Perennial zinnia: planting and care in the open field, description of 30 species with photos

Zinia is a flower of the Asteraceae family. This is a perennial herb and shrub plant widely grown in the CIS countries. With it, decorate gardens, parks, alleys. Growing is not difficult even for inexperienced gardeners. You should first familiarize yourself with the planting and proper care of perennial zinnia.

Description and features

Zinnia comes from southern Mexico, bred by botanist G. Zinn. The Aztecs have been growing a perennial crop since 1500, but in Europe it began to be cultivated from the first half of the 18th century. Majors are not demanding on growing conditions, they grow in a wide variety of areas.Bushes reach 0.2-1 meters in height. On the surface of the leaves are hard hairs that serve as pubescence. The inflorescences are apical baskets, reaching a diameter of 3-14 cm.

Colors include purple, yellow, white, blue, orange or red. The middle of the flowers is brown-scarlet or yellow, the seeds are stored in the fruit. Pollen falls in the second half of June, ends with the arrival of the initial cold weather. Zinnia is resistant to dry periods, heat. Zinnia is widely grown at home, in the garden.

It takes root well in latitudes with moderate winters. In medium climatic regions, flowers are bred according to the principle of annual plants. Popularly, plants are called "majors". The bushes tend to stretch upwards, due to which the shadow disappears.

Growing from seeds

Earth in pots should be nutritious, loose, drained.Gardeners recommend using a combination of garden soil taken from a flower bed with peat, river sand with a 1: 1 ratio. The capacity should be low, but voluminous, then the planting of flowers will be common. You can sow seeds for seedlings in separate containers or peat tablets.

Sowing

Zinnia seeds are laid out 2-3 pieces in one hole. The embedding should be 1 cm deep, no more, the distance is 5 cm. The seeds spread out on the soil are sprinkled a little with dry soil or peat, the plantings are sprayed with a spray gun. The containers are covered with cling film or transparent glass. The optimum temperature for the germination of majors is 24 degrees Celsius. Then the first shoots are formed in 2-3 days.

Preparation of planting material

Seeds should be rolled into a cotton pad, soaked with Epin solution. Last year's specimens will hatch in 5-7 days, older ones - after 7-10 days. Culture does not survive transplants well, it is not dived. Seedlings are hardened from May, exposing them to the balcony.

Timing

It is better to plant seeds for seedlings from the beginning of April. In the South, some gardeners plant majors in the fall, in October, but this is a risky move. Seedlings may freeze if the room temperature is less than 22 degrees Celsius.

Seedling care

It is easy to take care of the seed, it is only important to moisten the soil from the spray gun, to ensure the optimum temperature in the room. Hardening seedlings is an important step to ensure successful establishment in the garden.

What time to plant in the garden

Experienced gardeners recommend planting zinnia seedlings in the garden around June 6-10. The main thing is the lack of prerequisites for the return of cold weather. Sometimes, planting work is carried out in the spring, at the end of May.

Preparing the land for planting in open soil

The area should be well lit, protected from drafts.The optimal land is fertile, drained with a neutral alkaline reaction. They prepare the site in the fall, making a digging with a depth of 0.45 m. Weeds are removed, compost, leafy humus or rotted manure per 1 square meter 8-10 kg are introduced into the soil. Among the mineral supplements, superphosphate, potassium sulfate, nitrophoska 1 tbsp are used. l, digging to a depth of 10 cm.

Features of seedling planting

Seedling material should be 1-1.5 months old. Zinnia should be planted, keeping a distance of 0.3-0.5 meters between the bushes. The flower is transferred with an earthen clod into the holes. Planted flowers will begin to bloom in early July.

Caring for the Majors

Zinnia is easy to care for, it is only important to water it in time, cut it, treat it from harmful beetles and insects. It is also required to periodically loosen the soil, fertilize, to stimulate pollen.During budding, check the integrity of the inflorescences, stems. If they are dried, damaged, they are removed.

