10 Easy Tips for Growing Zinnias in Your Garden - Beginner Friendly!

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Question of the Day: Have you grown Zinnias from seed and if so, which are your favorites?

[@janeenclark8728]

Yes direct sow❤ them All

[@sandy5113]

Love all the queen lime for cutting but last year I tried raspberry ripple for a border and it was beautiful!

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

That's awesome!

[@christinewarnaar-bates3494]

Great video - thanks! The only zinnias I’ve sown were outside in a huge swath in front of my “Annabelle” hydrangeas. It looked spectacular. I love how bright and cheery the mixed colours are. The ones I sowed were Oklahoma Mix. Your studio looks really pretty

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Oklahoma mix is a tired and true performer. Planting in front of the Annabelles sounds gorgeous! 🌼

[@soniewhitten4844]

thanks for video, i love zinnias i plant straight out in the garden and they do beautiful. they are easy growers and well worth the time. thank you for sharing. i love the gaint cactus mix.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I enjoy direct sowing too, I just wish it was warm enough to do it sooner here!

[@moniquegodon5712]

Hi Pam. I grow zinnias in pots. The first kind that I sowed were called Purple Prince. They really looked like dahlias 😮 They are very large and puffy. I think they are more of the cactus type. Beautiful large and bountiful plants. I also have grown Zahara Starlight Rose, medium flowers with different pink colours and Zig Zag Zinnias a mix of double bi-coloured blooms. Dazzling! This year I’m trying Peppermint Stick.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I do love the Zaharas, they are so fun in containers. I like the white ones in particular. Peppermint Stick sounds so fun! I may have to try that one. 😊

[@gracefulgrowing144]

Hello, Pam. I love Zinnas. I have grown from both seed and a plant that I purchased. I have grown shorter ones and tall ones. It is one of my favorite flowers. I just love them. I couldn't tell you which ones I know I have several from Floret. I also buy a mixture. I like the colors all mixed together. The first year I grew them, my 5-year-old granddaughter helped me plant the seeds. They spilled in the garden, so I just covered them up with dirt. I had so many Zinnas. It was gorgeous. People would stop by and ask if they could stand in front of my flowers and use them as a backdrop to their selfie. They were a show stopper. The school bus driver said she always knew when she was approaching my house to drop my granddaughter off after school because of my beautiful Zinnas. Thank you for all your videos. I know there were several I watched in the last 4 or 5 days that I wanted to comment on but I wasn't on my phone, I was on my TV and I just didn't get around to it so I apologize for that. Keep up your videos. I love them; I learn so much from you. Also, I read one of the comments that you are not feeling well, so I hope you get to feeling better quickly.❤❤

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Thank you, this is a nasty bug that has kicked my fanny! I want to grow an abundance of Zinnias this year. Once it warms up I may collect all my leftover packest, mix them into a bit of potting soil and just toss them into an area and see what happens. I will wait until it warms up, but it would be fun.

[@wendig3258]

Good morning. I prefer the tall ones for cut flowers, but I love the little ones too.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

The shorther ones make great mounding flowers for along the pathways or as fill in amongst other flowers. But I confess I love the tall ones best.

[@maryferguson6586]

I love ALL zinnias! Geraniums and zinnias make a garden beautiful. I always have some white of each as I think white adds a beautiful punch. I’m going to try to “winter sow” some now in mid April, good idea. Thank you.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I have my winter sowing jugs all scrubbed up and ready to plant in as well. I have so many seeds that it is worth a shot again.

[@barbarafegley5566]

I grow lots of varieties. I love benarys giant salmon rose and scarlet.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I love a good Salmon Rose flower. I have several packest of Zinnias and I need to check if I have that one! 😉

[@lorrainemcwhorter2796]

I winter sowed a magenta colored Zinnia a month ago. It’s too soon to know if it’s my favorite. I think it will go nicely with my supertunia vista bubblegum.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Sounds great! I have a ton I want to seed this year. I am going to sow a bunch today and pop them in all over my gardens! This is the year of the Zinnia for me.

[@barbarafegley5566]

Also i start them indoors and plant them out in may.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I am hoping our May will be warm enough. We can still get snow until Memorial Day Weekend.

