Zinnia is a flower with an attractive appearance. The popular name is "major." This is a perennial or annual plant, which is a stunted shrub with many or one bud. The flower belongs to the Astrov family and came from South Mexico - the homeland of cacti. A lush flower requires special attention in terms of care at each stage of development, flowering and growth.
Zinia - outdoor cultivation and care
There is a huge variety of varieties of majors, each of which has its own characteristics in terms of color, height of the bush and the shape of the bud. Petals can be any color: red, blue, pink, yellow, orange, mixed, and even lavender.
Blooming zinnia
If we consider the botanical description, then zinnia is a shrubby or herbaceous plant with the shape of a basket near a flower. Distinguish between perennial and annual varieties, which are actively used to decorate plots and flower beds.
Flower in the garden
Zine: planting and care in the open ground
Tsiniya, cultivation and care in the open field of which has its own nuances and difficulties, always pleases the eye and attracts attention due to the presence of lush inflorescences. This result can only be achieved through painstaking and constant care.
What you need for landing
The flower will look attractive and plentifully bloom in the future, if you do not make mistakes from the very beginning, namely in the process of planting. Therefore, landing is impossible without such devices:
- garden shovel;
- substrate;
- watering cans;
- measuring tape.
Gardening Tools
In addition, you may need a regular shovel to sow seedlings.
Choosing the best place: zinnia in the flowerbed
Zinnia in the flowerbed can occupy any place, as it gets along well with any similar crops and even undersized shrubs. But you need to choose a place based on lighting. You should not plant the plant on the flower beds, which are all day in the open sun. At the hottest time of the day, partial shade should fall on the flowers. The presence of drafts or space closed from the air is also not the best option.
Place in the flowerbed
Step-by-step landing process
So that there are no questions as to why the major does not bloom or the plant is developing poorly, you need to properly perform the planting procedure.
You can plant zinnia in this way:
- Pre-prepare the bed. To apply organic fertilizers in small quantities. Loosen the soil well.
- Using a garden spatula, make indentations in the ground.
- In the formed pits to establish lumps of peat and substrate.
- Moisten the soil abundantly watering it.
Planting zinnia
Attention!Poor watering can lead to temporary withering of seedlings, but with repeated irrigation, these problems can be solved.
Zinnia Care Tips
Zinnia flowers are quite capricious in terms of care and require a lot of attention and care. Watering, top dressing, removal of weeds and looser soil should be done strictly on schedule. If everything is done correctly and in a timely manner, then the flowerbed will delight you with lush flowering.
Major
Watering mode
Quite demanding zinnia is watering. Majors are very fond of moisture. But watering should meet the following criteria:
- It is worth watering the plant 2 times a week. The schedule should be fixed.
- It is advisable to produce abundant watering, which guarantees the penetration of moisture by 20-30 cm deep into the soil.
- After each irrigation, it is imperative to loosen the ground to ensure airflow to the root system.
Features of watering zinnia
Important! During irrigation, moisture must not be allowed to enter inflorescences or leaves. The flower can get sunburn and rub an attractive aesthetic look.
If irrigation is carried out correctly and on schedule, the root system will not decay, and the plant will receive enough moisture for development and flowering.
How to feed zinnia for growth and flowering
To get a lush bright bush, you need to know how to feed zinnia for growth and flowering. Majors spend a lot of nutrients from the soil to maintain growth and flowering, which is why you need to follow the following rules of feeding:
- Apart from top dressing at the time of growing seedlings, after planting in open ground after 10 days, you can make compost or humus.
- Additionally, superphosphates, potassium sulfate or nitrophosphate are added. Dilute substances in water. The proportion is 1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water.
- Fertilizers should not be abused, otherwise the syndrome of gigantism without flowering or decay of the root system will occur.
Fertilizers should be applied regularly, but in small portions. Fertilizing is increased only during the flowering period.
Do I need to pinch zinnia
First you need to decide under what conditions you need to pinch the plant. It is impossible to pick off the tops of tall majors, which are intended for bouquets. If this is done, then the plant will actively develop lateral shoots, which means that several pedicels can form on the top of one trunk.
Pinching seedlings
If there are no restrictions, then pinching zinnia is a mandatory action in the framework of quality care. If you do not trim the top of the bush, then it will begin to dry. This jeopardizes the life of the entire specimen.
You can carry out the procedure even in room conditions, when the plants are already dived and after that more than 5 days have passed, then you can cut off the top leaving 5 lower leaves.
Pinching an adult plant
Pinching can be done after 10 days of planting in open ground. It is enough to pinch off the top of the bushes with your fingers. If you skip the period for the procedure, then flowering can not wait at all, since the flower will recover for a long time.
Features of care during the flowering period
In the period, as zinnia blooms, you need to produce weekly dressing in a small amount. An ideal option would be liquid mineral fertilizers. During the flowering period of zinnia, care requires particularly careful, in addition to fertilizing, you need to monitor the degree of wilting of buds and remove them in time.
Features of care at rest
Preparation for peace of zinnia, landing and care in the open ground for which was carried out according to all the rules, consists of the following aspects:
- feeding stops;
- watering is reduced to 1 time per week;
- all wilted parts of the trunk are cut.
