Description of 30 types of perennial zinnia, planting and care in the open field

Zinnia is a flower of the Astrov family. It is a perennial herb and shrub plant widely grown in the CIS countries. With the help of it, they decorate gardens, parks, alleys. Growing is not difficult even for inexperienced gardeners. Beforehand, you should familiarize yourself with the planting and competent care of long-term zinnia.

Description and features

Zinnia is a native of southern Mexico, bred by the botanist G. Zinn. The Aztecs have been cultivating a perennial crop since 1500, but in Europe it has been cultivated since the first half of the 18th century. Majors are not picky about growing conditions; they grow in a wide variety of areas. Bushes reach 0.2-1 meters in height. On the surface of the leaves, there are hard hairs serving as pubescence. The inflorescences are apical baskets, reaching a diameter of 3-14 cm.

Among the colors are violet, 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 and ends with the arrival of the initial cold weather. Zinnia is resistant to dry periods and heat. Zinnia is widely grown at home, in the garden.

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

Growing from seeds

The soil in pots should be nutritious, loose, drained. Gardeners recommend using a combination of garden soil taken from a flower bed with peat, river sand at a rate of 1: 1. 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 in 2-3 pieces in one hole. The filling should be 1 cm deep, no more, the distance should be 5 cm.The seeds spread out on the soil are sprinkled a little with dry soil or peat, and the plantings are sprayed with a spray bottle. The containers are covered with cling film or transparent glass. The optimum temperature for 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. The culture does not survive transplants well, it is not dived. Seedlings are hardened since 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 step. The seedlings can 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 a spray bottle, to ensure the optimal temperature in the room. The hardening of the seedlings is an important step in ensuring a 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. Most importantly, there are no 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 and protected from drafts. The optimum land is fertile, drained with a neutral alkaline reaction. The site is prepared in the fall, digging to a depth of 0.45 m. Weeds are removed, compost, deciduous humus or rotted manure per 1 square meter 8-10 kg are introduced into the soil. Among the mineral feeds, superphosphate, potassium sulfate, nitrophosphate, 1 tbsp each are used. l, digging to a depth of 10 cm.

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Features of planting by seedling method

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

Majors care

Zinnia is easy to care for, it is only important to water it on time, cut it off, treat it from harmful beetles and insects. You also need to periodically loosen the soil, fertilize, to stimulate pollen. During budding, check the integrity of inflorescences and stems. If they are dry, damaged, remove.

Watering and loosening

The bushes should be irrigated 2-3 times a month, paying attention to precipitation and the ground. When the soil is dry, watering is necessary. Use settled water. Frequent irrigation should be avoided, otherwise the rhizome may start to rot. After the rain, the faded inflorescences are excised to make the pollen more abundant and lasting.

The land around the plant must be loosened regularly, removing weeds. The procedure should be carried out carefully so that the stems are not injured. Usually, weeding is done after watering. The exercise 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.

Top dressing of majors

During the growing season, 3 fertilizing with zinnia nutrients is done. They must contain a low dose of nitrogen. Bushes are fed with liquid manure, mineral compositions 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.

Pinching zinnia

Correct 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 a 3 or 4 leaf plate. If the manipulation is not done, flowers will grow on long peduncles, which are good at cutting.

Pests, diseases and their treatment

Zinnia is sometimes attacked by harmful insects and diseases.

1. Slugs, snails.It is better to collect them by hand. To facilitate the process, decompose the pieces of roofing material under which they climb.
2. May bugs. They are also collected by hand.
3. Aphid. They fight insects with tar soap or Fufanon.

Among the diseases, there are the following variations.

1. Spotting. The disease is serious and cannot be treated. The areas affected by it are removed, and with extensive infection, the plant is subject to burning.
2. Gray 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 rarely suffers from these diseases and beetles.

Seed collection

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

Wintering

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

Kinds

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

Narrow-leaved

This is the most unpretentious zinnia variety to care for. The flowers are simple, narrow, yellow or bright orange. Bushes are spherical, small and up to 0.5 m high. The representative of the Astrovye family is similar to marigolds.

Graceful

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, it is usually grown for cutting. In flower beds, the plant looks too massive.

Average

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

Undersized

Shrub, dwarf zinnia reaches 0.15-0.3 meters in height, branching stems. The variety is grown in flower beds, pots or gardens.

Fine-flowered

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

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Linearis

Zinnia has thin, sharp leaves. This variety is the smallest among its fellows. Branching bushes, spherical, up to 35 cm. Inflorescences are small, with yellowish ligulate flowers. The culture is widely grown in containers, pots, it looks harmoniously on alpine slides and small flower beds.

Violet

Sprawling bush, 65-80 cm tall. In the course of pollen, dense buds with a diameter of 11-13 cm are formed. Inflorescences are double, purple in color. The bush blooms from July until the arrival of the initial cold weather.

Orange Koenig

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

polar bear

The plant is compact, 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 Tumb

Small bushes grow up to 0.45 meters. Inflorescences are dense, double, 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, rich green tone. Inflorescences are loose, curly, rolled into tubes. The color of the flowers is red, purple or yellow.

Present

The growth of shrubs is about 0.65 meters, the stems are bright green.Buds are similar to the Fantazia variety, but bright red shades.

California giant

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

Scabiosa

Inflorescences 80 mm in diameter, tubular flowers, of 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, bicolor red flowers with white, yellow, orange tints. The bushes look massive, like an oriental carpet. The shades of the buds are different: orange, yellow, dark red, with yellow edging.

Classic and Starbright

Bushes grow up to 0.4 meters. The stems are 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

The buds are tubular, white, like chamomile. Plant height is about 69 cm.

Caramel

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

Yellow star

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

Cherry Ivory

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

Scarlett Yellow

Zinnia with double, large, two-tone flowers of a delicate scarlet hue. 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, pale pinkish.

Burpee

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

Terry

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

Professional

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

Zakhara

Low-growing bushes of zinnia 35 cm tall, erect. The flowers are white, deep crimson in the middle, oblong petals.

Flower bed decoration

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

Harvesting and storage of zinnia seeds

Sowing material is usually harvested in the middle of summer. Place the collected or purchased seeds in a paper bag for saving. They are able to emerge for 2-3 years. You can label each envelope with the name of the variety for convenience.