failures.....until now! Thanks.

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  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039

    Zinnias are not hardy, so do need a bit of heat to germinate.

    I cover the seeds with Vermiculite.

    It is said they don't like root disturbance, so I grow them in modules, then pot on, but only once, before planting out in late May.

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,023

    I start them in an electric propagator but they always look leggy to begin with. I didn't know about not liking root disturbance. I pot the seedlings on, burying a bit of stem like tomatoes. They grow out of the legginess later. I sprinkle more compost on the seeds as they don't sell vermiculite here (SW France). They need to be kept in a light place or they will grow leggy, trying to grow towards the light.

    If you don't have a propagator, do you have a window sill over a radiator? You need to cover them with a clear plastic lid until they germinate, to keep the seeds moist and warm, then remove it to stop them damping off. Once the seeds have germinated they don't need the air around them to be too moist, that can make them collapse.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • daisy doodaisy doo Posts: 90

    Hi there,

    I sow zinnias in mid April in a cold frame. In individual seed pots I've also sown them direct in May and they've germinated though they were sown in a sheltered wooden plant trough. I'm in co Durham and though the weather is cold and seedlings maybe take longer to germinate and flower on the whole most things are fine.

    Try sowing some more in April in a cold greenhouse, window sill or cold frame see how you go. Hope this helps a bit, they're lovely flowers and great for cutting image

     

  • Snow MaidenSnow Maiden Posts: 862

    Thanks everyone for your quick replies. They are kept in a warm bright place and they have been covered in a clear seed tray lid, but I must admit it was removed as the few seeds (4!) that germinated were bending over because they had grown so tall. I still have the rest of the pkt of seeds and have bought another one too, so will keep tryingimage I'll follow all the advice kindly given to see which method proves itself ( fingers crossed) to work best for me, thanks again

  • I'm new to this seed sowing milarkey and sowed 20 seeds in small individual pots (1 to a pot) and put them in an unheated propagator on the kitchen window sill. 17 of them germinated just three days later (today). I used a 50/50 mix of seed compost and vermiculite.

  • Snow MaidenSnow Maiden Posts: 862

    Thanks Mistwalker for your info, I will try the 50/50 mix too. Enjoy seed sowing and the beautiful flowers

  • You're welcome, Flowers and thank you. Like I say, I'm a novice at this, too but so far the Zinnia are doing well. Hope it works for you, too. Please let us know how you get on. image

  • Alan3003Alan3003 Posts: 12

    Hi guys.

    My Zinnias didn't fair so well. I didn't know about the issue with transplanting and root disturbance. I sowed them three in a row in a rectangular propagating pot and after separating and transplanting my tall proud spikes went limp image.

    Is it too late to try again now?

  • sanjy67sanjy67 Posts: 1,007

    i grew zinnias from seed in an unheated propagating tray with lid covered over with a blanket so they were in complete darkness, every single one germinated and as soon as they were out of the soil i took the blanket off, they do like to be in the dark for germination.

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    I have never kept them in the dark or thought about not transplanting.

    I sowed them in a tray and pricked them out like any other seedlings, no problems.

     

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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