The birthplace of this flower is Mexico. The ancient Aztecs gave it a peculiar name, which is translated in no other way than "bad for the eyes." With the advent in Europe, flowers received an incredible number of nicknames - “a flower for everyone” or “flowers of the poor” and many others. Let's turn from nicknames to the name - this is zinnia. Growing this plant has given so many nicknames. The flower is one of the most unpretentious ornamental plants that decorated almost every European house. We will talk about what zinnia is (cultivation, varieties, care).
It depends on how early spring begins in your area and when to plant zinnia. As a rule, seeds are planted directly into the soil immediately after the first frosts go. It is recommended to plant to a depth of 7 mm. The flower grows quite quickly and after 5-7 days the first sprouts are already visible. When the length of the sprouts reaches about 10 cm, the planting should be thinned so that the distance between future flowers is at least 15 cm. This will provide sufficient air circulation and the flowers will look great all season.
The possibility of landing in areas with a cool climate is not excluded. Seed cultivation begins 6 weeks before the expected end of the frost, and in containers. There is also a separate trick. All the time, containers where zinnia is planted, the cultivation of which seems to suggest the presence of heat, should be carried out daily for several hours on the street. This allows you to harden the plant. After the procedures done and the frost went down, you can safely transplant the flower into the open ground.
You should also know how to grow zinnia in central Russia. Sowing begins not earlier than the first or second decade of April. Germination of seeds occurs after 3-5 days. When it is noticeable that the plants begin to squeeze each other, they are separated by different capacities and only in early June (early dates) are transplanted into the open ground.
In the case when you have ready-made seedlings (sprouted zinnia), the cultivation begins with the fact that you need to cut the plants to a third of the length and only then plant. In this case, you significantly increase the survival rate of "newcomers". And all that remains for you is to observe how the plants are rapidly growing and decorating your flower bed with their flowers.
One way or another, but all plants are subject to undesirable environmental influences and even zinnia. Growing involves creating good air ventilation, not only to improve the overall appearance of planted flowers. The maintained distance between the seedlings will reduce the possibility of the appearance of downy mildew. A grayish-white coating will also appear if you watered the plant not at the root or if you just chose a variety that is vulnerable to this disease.
A great threat to zinnia is the May bug. Remember, bright flowers (yellow, orange, red and others) of these insects are practically not interested. But white and green, on the contrary - the desired delicacy of this pest.
Of the most common and resistant varieties of zinnia, the following can be distinguished:
- Benary's Giant - bright flowers of large size. Height is about 1.2 m. Bloom from August to the first frost. Flowers are not susceptible to diseases such as downy mildew.
- Zowie.'Gold Flame - a plant of medium height (up to 75 cm). The color of the flower is red with a gold addition.
- Profusion - a whole series of hybrids, which consists of an incredible variety of plain colors. Compact sizes combine perfectly in the elements of landscape design. Strong resistance to disease and drought is noted.
- Crystal or Star - a series of compact flowers (adult bush 30 * 30 cm in size). Extremely unpretentious. The plant is resistant to drought and many diseases. The time when to plant the zinnia of this series does not have any differences from the above brothers. Everything is as usual, only in compact sizes and with a high degree of unpretentiousness.
Cut zinnia flowers retain their properties for an incredibly long time. Thus, you can decorate not only the appearance of the house, but also create a cozy atmosphere in each of his rooms. Plant flowers and give yourself a good mood every day.