The Birdhouse Lady
Drama Llama
Moose. It's what's for dinner.
Posts: 7,233
Location: Alaska -The Last Frontier
Jun 30, 2014 17:15:19 GMT
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Post by The Birdhouse Lady on Apr 9, 2021 22:39:10 GMT
Anyone do this successfully?? Last year with great success I started a ton of nasturtiums. This year i decided to branch out and I have started zinnias and cosmos along with some other things. I am thinking that the zinnas and cosmos are really leggy. Is this what they are suppose to look like or did I screw up and they are leggy because they are light searching? Dang, I cant add a picture because it says our forum is out of space.  ETA...I have started them inside in cell packs. They are about 2 inches tall with one little set of leaves. We still have at least a foot of snow on the ground.  |
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Post by katiescarlett on Apr 9, 2021 22:40:51 GMT
I did Zinnas last year and they were beautiful June - September. Some got a little leggy but I kept the dead blooms cut off and they bloomed beautifully all season. I'm planting several beds of them from seed this year.
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Post by papersilly on Apr 9, 2021 23:01:27 GMT
I love zinnias but zinnia seeds hate me. Each year I plant them and each year they don't grow. I wind up buying packs and planting them. When will I learn? Lol
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Post by ~summer~ on Apr 9, 2021 23:26:25 GMT
I usually do sunflowers from seed bc they are so easy and grow so fast. This year I am also growing zinnia from seed - they don’t seem to be doing much yet though....
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Post by mnmloveli on Apr 9, 2021 23:37:05 GMT
The past two years, we’ve started Sunflowers from seeds in pots. They were a total success. We plan to do it again this year. 🌻
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Post by NicL on Apr 9, 2021 23:46:50 GMT
I grew Zinnias, Cosmos, Sweet Peas, Sweet William and Snap Dragons successfully. You can save your leggy plants. Have a look at the instagram of Swan Cottage Flowers. Zoe is a qualified horticulturist and has loads of free info there. She also does grow-alongs so you can do it in real time along with her. She is in the UK so it may differ slightly but at least you're in the same season.
If you look in her highlights there is a lot of info on how to pinch out the plants and save leggy plants as well as lots of other tips
HTH
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Post by lisae on Apr 10, 2021 1:26:10 GMT
We had great success 20 years ago with zinnias and they reseed themselves every year. We just planted them outside and they took off. I've had zero success ever starting anything in pots indoors.
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Post by chaosisapony on Apr 10, 2021 6:51:24 GMT
I have done zinnias, sunflowers and poppies from seed. I always plant them directly outside when the time is right, I don't start them inside. The little seed starter things are cool but without a special grow light over the top my seedling are too leggy and don't make it.
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peaname
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,390 
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Post by peaname on Apr 10, 2021 10:11:22 GMT
I think you need a grow light for indoor starts. One year I was eating David’s sunflower seeds in May and I popped a couple in the ground outside and by August we had gorgeous sunflowers taller than me!
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Post by nlwilkins on Apr 10, 2021 10:19:47 GMT
I used to grow zinnias from seeds every year in a huge tub outside our front door. I found they needed lots of sun and really did not take off until it got pretty warm. Unlike many other flowers they loved the heat and sun. All I did was throw the seeds in the dirt and water them.
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Post by librarylady on Apr 10, 2021 14:02:49 GMT
I see that you are in a northern climate, so are stuck with starting seeds inside or purchasing seedlings.
I have never had good success with starting seeds inside--as you mention, the plants get leggy.
If I were you, I'd just purchase seedlings.
Zinnias are a hot weather loving plant. I wait until it is hot and then plant my seeds outside. For the zinnias, they reseed themselves in the bed each year. I have some that are already about 4 inches tall. I will refresh that bed with
some new seeds each year to keep the cycle going.
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