Zinnia (Zinnia) is a beautiful plant that blooms in flowerbeds and gardens in the summer and autumn. It is grown by gardeners around the world, but the most common zinnia in America. These flowers owe their popularity to the variety of their varieties. Just think: zinnias can be of many different colors! In addition, the plant does not require too much attention to itself. Growing zinnia, planting and caring for it is unlikely to cause any difficulties. It constantly blooms, up to the first frosts.
The most common representative is elegant zinnia, which has a straight stem with pubescence, grows to one meter, has sharp leaves and inflorescences in the form of baskets. Inflorescences, their size and color vary depending on the variety.
How to grow zinnia and care for the plant?
Already above it was said about the unpretentiousness of zinnia: planting and care of this plant is very simple. Even an amateur gardener can grow it. All that needs to be done is to loosen the soil from time to time and weed it from weeds. In addition, the flower tolerates drought and heat well, so it can be grown in the South. Since zinnias love light and heat, it is better to plant them in some sunny place. Please note that there are no drafts at the landing site. In order for zinnia flowers to please your eyes , planting and care should include good soil fertilizer. Water should not stagnate, so you need to water the plant rarely, but quite abundantly. When watering, water should not be allowed on the flowers, as they can rot. Experts also advise feeding zinnia with mineral fertilizers (a month after planting and during the formation of buds). When the inflorescence fades, it must be carefully trimmed to extend the flowering period.
Reproduction of zinnia
Planting and care also includes plant propagation. Zinnia is propagated by seeds that are sown directly into the soil in the middle or end of spring. Since she does not like freezing, it is better not to plant it in the fall. The planting procedure itself does not take much time: the seeds are embedded in the soil to a shallow depth. The first shoots should appear within a week. If the weather conditions are favorable, zinnia will grow and develop very quickly.
Another way to grow this plant is through seedlings. Sowing is carried out in the middle of spring. As a rule, seedlings are planted on a permanent place in early summer, when night frosts are excluded.
What diseases and pests is prone to zinnia?
Planting and care, even if they are carried out competently and in accordance with all the recommendations, may not bring the expected result due to damage to the plant by pests or diseases. Sometimes powdery mildew may appear on zinnia (this is the result of a violation of air circulation in cold or wet weather). As for pests, aphids or slugs sometimes attack zinnia. They love this flower and May bugs, which need to be collected and destroyed.
As you can see, almost anyone can plant a plant called zinnia. Planting and care (photos prove this), although they do not require much effort and energy, bring the desired result to the gardener, which pleases not only him, but also people passing by.