[@hetty2974]

Hello there dear flower patch lady, oh my so happy to see your film this evening. I had a busy morning and went to mums pm,its 7.30 pm here now so going to have a relax, been watching whilst I'm watching dinner. So I definitely will watch over again.oh goodness me,skunks oh my word,naughty,naughty, and stay away from those lovely chickens 🐔, oh my goodness me.i have never grown zinnia s from seeds..but I must say they are beautiful.i think im tempted. Im really loveing all your videos so much,thankyou dear flower friend,sending thankyou s and hugs for you and your creatures,see you next time .from Heather and my garden girls 🐔. Xx

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Thank you Heather! Today I am laid up with a bad sore throat, and I had such grand plans for today, it is beautiful outside. I will go and sit on my garden bench in the sun and just plot and plan in my mind and let myself get better.

[@grammasworld]

Hi. My first experience was with Exquisite, a variety of pink. Collecting and sowing their seeds although I have added a purchased packet from time to time. I love their color, long stems. Last year they were eye-catching floating in my little cottage garden corner with roses and hollyhocks.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Wonderful! That sounds so pretty. I just looked them up. How interesting that they start red then fade to pink then nearly white. I will have to try them!

[@BirdsPawsandClaws]

I grew Zinnias (Dreamland mix and California Giants) from seed (direct soil sow) for several years. I love the color and they are butterfly magnets. The seeds were from Walmart. I have stopped growing annuals and switched to perennial flowers. I love the Zinnia but wish they were not annuals. I do have an open flower bed this year and after watching your video, I may direct seed some Zinnias to rekindle my passion for the flower.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I hear you about choosing more perennials and less annuals. I am leaning that direction also but will always include 2 annuals, petunias and zinnias. Both I can either start from seed or get at a decent price. They both have such good memories from my childhood that I doubt I will be without them ever.

[@janetrosario6324]

Hi Pamela thank you so much for this video 🌿

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

You are so welcome!

[@RedneckHillbillies]

Last year I grew zinnias for the first time, Queen Lime (mixed) and Purple Prince. I saved some seeds from those, and this year I am adding Zowie and Fireball bright colors for pollinators, and 2 Floret varieties, and a package each from small, local zinnia breeders in more muted or pastel colors. 😊

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I wish you success. The Queen Lime are a hybrid and may not come true to the parent plants but it should be fun to see what you do get! I will have to look up Zowie and Fireball, they just sound exciting.

[@patboyle267]

Thanks for the zinnia tips! Looking forward to your video of starting a container from seed 👍😊

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I was just emptying containers today to get started on that. I probably should have started sooner but oh well!

[@salimorton641]

In answer to the QOD I have only grown Zinnias from seed and in Florida and direct sown along with Marigolds. They are fun happy flowers! I have only grown from seeds from the dime stores or Home Depot. I never knew of all the varieties out there until the last couple of years! This year I am starting anothe mix in a large pot at my front door.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

The inexpensive seeds are wonderful and do fabulous for me too. Great way to get a lot of flowers for a few bucks!

[@saraw8503]

I have grown zinnias both from direct sown seed and from cell packs. I had success with both. They are butterfly magnets. I plan to grow more this year but I want a shorter variety. I find the tall ones flop over. Zone 8b coastal NC.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Mine tend to flop as well because of how the sun shifts in the sky, by Fall, part of the day it is behind the tall evergreens that surround me so the zinnias try to reach for it. So I add support when they are on the shorter side.

[@jessicaeiss2541]

I love how your shirts match the flowers behind you. I hope that was planned, because it was perfect! I start all of my zinnias in the house under lights. I'm growing one of Floret's packets of Golden Hour right now, and love the Queen Limes... there's never a bad zinnia unless it's a single, lol

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Wonderful! I never really liked the Queen Limes but they are so popular. I can't tell you why but the colors just seemed so insipid. Maybe it was the variety I grew. I know so many just love them. The only downside is they won't come true if you collect the seeds and the colors of what you do get is so muddy. Do you have a favorite color of it?

[@kimmykat6887]

I've only ever direct sown zinnia. They grow pretty well for me. But they usually get powdery mildew by the end of summer. So im going to try a spot with better airflow this year. This year i am growing- giant double violet queen 💜

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Also you can sow some later in the season and they can fill in as the mildew starts to attack to older sown ones. That has worked for me on years that the mildew becomes a problem.

