Growing zinnias. Start inside or sow outdoors?

I'm about 2 or 3 weeks away from date of last frost and want to grow zinnias this year. Is it better to start these guys inside or directly sow them outside? I've looked around this forum and on a number of sites and no one seems to be able to agree on how deep to sow them or whether they should be sowed inside or outside. One site said that zinnias do not like to be transplanted and should be sown outside 1/2" deep. I've never grown these before so I would appreciate any advice.

--Emily

Hi Emily,

I have had great success with planting Zinnias in 1 - 2" peat pots in sterilized seed mix.

I start them roughly a month or so before the last frost date at 70-75 degrees soil temp. Mine usually sprout within 5-7 days.

Cover the seeds just lightly with fine soil and keep them warm.

I hope this helps.

Jim

Emily,

We have a relatively short growing season here in Maine, so I start my zinnias inside about six weeks before setting them out in the last half of May. Some varieties will actually be in bloom when I set them out, which gives me the advantage of arranging them according to color.

Some F1 hybrid zinnia seed are quite expensive and deserve special treatment. Some open pollinated zinnia seed is inexpensive and probably doesn't merit indoor starting in your location. For zinnias planted outside, sow the seed ¼" to ½" deep and keep moist until they emerge. If the soil is very warm, that might be in only two or three days.

MM

Thank you. With the temps heating up here, I think I'm going to hold off for a few more weeks and just directly sow them as the soil temp warms up. Right now, daytime temps are in the upper 60's, but still in the high 30's at night so still risk of a light frost.

emilyrasmus, I sow zennia directly into the garden. I cover them about 1/4 inch, and they never fail. I plant in the vegetable garden, as they are good about keeping some bugs and aphids away. Good luck.

When do you usually sow these? Soil temps aren't very warm yet here--still about 55f. I had a lot of problems with aphids last year until I bought a bunch of lady bugs. I think I'll plant some zinnias as well. Always nice to add color to the vegi garden.

I'm planning on direct sowing some zinnias for the backyard birds this year. I've read to only direct sow after all danger of frost has passed. Please post some pics if you do :) I'll try to remember to take some pics after they sprout and maybe we can check out progress together :) Best wishes!

Hugs :)

I'm planning to directly sow a bunch of zinnias this summer since I received so many wonderful varieties over the last 9 months from seed trading. There will be pictures, lots of pictures.

Definately wait until your frost free date. If they are up and it frosts, in all likelyhood, they will be killed.

Since I have a pretty short, cool summer, I generally start them indoors under lights, along with just about everything else! My zinnias have just come up and some are putting out their first true leaves. I won't be able to put them in the ground until memorial day weekend, but at least by then they'll be several inches high and closer to bloom. Last year I forgot to start zinnias, and direct sowed them in early June. I didn't get flowers until the first week of September, and frost came the last week of September. Hardly seems fair at all, does it?

I have started them indoors, but they grow so fast, that 3-4 weeks is all you need indoors. They tend to dislike cold soil, and transplant failure is most common in those growing large indoors and transplanted in cold soil.

For example, our last frost date is April 20th. Most garden centers say to keep tender annuals indoors until mothers day. I put zinnias, coleus, caladium and other "iffy" plants outdoors June 1st.

If not rootbound indoors, they usually can adapt adequately outdoors, if planted in soil which is not very cold.

I always start them indoors and they do seem to bloom atleast 30 days earlier than direct sowed cousins.

emilyrasmus:

Gosh to think that you bought lady bugs. We have them by the ton here. They get into the house, and those darn little things can really bite. If you ever need some, let me know, I will mail you 10,000 or so.

lady bugs bite? Maybe we have a more docile species here as I've never been bitten and I've handled lady bugs multiple times. I think they're cute and don't mind them at all. We have a couple that live upstairs and hang out on the callas.

I never believed they bit either! They are so cute and nice and everything 'ladybug' always looks so pretty and sweet. Then they swarmed. Then I got bit! LOL Who would have thought?