My Cart

A Post Script on Growing Zinnias

Three months after my post about Growing Zinnias in the Urban Tropics , my zinnia flowers are still doing great. I have planted a few more seeds of white zinnias which had just started to bloom last week despite the recent heavy rains  in Manila.

img_0159

One important lesson I learned is to use a bigger container or pot,  of at least 12 inches in depth. Zinnias are vines, so they tend to grow continuously. They don’t like to be disturbed, especially when they have already established their roots. So it’s best to plant them in a larger container from the start.

The heavy rains had taken their toll on some of the flowers which had started to rot prematurely.

img_0130 

It helps to trim off the  flowers once their color starts to fade. This practice  is called “deadheading. It allows the plant to focus on producing new flower buds and stems. Zinnias are also perfect as cut flowers, as their color tends to stay vibrant for several days.

Corral Zinnias in Full Bloom

I also made the mistake of planting too many seeds in one container.   Ideally, they should be planted at least 6 inches apart in order to allow their roots and branches  to spread out.  For this, I had to sacrifice  some of the plants so the others can better thrive. The stems can be replanted as cuttings  in separate containers, similar to the  propagation of herbs.

Tags: Flowers

Leave your comment

Comments have to be approved before showing up