Cultivation methods and precautions of zinnia

How to grow zinnia

Water and fertilizer management

Watering: Due to the high light demand, water evaporates easily, so it is necessary to maintain proper humidity at all times. Water every day in summer.

Fertilization: Apply 2-3 grams of compound fertilizer to the bottom of the pot when transplanting. After transplanting, use 800 times diluted dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane to irrigate the roots for disinfection. The soil in the pot should be kept moist within 1 week after planting to promote the growth of surface roots. When the roots grow to the bottom of the pot, you can start applying fertilizer 2-3 times a week (apply water-fertilizer on sunny days, and control the concentration within 200mg/kg. Apply granular fertilizer 2-3 grams/pot on rainy days). You can also apply calcium fertilizer once.

Temperature and light

Temperature: Zinnia prefers warm and sunny weather and cannot tolerate high temperatures and severe cold. The suitable temperature for its growth is 18-20℃ during the day and 15-16℃ at night. Growth is particularly rapid in summer.

Lighting: Full sunlight can be used directly. If there is insufficient sunlight, the plant will easily grow too tall and its resistance will be weaker, and its flowering will also be affected.

Things to note when raising zinnias

Plant shaping

If zinnias are not topped, the plants will have too few side branches and few flowers. Proper topping can promote dwarfing of the plants and increase the number of flowers. When the seedlings grow to 4 leaves, transplant them and pinch the tops to promote the growth of lower branches to form a better plant shape.

Start pinching the tops one week after transplanting, leaving 4 pairs of true leaves, and decide whether to pinch again depending on the growth and branching of the plant. During the flowering period, continue to add potassium dihydrogen phosphate and other phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to promote the continuous growth of flower heads. After the flowers wither, the dead flower heads should be cut off in time to reduce nutrient loss.

Pest control

Common diseases of zinnia: white star disease, black spot disease, mosaic disease

Zinnias also need to be prevented from growing too tall. Zinnia seedlings are very prone to growing too tall during the growth period. Pay attention to lowering the weeds, pinching the tips, and watering less.