Other manipulations are carried out depending on the state of the bush.
Winter preparations
Tsiniya, the cultivation of which is carried out in accordance with the rules, requires attention before wintering:
- it is necessary to cut off the aerial part, leaving a few cm from the ground;
- loosen the ground at the base of the aerial parts;
- to cover the soil with leaves poured with thorns from Christmas trees;
- lay on top material with a windproof base.
Perennial plant in a flowerpot
Typically, perennial varieties are transplanted into flowerpots, which in turn are installed in warm rooms.
Zinia: annual or perennial
In our country, mainly annual varieties are grown, which bloom wildly in the summer and die with the advent of frost. From such instances, flower growers collect seeds that are used to propagate the plant. Thus, the annual life cycle continues from year to year.
Reproduction of zinnia
Perennial is quite rare. Such a specimen can grow exclusively in flowerpots on the street in the summer and in a greenhouse in winter. Perennial majors can be an excellent decoration for a conservatory or conservatory.
Zinnia reproduction methods
Tsiniya reproduces exclusively in a generative way (seeds). If you properly care for planting material and observe all the rules of germination, then in a few weeks you can get not only a good, but also a diverse crop.
Propagation by cuttings
Some gardeners try to propagate majors at home by the cuttings method. The option is not suitable for this flower culture. The condition for the development of roots from a branch is not fulfilled. Most likely, the stalk will simply dry out or rot.
Zinnia: Seed Growing
A method of propagating a flower by seeds is the best option. The plant develops normally, blooms in time, and the buds are large and lush. Seedlings will grow and develop better if you initially sow in boxes, and not in open ground.
When to plant zinnia seeds for seedlings
Sowing in boxes is carried out in late March or early April. The most laborious and long is the preparation of the seed and its germination (2-3 weeks). It is necessary that the room temperature is 19-22 ℃ above zero. Lighting and watering should be moderate. Then, after 5-6 days, the first shoots will appear.
Additional information! Sowing in open ground is carried out in mid-late May. The exact timing is determined by weather conditions - it is better to lay planting material after return frosts.
Seeds for planting
After the first shoot, you can sow seeds that will germinate a little later. Thanks to this technique, seedlings of different ages can be obtained. This will become relevant during flowering, when the timing of each instance will be different due to different sowing times.
What does zinnia seedlings look like
After seed germination, you can observe the first sprouts that look like cucumbers or tomatoes, but with more round and dense leaves. After the third sheet appears, you need to make a pick - put each instance in a hotel container.
Seedlings of Zinnia
Further cultivation of seedlings will be made individually for each instance. After the pick, you can begin to harden the seedlings. It is enough 2-4 times a week to take out planting material on the street or balcony. The time of such hardening starts from 10 minutes and each time increases by 5 minutes.
Planting seedlings of zinnia in open ground
The ideal time for landing on a flowerbed is spring, namely the end of May. The main thing is that the street is warm and the seedlings are well seasoned. Regarding planting, there are several important points, non-observance of which can lead to death or poor harvest of flowers.
Grown zinnia for seedlings, when planted on a flower bed and how:
- First you need to decide which variety is grown - short or tall.
- If it is a tall variety, then the distance between the seedlings should be at least 40 cm.
- When planting undersized plants, the gap can be maintained at 20 cm.
Planting seedlings
The distance between the rows should be 30 and 15 cm, respectively. Before planting, you need to prepare the soil - prepare the correct substrate and feed the soil. Choose a sunny spot and form shallow holes or beds. If everything is done correctly, then after 10-12 weeks the summer cottage will be full of rainbow colors.
Zinnia Disease: How to Treat
To grow a healthy flower you need to prepare to defend it from diseases and pests. The most common problems:
- Fungi - root rot, fusarium, powdery mildew. A fungicide (Bordeaux liquid) can help.
- Viruses - a mosaic is manifested by a change in leaf pigmentation. It is necessary to completely remove such areas or the entire plant.
- Rot. The problem requires radical solutions - the destruction of the instance. The cause of the appearance is excessive moisture in the soil. Gray mold appears in a similar way.
- Alternariosis - manifested by the appearance of brown spots on the leaves. Remove the affected parts and treat the bush with a special antiseptic.
- Powdery mildew - a white coating on the leaves. It is necessary to isolate such an instance so that it does not infect the rest. Wash the affected areas with warm water and treat with a special solution.
Disease example
In addition to diseases, the bush is also affected by all kinds of pests - aphids, slugs, spider mites, scoops. If you do not cope with the problem in a timely manner, then such plants will not bloom.
Why do zinnias turn yellow leaves and what to do
The problem can be identified by which leaf began to turn yellow. To avoid yellowing of the leaves you need to know exactly how to feed zinnias. An excess of fertilizers or improperly selected raw materials can cause discoloration of the leaves.
Attention! Lower leaves may turn yellow if watering is improper. A large amount of water can lead to a gradual dropping of foliage at the base of the trunk.
Major in the flowerbed
It is easy to grow zinnias if you pay proper attention to the flower and strictly follow the instructions for watering, fertilizing and caring for the soil. The major will thank for the painstaking care with lush flowering in the flowerbed.