[@tammyrice1529]

My Daughter has helped me plant Zinnias for my Dad since she was 2. It is the only flower that he asks for every year. He is likes vegetables best.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

What a sweet memory! They are such a gorgeous flower often overlooked as some folks consider them too common.

[@dustyflats3832]

I’ve tried Thumbelina but are too small of flower. I usually collect hoards of seed every fall. What I’ve observed is if planted by themselves in good soil they will turn into a bush. If sowed thick they get tall and thin and a bit smaller flower. I’ve sowed them in sandy, sunny, dry areas and in the drought they didn’t do well. In an area with a cleared spot in taller grass they did well. I found the deer mainly left them alone surprisingly. We are sandy and generally dry so no mildew problem. Mine are the original zinnia. I’ve always direct sowed. They don’t like too wet or too dry. Think I will try some spring sow this year. Right now I’m trying to find room for all the flats I have started. Weather has turned cold and it’s covering up time at night, probably for 4-5 nights-sigh. Z5a, WI.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Yes, next week we are to get back down into the 30's as well. This time of year is so up and down for us here on the mountain too.

[@noraalvarado8178]

I grow the Catus and Benerie Zinnias. There a must in my garden. Since i raise the butterflies. Monarchs and Black Swallowtails. I pinch them back so they bush out and make sure I plant them far enough apart. The big ones are geourgous.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Gorgeous, I do love all Zinnias!

[@KathleenSmiley-te6hv]

I grow Bernard’s giant zinnia. I grown smaller varieties however I was underwhelmed with their performance. I direct sow them.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I love being able to direct sow them, and the Benarys Giant are such show stoppers, they are well worth their spot in the garden!

[@myhanh2454]

Thank you for this informative video on Zinnia! ❤

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

You're so welcome! I hope you found it helpful.

[@pfurr281]

Love DreamLand Zinnias

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Someone else just commented they always grew Dreamland, I will have to look them up and see what they are all about!

[@hetty2974]

Bless you.that sounds perfect xx

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I am so glad you think so!

[@kimwatts5750]

Thank you for sharing some great information 🌼😀

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

You are so welcome!

[@katiebrodeen4241]

I have never had zinnias. I want tons of pollinators this year so I'm going to get some seeds and give it a go. 😁🌱❤️

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Go for it! They are a very satisfying flower to grow.

[@katiebrodeen4241]

@@FlowerPatchFarmhouse is there a place on your website for all your affiliate links? I want to make sure you get credit. I'll be ordering seeds this week. 😁🌱❤️

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

@@katiebrodeen4241 You are so thoughtful, the links in the description box here on KZbin to the different seed companies are my affiliate links. I need to set up a resource page on my website too so thanks for the nudge.

[@katiebrodeen4241]

@@FlowerPatchFarmhouse I absolutely want to support you in any way I can. Thank you for all the help and insight you've given me. 😊🌱❤️

[@gardentours]

They're very easy to grow and the bees 🐝 love them so much that they even sleep in there 😚😴

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Yes, I have found many a bumble bee tucked into the petals during my morning garden walk!

[@normarobles4899]

I love creamy yellow and deep red zennias

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I just love the white ones for some reason but actually I love them all. Well, I must confess I grew the green one last year and it just was not pretty to me, it was rather insipid. I thought it would be interesting but it was just blah.

[@AuroraCelestine]

I grow all my annual flowers from seed and they do great, but Zinnias are the one thing I still struggle with. Sowing indoors they would all suddenly start dying off, so lately I've been sowing directly outside, which has been ok though delayed because of our cold springs. I guess I'll try some inside this year and not up-pot like my other flowers.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

So far my indoor ones have done okay but you never know. I usually need to wait until July 1 to direct sow and that means I have to wait until August to enjoy them, but I typically has so many other flowers blooming that it isn't that big of a deal, though I would like to have them boom sooner so I will attempt sowing alot more this year inside. I can hope for the best!

[@tinaknutsen]

I’ve heard you mention gall problems in a few of your videos…what is it? What does it look like. Could you elaborate on it so other gardners know what to look for? Thank you for your videos and also explaining the zones and how they base off of the overnight temperatures. I didn’t know. I am also zone 8b in Western Washington.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Great idea, I will share a video on it, I have one in a pot and I can tell it has gall. Thank you!

