Zinnias are a popular choice for gardeners, especially first-time flower growers, as they are easy to take care of, grow fast, and bloom beautifully.
They also attract many hummingbirds and butterflies. So, when does Zinnia bloom?
This article will discuss zinnia bloom time and provide tips for prolonging its season. Hesitate no more but scroll down to explore these colorful flowers.
Zinnia Overview
Zinnias grow for one season in the year to produce flowers and seeds and can live in all zones and prefer exposure to full sun (at least 6 hours per day).
They have a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors. Their types are various, from dwarf zinnias of 6 to 12 inches tall to taller ones of 4 feet.
Zinnias bloom with vibrant colors such as pink, red, purple, white, yellow, and orange. They also come in bi-color and tri-color versions, all of which grow in harmony with the pale to mid-green of the leaves.
The plant is available in three types: single-flowered, double-flowered, and semi-double-flowered. They all require humus-rich, fertile, and well-draining soil with soil pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.5.
Although they tolerate dry atmospheres, you still need to water them weekly with a total of 1 inch.
Powdery mildew, fungal diseases, and bacterial wilt are commonly seen. Zinnia plants can also attract pests like spider mites, mealybugs, and caterpillars.
The flowers are non-toxic, so you can plant them near animals without a problem. Besides, they require low maintenance, making them an ideal choice for beginners.
When Does Zinnia Bloom?
The Zinnia bloom season is from the beginning of summer until autumn. Some cultivars are even flower longer since the blooms start to appear in the late spring.
When there are the first frosts at the end of September or the beginning of October, the trees will die off quickly with vast amounts.
When Are The Seasons Of Zinnias?
Zinnia does bloom all summer months, from July to October. Some variants, such as the Profusion’s members or Double Zahara Raspberry Ripple, flower earlier in the late spring.
How long do zinnias bloom? You can’t expect the tree to last longer than one season of the year as they are not hardy annual flowers and will deteriorate immediately when the first frosts appear in the early fall.
Unlike dead rose bushes, dead zinnias are quite obvious. The flowers will first wilt, and the trees start to die. Once the frosts drop on the foliage, zinnias will die off quickly.
That’s why they are annuals and need to be replaced for the next season in the next year.
How Long Is One Zinnia Season?
Zinnia’s time to bloom starts in July and lasts until October, meaning you can enjoy its beautiful plants for about four to five months.
In general, zinnias do bloom all summer, yet individual flowers are only alive for two weeks.
That’s why I recommend you deadhead your plants when you see the first wilted flowers. It helps encourage strong buds and offers a fabulous flower garden until the frosts arrive.
Some gardeners have longer-lived zinnias than others because they provide the plants with ideal conditions.
Grow them under full sun, and make sure you provide well-drained soil. Though they are drought-tolerant, you still need to water and fertilize them once per week.
What Factors Affect The Season?
Climate
A suitable dryness, heat, and sunlight climate can extend the Zinnia blooming season. The most comfortable zones for those you plant once the last spring frost has gone are zones 2 to 11.
Keep in mind that the trees can’t withstand cold and shade. My advice is to start planting only when there’s no chance of frost; the soil then is warm, benefiting the seeds and young plants.
Growing Conditions And Care
Besides providing warmer climates, you also should pay attention to other growing conditions and care. For example, sunlight is an important factor affecting Zinnia’s bloom time.
Ensure they receive 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight every day. Direct morning sunlight is preferable to afternoon sunlight as they’re less hot.
Here I’d like to repeat the watering schedule of once per week to have strong stems and more zinnia flowers. Once you see droopy leaves or they begin to wilt, water them.
You can also fuel the beautiful flower growth by planting them in sandy, loamy, chalky, or clay soils and providing a good amount of compost or organic matter.
High phosphorus fertilizers should also be used one time per week or two weeks.
How To Encourage Zinnias To Bloom For A Longer Time?
Though Zinnia’s time to bloom is 4-5 months (as mentioned), these flowers reach their prime during summer.
Yet there is something you can do to encourage young buds to grow and more flowers to blossom and extend their season.
- Deadheading: use sharp secateurs to cut the wilted flower right above the young buds. Thus, the plant does not need to spend its nutrition on the dead flower but on the new flower production.
- Watering: weekly or a little more often in a drier and hotter climate.
- Fertilizing: once a week, and it’s better with high phosphorus fertilizer.
- Cut-and-come-again: Choose a strong stem with an open flower and cut just above the new buds. It will grow back again throughout the season, and you can put the colorful flowers in a vase to enjoy for 7 to 12 days.
Three Time Frames To Plant Zinnias
Early To Mid-Spring
It’s the time when you can plant zinnia seeds in peat pots indoors or on a sunny window. You should do it four to six weeks before the last spring frost hits.
Starting too early can make the plants rootbound and have poor transplantation.
This method requires 16 hours of using grow light every day, bottom water seedlings, and fertilizing half-strong fish emulsion fertilizer every three weeks.
Slowly acclimatizing the plants to outside conditions for one week before officially moving them outdoors.
Late Spring
At this moment, you can transplant zinnia seedlings or directly plant the seed.
Time of direct sowing is important since if you do it too early, even the healthy plants can’t fight their two biggest enemies: cold temperature and the danger of frost.
Cold and moist soil will make the seeds rotten. So, you should sow the seeds when the last spring frost passes, and the wet soil temperature is around 21°C or 70°F.
How fast do zinnias grow after sowing? For most variants, it’s a quick method that takes around 70 days from germination of zinnia seed to bloom time.
Late Spring Through Early Summer
It’s the period for a succession of seedlings or planting seeds.
Since zinnias are ‘cut and come again’ flowers, meaning after the first month of blossoming, the new buds will grow slowly, and fewer flowers will appear.
Transplanting seedlings or direct seeding are two methods for succession planting. It can be difficult to transplant seedlings in the middle of summer as the young plants may not be available to purchase.
Instead of that, you can use grow lights to start with some pots inside the house.
If you decide to sow at the beginning of spring, do it indoors for four to six weeks before moving the young plants outdoors.
The Bottom Lines
When does Zinnia bloom? Now, the answer is clear. You can enjoy this gorgeous flower for several months, typically from summer to autumn.
Yet, some types of zinnias can start blooming earlier at the end of spring.It’s a couple of months from zinnia seed to bloom time, and the plant dies back once the first frost arrives in October.
Follow my instructions above; you can prolong the lifespan of your zinnias and enjoy your beautiful blooms.
