Starting Zinnias Indoors

I have seen that for our area, zinnia plants should not be transplanted until the weather warms up. I was wondering if there was anyone in So California who starts their zinnias indoors? If so, do you start them indoors in the middle of January or do you wait until February?

Thanks,

Chuck

I would say after last frost...

Chuck, I wouldn't start them until early spring. They really need the heat of the summer to grow and if they come up to early they will be spindly and flop over on you.

I have started a few indoors, but the ones that grow the best are sown in situ, outside.

Donna

Donna and Rusty are right. Zinnias won't do much until the weather really warms up. They need the heat. Otherwise, they just sort of sit there and don't do much.

I suppose if you had a greenhouse you could get them to bloom earlier.

Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it. I wasn't planning on sowing the zinnias to get them to bloom earlier but instead so I could get the colors I wanted and not be at the mercy of the nurseries. I have the whole indoor seed starting kit with gro-lites for the first time this year. Last year I used a warm window and the only plants to come out okay were hyssops, giant yellow zinnias and some nasturtiums. I was thinking about planting the zinnias the beginning of February. My question is if I did start the zinnias then, would they be ready to plant the first week of April? I know that this is the real start of spring (warming up) in my area.

I have seeds for zinnias that are large, thumbelina and intermediate. Different colors, too!!

The problem of sowing directly outdoors is if a plant ends up in a place where I don't want it, how can I transplant it? Will it live through the transplanting? I have tried sowing outdoors with disastrous results all except once. A couple of years back, I purchased over $70 in heirloom seeds. Nothing came up...I mean nothing. Another time I was trying to get a chives border on one of my flower beds. I planted four hundred chives seeds with the intention of getting 100 chive plants. Once again....nothing. Mostly I have planted transplants in almost everything except for salad greens(Chinese cabbage, mustard greens, etc) and sunflowers. Maybe this will change this Spring as I am enrolled in Plant Biology at the local community college and they have a section on flower plant sowing.

Thanks, everyone,

Chuck

Re: transplanting...it depends on what it is, how big, etc. I transplant "volunteer" annual seedlings all the time...it's pretty easy to do as long as you get a good sized root ball. Generally, I just dig straight down along the outer edges of the plant and about three or four inches deep, and haven't had a problem.

If you are having trouble with seeds that you sow right in the ground, there could be several reasons why it isn't working. Your soil may be too hard for them to germinate in, for starters...

Different seeds require different conditions to sprout. Some need darkness, some need full sun, some need chill, some don't. The requirements are as varied as there are plants. Some seeds don't like to be covered, some do.

I suspect your problem is your ground soil, based on what you wrote.

When I start annual seeds, I generally make my own, (or purchase) "seed starting soil"...depending on what I'm trying to grow and how much, etc. Then, I use left over 6 packs from things I have bought in the past. I like to save them for just that purpose.

OR, you can buy seed starting trays, peat pots (wherein you plant the entire "pot" once the plants are large enough) or any other variety of methods.

The PlantFiles here is a very good source for seeing how to propogate various plants from seed.

Starting plants from seeds can be a trial and error situation (as you know ! ) so don't be discouraged. Researching the particular plant and it's propogation requirements, either on DG or the web in general, is a good way to find "specifics" for the individual plant you are trying to grow.

I've found with some plants, it's cheaper in the long run to buy 6 packs at nurseries than hassle with buying all kinds of soils, containers, etc. etc. etc.

also, ck. the annuals forum...a few months ago a member in Maine started a long thread about growing Zinnias...it's pretty informative !