Zinnia

Colorful zinnia

Today we are going to talk about one of the most colorful and beautiful flowers that you can have in your garden. It's about the Zinnia. It may not sound familiar to you by its name, but if you have a garden and want to decorate it, you will surely fall in love as you continue reading the article. This plant is widely used as it has high ornamental value and combines very well with many plants. In addition, its care is not very difficult so you do not need to know much about plants to keep it healthy.

In this article I am going to show you all the characteristics of zinnia, how to grow it and what you have to do to take care of it so that you can get the most out of it and decorate your garden to perfection.

Key features

Zinnia

We are going to start by describing this plant so that you can know what we are going to plant in the garden. It is a plant known by the common name of mystical rose or paper flower. We find an annual flowering plant that comes from Mexico. However, it survives very well in these environments. Although it has a small bearing, it does so in a very striking way, so its ornamental characteristics are very powerful.

If we take good care of it, it can grow up to 90 cm. It has foliage formed by leaves of rough texture, oval in shape and with a dark green color. This color is the one that combines very well and strengthens what they are really worth, the flowers. Its flowering season begins in spring and lasts well into autumn. This can vary based on annual temperatures. If we find ourselves in a warmer year, the flowering will start a little earlier and will last a little longer. Being from Mexico, he prefers high temperatures.

Its flowers are very showy and pretty. We meet her in van colors from yellow and red, through pink or white. By having such a wide range of colors, it offers a perfect combination with numerous plants. In addition, the color of the flowers is very intense. We can plant it in groups, borders or massifs. Its most traditional applications is to plant them in flowerbeds and flowerbeds.

It is widely used for the decoration of parks and gardens surrounded by hedges and small larger bushes. This is because its small size can make it a vulnerable plant to dogs, children or different pets.

Zinnia crops

We are going to describe how to grow zinnia in order to get the most out of it. When it comes to cultivating it, we must have some aspects. Temperatures, when we grow it and the location where we place it are conditioning factors of what your results will become. If we don't do these things right, the plant will not be able to survive. The soil must also have a certain composition and exposure to light will also be key for its growth and, above all, flowering.

Temperature and location

Watering the zinnia

The first thing is to talk about the temperature. Since temperatures are high in its natural habitat, it will need high temperatures. They do not resist well to frost, so you will have to be careful during some winter nights.

If you want to keep it indoors, it will not be a problem since the temperatures are warmer and more adjustable. If the area where you live has colder winters or you are used to more frosts, it is better to place them in an area of ​​the garden where it is sheltered from the wind. If the temperatures are very low on many nights of the year, we cannot guarantee their survival.

The second aspect to deal with is the location. Unlike other flowers, The paper flower can be grown in a pot and kept indoors. The ideal is to combine it with other flowers, so it is more advisable to have them in the garden. This way we will get more out of the ornamental power it has. The location is important, since it will be a determining factor in your success. Find an area where it can have a few hours of direct sunlight and is sheltered from wind currents. This way we guarantee that you will not get cold.

Planting time and soil

Zinnia flower

Another important variable to take into account is the sowing season. We need the time of year when we grow it to be warmer. It is important to think that, if the plant has a natural habitat in a warm climate, in order to adapt to the terrain it will need higher temperatures. The best growing season is the month of March. In this way, it has enough time to adapt and will give many more flowers than if you grow it already in the month of May. While the plant adapts and gathers energy for flowering, if you grow it in May, it will not be able to flower as much. If we have more flowers we can guarantee that they remain until the autumn season.

On the other hand, we find the type of soil. It is quite important to achieve the development of the plant. If you want to plant it indoors, you will have to use a special substrate for the pots. You will need to use shade plant substrate since even if you place it on the window, it will not be able to receive direct sunlight. On the contrary, if you plant the zinnia in the garden, they will be able to enjoy direct sunlight, and you will have to use substrate for outdoor plants.

Always use substrate mixes that have sand and soil to improve aeration

Irrigation

Zinnia care

Once we have cultivated the zinnia, we must know what are the irrigations it needs and the frequency. You don't need to water very often. Remember that they are adapted to warmer climates and do not need a lot of water. They do not tolerate excess water. When you are watering, neither the foliage nor the flowers should be watered, you have to water on the base. Preferably do it in the morning or in the evening, since it has a higher use rate of irrigation water.

Regarding drainage, the floor must at all times avoid an accumulation of water or we will make the plant rot.

I hope that with these tips you can enjoy zinnia in your garden.


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  1.   Marcela said

    Hello, I am from Buenos Aires, when do you advise me to grow it? Autumn begins in March and I want to take it to my terrace.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Marcela.

      Spring is a good time to sow them, although if autumn is warm (no frosts) you can look forward to the season. But you have to keep in mind that they will bloom in spring.

      Regards!