Zinnia and sunflower germination need help fast.

I tilled two spots one for the zinnias and one for the sunflowers.One is about 150' long the other 120' or so.Do I just plant them or should I try to start the sunflowers in paper towels then plant?Do I just plant the zinnias and wait? Do they both like horse manure?Should I till it in before I plant them.I know sunflowers have to be heavy feeders since they get so big.I have about 15 varieties. My zinnias are mixed sent to me in a trade she sent at least 3000.Will that be enough for 120' row?Thanks,Jody

I have grown both zinnia and sunflowers from seed stuck right in crummy soil and some shade back at my rowhouse. Easy as pie. Now, I am having a little problem with my sunflowers here where I have a "real yard", b/c some birds like to pluck them out when they are just popping up, so have had to plant extras!

For me both do better if just planted directly in the garden....have had very little success with transplanting seedlings of either.
Good luck with yours
Oh and for birds just hang a couple old scratched CDs in the area....the sunlight reflecting off of them helps keeps birds away (except crows they're afraid of nothing).

edited for fat finger typos :-)

This message was edited May 26, 2005 12:22 PM

Hi Jody,

If you really want to achieve the best sunflowers, do this - you will see how fast, strong and big they grow.

Get a 16 oz. plastic cup like the ones that are disposable, pointed trowel, a bag of composted manure, 2 small buckets, fill one with some composted manure. Take seeds along.

Dig with a trowel a hole as big as the 16 oz. cup (fit cup into hole to make sure), in the same kind of funnel shape it is. Put that soil into the empty bucket. Pack hole (Tightly) 3/4 full with the composted manure; place seed in and cover with more composted manure in a mounding way, tap on top but not too hard or packed. Water with about 1 quart of water.

You will see how fast they pop out and start growing strongly.

~* Robin

I also reiterate that Zinnias are almost impossible to transplant. Much best sow them in situ. Also I think that Naturewalker's method would be good for zinnias. Basically, it gives the newly germinated seedlings an easy time of it.

Also important with both sunflowers and zinnias at seedling stage is to be vigilant against slugs and snails. House bricks with slug pellets under them placed at about three per square yard should keep the little blighters at bay...

Hmmm... I just transplanted a ton of Zinnias because although the grew like gangbusters the first time the second year they didn't come up well. So I grew them in flats and just transplanted them on a cloudy, cool day a couple days ago. They were doing great when I left yesterday... I hope they are still okay when I get home this Friday! BF has instructions to water my newly planted beds every day while I am gone.

I usually sow zinnias in a flat then transplant them just as they are beginning to get true leaves. (Don't let them get tall) Water well, and they will grow.

There are two advantages.
1. The seeds sprout rapidly on top of the freezer where it is warm.
2. Gives me time to clear out the flower bed where they get transplanted.

Thanks everyone,they are now planted in the ground.
I have horses so manure is not a problem.lol.Jody

Mine actually got leggy because the sun just wouldn't come out. I buried them to about 1/2 inch below the first set of leaves, and they seem to be doing great. Of course, it has only been 4 days, but I have high hopes...

That's a new twist Robin - think I'll do that in unimproved ground along the neighbors fence.Thanks.

This will be the first time in 5 years that I've intentionally planted sunflowers. I have volunteers courtesy of the yellow finches in the fall. Seedlings are easy to identify and I just leave a couple here and there where they pop up in the bed gutters. Huge multi-stemmed/flowered yellows. This winter I actually ordered some different varieties and now don't know where to put them. When I grow them in new or improved beds I end up having to stake them because the wind catches them like a sail. I've planted zinnia in ground and started in seed flats both and they it worked either way.