what to plant with zinnias

Choosing Types of Zinnias They look especially beautiful when you sprinkle your seeds among a mix of cut flowers such as dahlias, marigolds, asters, and petunias. Want tall, back-of-the-border plants with huge blooms like a dahlia?

What do zinnias repel?

Zinnias help lure predator bugs into a fall garden where they eat destructive pests. Plant zinnias near cauliflower to attract ladybugs, which eat many of the insects that attack cauliflower. Nasturtium are bright and cherry flowers that also serve a purpose. They can repel beetles as well as aphids and squash bugs.

What do zinnia flowers attract?

Zinnia flowers are a must-plant annual for the butterfly garden and a favorite flower of monarchs, swallowtails, and those hyper-winged hummingbirds. However, not all zinnias are attractive to butterflies: Double-bloom varieties make if difficult to access nectar so most butterflies won't even bother.

How close together can you plant zinnias?

Large varieties should be spaced 12 inches apart and smaller varieties 6 inches apart. * Plant zinnia seeds in small containers and then transplant or put the seeds directly in the ground. To plant in containers, evenly space about six seeds in a 4-inch pot.

Do zinnias come back every year?

Zinnias are annuals, so they'll grow for one season and produce seeds, but the original plant will not come back in subsequent years. They have bright, solitary, daisy-like flowerheads on a single, erect stem, which makes them great for use as a cutting flower or as food for butterflies.

Do zinnias attract hummingbirds?

Zinnia are among the easiest of all annual flowers to grow, with bright bloom colors that make them a favorite of hummingbirds and other pollinators. ... After the hummingbirds have had their fill of the nectar, seeds will develop as the flowers mature, attracting finches and other seed-loving birds.

What insects do zinnias attract?

Nectar-rich zinnias are wonderful pollinators and will attract bees during their growing season, from May until October. They also attract ladybugs, Japanese Beetles, hummingbirds and wasps.

Do zinnias attract ants?

They tend to cluster on tender, new growth on zinnia stems and on the undersides of young leaves. ... Sometimes ants are visible, crawling along plant stems and foliage, attracted by the presence of the sticky honeydew secreted by aphids as they feed.

Do zinnias keep bugs away?

It helps keep beetles off asparagus. It also deters Mexican bean beetles and the beetles that eat melon plants. ... Planting a zinnia near cauliflower will draw lady bugs, which in turn eat most of the pests that attack cauliflower.

Do zinnias have medicinal properties?

Zinnia flowers and leaves are used by many southwestern tribes as medicinal and ritual herbs. The zinnia is considered one of the sacred Life Medicines of the Navajo tribe.

What month do you plant zinnia seeds?

Planting: Plant zinnias in spring after all danger of frost has passed, around the same time you'd plant tomatoes. Zinnias are easy to grow directly-seeded into the garden. For sooner blooms, start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date.

How do you keep zinnias from blooming?

It's time to cut! Cut deeply on the plant to get a long, strong stem. Remove the foliage and don't be afraid to cut off side shoots on the main stem you just harvested. Zinnias are a “cut and come again” flower, so when you cut the plant “hard,” it responds by sending out even more long, strong stems all season long.

Do zinnias reseed themselves?

Zinnias (Zinnia spp.) reseed easily, creating a cut-and-come-again garden each summer. ... Zinnia haageana "Persian Carpet" and Zinnia elegans "State Fair" and "Liliput" are a few of the heirloom varieties that grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 1 through 10 and reseed each year.

Should you soak zinnia seeds before planting?

Seeds can be planted indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost and the seedlings can be easily transplanted into your outdoor garden later on. Remember that germination is less successful in cold soil. Moreover, it is best to soak dried seeds in water for 4-6 hours before planting.

Do zinnias spread?

Zinnias are annuals, meaning that they go from seed to flower to seed quickly. ... Creeping or spreading Zinnia angustifolia, such as the Crystal Series, are a revelation for the front of the border, raised beds, containers, and even ground covers.

Are zinnias good in pots?

Zinnias are colorful additions to any flower garden, they're great for cutting, they are easy to grow and start from seed, so they make a great choice for container gardening.

Should you pinch zinnias?

Sweet peas will branch into a much fuller plant with pinching. When you are happy with your plants' shape, stop pinching and let them grow. Zinnias and cosmos are especially generous bloomers if pinched. Pinch early to promote branching, then “pinch” by cutting flowers.

What is the best hanging plant to attract hummingbirds?

The most natural way to satisfy hummingbirds' thirst for nectar is to grow flowers they love. Three hummingbird favorites — fuchsias, geraniums and mini-petunias — thrive when planted together in hanging baskets.

What time of day do hummingbirds come to feeders?

A hummingbird's favorite time of day to visit a feeder and feed on your nectar is usually dawn and dusk, or early in the morning and late in the afternoon before sunset.

Will slugs eat zinnias?

Unlike plant diseases and many insect pests, slugs are not host-specific and have a very diverse diet from asters to zinnias, with hostas being one of their favorites. ... Slugs are easy to identify, but not always easy to find.

What eats holes in zinnia leaves?

Slugs. With their soft, moist-looking bodies, slugs resemble snails without shells. They often leave shiny, silvery trails as they move. In spring and summer, they feed at night and chew ragged holes across the veins of the leaves of zinnias.