Water and loosening

Irrigate bushes should be 2-3 times a month, paying attention to precipitation, land. When the soil is dry, watering is necessary. Use settled water. Frequent irrigation should be avoided, otherwise the rhizome may begin to rot. After the rain, faded inflorescences are excised so that the pollen is more plentiful, long-lasting.

The land around the plant should be loosened regularly, removing weeds. The procedure is carried out carefully so that the stems are not injured. Usually weeding is done after watering. The event contributes to the saturation of the soil with oxygen, it becomes lighter. To reduce the amount of loosening, the soil around the zinnia is mulched with dry peat.

Feeding majors

During the growing season, 3 feedings with zinnia nutrients are done.They should contain a low dose of nitrogen. The bushes are fed with liquid manure, mineral compounds at least 2 times per summer. For the first time, the procedure is carried out a month after planting the seedlings, the manipulation is repeated during the formation of buds.

Pinch zinnias

Proper pinching of zinnia is carried out in order to improve the splendor of the bush. This is done at the stage of growing seedlings and after engraftment in the garden. Pinch them on 3 or 4 leaf plates. If the manipulation is not done, flowers will grow on long peduncles, which are good for cutting.

Pests, diseases and their treatment

Zinnia is sometimes attacked by harmful insects, diseases.

1. Slugs, snails. They are best collected by hand. To facilitate the process, lay out the pieces of roofing material under which they climb.
2. May bugs. They are also assembled by hand.
3. Aphids. They fight insects with tar soap or Fufanon.

Among the diseases, there are variations below.

1. Spotting. The disease is serious and has no cure. The areas affected by it are removed, and in case of extensive infection, the plant must be burned.
2. Grey rot. To cure zinnia, they resort to special drugs - fungcidia, for example - Fundazol.
3. Powdery mildew. Pathology is one of the most common. It appears as whitish spots on the plant. It is treated with fungicides, like Topaz.

With proper care, zinnia is rarely exposed to the above diseases and bugs.

Collecting seeds

Seeds appear 2 months after the start of pollen. First, the first blossoming flowers are collected, their heads are torn off, and the seeds are taken out.

Wintering

When zinnia bushes are grown in a container or pot, they are moved indoors in the fall. Next, there is the same care as for the flowers in the garden. Only with proper wintering indoors, zinnia will live for more than one season.

Views

There are about 20 varieties of zinnia, but only the following are cultivated in the CIS countries. They differ in flower color, size.

Narrow-leaved

This is the easiest zinnia to care for. The flowers are simple, narrow, yellow or bright orange. Bushes are spherical in shape, small and up to 0.5 m high. A representative of the Aster family is similar to marigolds.

Fine

The stem is strong, the leaves are large, luxurious, semi-double. Their diameter is about 12 cm.

High

The variety is famous for its height of 0.6-0.9 meters, usually grown for cutting. In flowerbeds, the plant looks too massive.

Average

Stems reach 0.35 or 0.5 meters in height. The variety is grown mainly in flower beds.

Short

Spruce, dwarf zinnia reaches 0.15-0.3 meters tall, branching stems. Grow a variety in flower beds, pots or gardens.

Thin-flowered

A variety of zinnia native to Mexico, it is an annual with erect stems. It forms bushes 30-40 cm tall. The leaves are sessile, elongated, pointed, rich green in color. The flowers are small, 4 cm in diameter, plain, bright orange. Bloom falls in June, lasts until the first frost. The variety bears fruit, the seeds save germination for 2-4 years. Zinnia has been cultivated since 1862.

Linearis

Zinnia has thin, sharp leaves. This variety is the smallest among its counterparts. Bushes branching, spherical, reach 35 cm in height. Inflorescences are small, with yellowish reed flowers. The culture is widely grown in containers, pots, it harmoniously looks on alpine hills and small flower beds.

