Zinnia

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keanl Orland Park, IL(Zone 5b) Mar 30, 2013

I am able to grow terrific zinnias. However, the blooms are big and beautiful while the leaves turn brown and look terrible. I have started several inside this year and they are blooming. Again the leaves are dying off. This does not affect the blooms, but it looks bad. Any ideas?

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) Mar 31, 2013

Perhaps some disease or pest on the leaves?
Zinnias can get powdery mildew, spider mites and other things. While the early symptoms of these are not instant brown leaves, ultimately the plant will recycle the nutrients in those leaves that are badly affected, and so the leaves will turn brown.

Post #9467500
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keanl Orland Park, IL(Zone 5b) Mar 31, 2013

My current plants are in my home and have never been outside. They have just started blooming and the leaves are already browning. I have over 400 hundred plants started and only the zinnias are browning. My plants I had outside last summer did the same thing. There are no mites or powdery mildew present.

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themoonhowl Prairieville, LA(Zone 9a) Mar 31, 2013

There are a number of diseases that crop up in zinnias....here is some info for you

http://ipm.illinois.edu/diseases/rpds/655.pdf


http://www.ct.gov/caes/cwp/view.asp?a=2823&q=378014

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keanl Orland Park, IL(Zone 5b) Apr 01, 2013

Thank you!

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themoonhowl Prairieville, LA(Zone 9a) Apr 01, 2013

You are most welcome...hope it is of use to you.

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ech77 Stanhope, NJ Apr 01, 2013

Zinnia generally go though two phases, first is the vegetative growth, where it concentrates all its energy on producing leaves, then a blooming phase where it concentrates all its energy to flower. What the problem may be is that since your blooms are so large the plant is not absorbing enough nutrients from its roots to support them. So what the plant does to compensate is take energy from the lower leaves of the plant that do not get a lot of sunlight and uses it for flowering. You may just need larger pots. A good organic fertilizer may help as well.

My Garden pics : http://aegarden.blogspot.com/

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keanl Orland Park, IL(Zone 5b) Apr 08, 2013

I have repotted them and kicked up the fertilizer and they are improving. Thank you.

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