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A Professional Gardener's Tips For Bright Blooming Zinnias All Summer
By PEG ALOI
The best way to ensure you have zinnias blooming all summer long is to use more than one planting approach. If you can start seeds indoors, you'll give your zinnias a head start.
Zinnia seeds can be sown in containers. Use well-draining potting soil in terracotta pots to create a warm environment so they can thrive in summer.
Zinnias can bloom for longer in summer if they are planted at intervals. Most zinnias bloom 60 to 70 days after sowing; seeds germinate at 70 to 75 degrees F in five to seven days.
If you sow some seeds outdoors every two weeks from mid to late May until the end of June, the flowers will bloom for longer, unless you get an unusually early frost.
Water zinnias regularly, but don't overwater. If there's a long stretch of hot weather in summer, they may dry out or droop, so water them if the top two inches of soil feel dry.
To increase blooms, prune when buds form before the flowers open, as this will encourage more buds. Once your taller zinnias are 12 inches, snip the top three to four inches.