Violet

Spreading bush, 65-80 cm tall. During pollen, dense buds are formed, 11-13 cm in diameter. Terry inflorescences, purple colors. The bush blooms from July until the arrival of the initial cold weather.

Orange koenig

The bushes grow up to 0.6-0.7 meters. Flowers with a diameter of 14 cm, orange-red tone.

Polar bear

Plant of compact size, up to 65 cm tall. The buds are white with a greenish undertone.

Little Red Riding Hood

Zinnia grows up to 0.55 m tall, inflorescences are dense, double, rounded. Their shade is deep red.

Tom Thumb

Bushes of small size, grow up to 0.45 meters. Inflorescences dense, terry, red. The shape of the flowers is a flattened ball.

Tambelina

The plant reaches 0.45 meters. Inflorescences of different tones, 40-60 mm in diameter.

Fantasy

Bushes are compact, spherical, up to 0.65 meters high. The leaves are large, deep green. Inflorescences loose, curly, rolled into tubules. Flower color is red, purple or yellow.

gift

Shrub height about 0.65 meters, bright green stems. Buds like Fantasia, but bright red.

California giant

The plant grows up to 0.75-0.90 meters. Terry inflorescences, 11 cm in diameter. The flowers are rolled into tubules, the tips are wavy, different shades: pinkish, red, yellow.

Scabioseflower

Inflorescences with a diameter of 80 mm, tubular flowers, various tones: pinkish, yellow, scarlet. The height of the shrubs is 60-80 cm.

Glorienstein

The height of the bushes is about 0.25 meters. The flowers are double, dark orange, and brown-red at the ends.

Persian Carpet Mixed

Semi-double, two-color flowers of red tone with white, yellow, orange tint. The bushes look massive, like an oriental carpet. The shades of the buds are different: orange, yellow, dark red, with a yellow border.

Classic and Starbright

Bushes reach 0.4 meters tall. Stems creeping, strongly branching, thin and weak. Inflorescences are yellow, white or orange. The variety is grown as a ground cover crop.

Sombrero

The variety is used to decorate flower beds. The flowers are brown-red, with orange edging.

Golden Eye

Tubular buds, white, like chamomile. Plant height is about 69 cm.

Caramel

The flowers are golden yellow, with a dark center. Bushes of low growth, up to 35 cm.

Yellow Star

Buds are deep yellow, petals are small, multiple. The plant is short, up to 35 cm tall.

Cherry Ivory

Short bushes 20-25 cm tall, look great in flowerpots and garden. The buds are lush, orange-scarlet with a cream border, 8-10 mm in diameter.

Scarlett Yellow

Zinnia with double, large flowers of a two-tone color of pale scarlet. The variety is widely planted in flower beds, flowerpots. The height of the bushes is 25-35 cm.

Elegant

Bushes grow up to 50-60 cm, with large, double inflorescences. The color of the buds is coral, soft pinkish.

Burpee

The inflorescences are like chrysanthemums, terry, 10 cm in diameter. The color of the flowers is different: pinkish, scarlet, yellow, white. The bush grows up to 90 cm tall.

Terry cloth

Bushes are strong, sprawling, 50-80 cm. Flowers are large, 10-15 cm in diameter, terry, orange-coral.

Profusion

Hybrid variety of low size, up to 45 cm. The diameter of the bushes is 50 cm, the leaves are lush, rich green. Flower color is apricot or light orange.

Zakhara

Short zinnia bushes 35 cm tall, erect. The flowers are white, deep crimson in the middle, the petals are oblong.

Decoration of flowerbeds

Short bushes can be planted on balconies, loggias, flower beds. Tall varieties are ideal for decorating discounts, they are placed in vegetable gardens. You can combine several types of flower, creating a cottage design at your discretion.

Procurement and storage of zinnia seeds

Harvest seed usually in the middle of summer. Place collected or purchased seeds in a paper bag for savings. They are able to germinate for 2-3 years. You can sign each envelope with the name of the variety for convenience.

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