[@tinaknutsen]

@@FlowerPatchFarmhouse 💕🥰❤️

[@kater8730]

Good morning Pam, I like Zinnia's but I do not like the leaves, they always look brown and messy. I am trying marigold seeds this year. I bought the white "eskimo" ones and have never grown them before. Do you have a video on marigolds? Someone suggested growing the larger size zinnias so I might try them.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Hm, I wonder why the leaves are brown, I have not had that issue. Something to explore and find out. I will do a video on marigolds, I just started a full tray of them. Plus I have the larger Cracker Jack ones I grew last year that get quite large but they had such a pleasing scent.

[@kater8730]

@@FlowerPatchFarmhouse Thank you! Yes they get brown and mildew sometimes and so I stopped planting them because of that. I think sometimes I have been lazy and watered from top so this year I am using my watering can to water plants from the bottom that have delicate leaves like my roses as well. I would love to see the marigold video :)

[@susanarojo3906]

Could you tell me the name of the orange flower in the window at your back?

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Ornithogalum dubium aka Sun Star. It is a spring blooming bulb but I got these plants on the Lowes clearance rack 2 weeks ago. It is so pretty I had to have it. I will add it to my Artists Garden for early color, it is hardy in my zone 8 garden.

[@robynmcconnell8624]

Please help so this is my daughter's second time around with the zinnias no luck she has followed how to make the flower beds to a tea and her flowers just aren't growing would you recommend her soil to have pieces of mulch or pieces of the tiny white balls not sure the name I'm thinking it's the soil any suggestions please

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

It is hard to say without knowing all the conditions but for me it is getting the warmer temperatues to help them take off. We are just now heating up and my zinnias are looking so much better already. I want to direct sow some as well and will do that very soon. I doubt having more perlite or mulch in the soil would help. They can grow well in even the rattiest soil. I would love to help but I need so much more info.

[@cathymonck3726]

I thought the different pronunciation of Zinnias was the pronunciation of the American z to Canadian z like your zee to Canada zed !

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Who knows, so many have very pert opinions on it, I am of the mind if folks know what I am talking about then it is not that important, thus my shrugging it off. So many things are pronounced differently in different areas of the world and that is all well and good. I cannot tell you how many different ways I have heard clematis prounounced! I like variety.

[@jgwood10]

@@FlowerPatchFarmhouseit depends on where you live. Pronunciation is a thing people will argue about but it really doesn’t matter. It’s different everywhere.

[@franlepine3206]

The dear love my roses but never bother zinnias

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Those rascals.

[@ShirleyJDavis]

The deer will bit the tops off, or they have eaten the tops of what I have.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Bummer, if you can protect the zinnias they will branch and bloom again.

[@barbarafegley5566]

I only grow dahlias from seed anymore. It is true you don't know what you will get for sure but i like suprises.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I do like surprises as well. I have yet to try dahlias from seed so that could be on my list for next season. I am trying not to spread myself so thin this year. Sometimes I put too much on my plate.

[@barbarafegley5566]

@FlowerPatchFarmhouse i understand spreading yourself too thin. Dahlias germinate quickly in my experience and i don't use heat mats at all. I start them the same time i start my celosias and zinnias.

[@gracefulgrowing144]

Pam, you definitely need to grow Dahlias from seed. That's the only way I do it now. They are super easy to grow from seed, almost like growing Zenias.❤❤

[@hetty2974]

Dear lady.im sending my feel better very soon hugs.i hope you have something soothing, perhaps with lemon. Honey and ginger. I hope so.do rest also.xxbless you.maybe a bit of relaxing reading of lovely plants 😊x

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Sitting and reading my new Cut Flower Handbook by Lisa Mason Ziegler is just the ticket. It is warm on my back deck during the afternoon so that is my plan!

[@normarobles4899]

Dahlias don’t do well for me I quit growing them from tubers they don’t do well in temps over 80 and I live in a hot climate I started growing from seeds this year due to costs I’ll have to see how they do. Also humming birds love zennias

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Yes, growing what works best in our climate is what keeps our garden easier and more enjoyable. Plus the tubers can be so expensive. Yes, the hummingbirds here do love the zinnias, I have quite a few families right now coming to my feeders. Time to stock up on a big bag of sugar!

[@lauriedaniels9620]

Zinnias will grow great in poor soil and they don't need much if any fertilizer at all I grow them every year

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

You are so right!