Step-by-Step Growing Guide
Zinnias are warm-season annuals that despise cold and transplanting — direct sow after the last frost when soil is at least 18°C. Sow seeds 6mm deep, 15cm apart, in rows 30–45cm wide, thinning to 30cm final spacing. They thrive in virtually any well-drained soil with pH 5.5–7.5, and in full sun — minimum 8 hours. Like marigolds, they tolerate poor soils; rich soil with excessive nitrogen produces leafy plants with fewer flowers. Water deeply but infrequently — 2.5cm per week — always at the base; wet foliage is an open invitation to powdery mildew. A single balanced fertilizer application at planting and another at first bud is all zinnias need. Pinch seedlings at 4–5 leaves for a bushier plant with more flowering stems. Deadhead or cut for vases continuously — zinnias are among the best cut-and-come-again flowers in the garden.