Asked on Jun 24, 2015
What is wrong with these zinnias
by
Charlotte F
+7
This is the first time I have planted a cutting flower garden. I am in planting zone 8b. Why are these zinnias not glossy. Some have a deep dark places (seeds) between the upper petals and the bottom petals of the flower. Many of my flowers are not producing as I had wished. Any help?
these are some of the plants.
10 answers
-
In the past I grew zinnias from seed and they were great. This year I bought blooming plant and they did nothing. Original blooms died and no new growth. I read that zinnias do not like to be transplanted so maybe seed is the answer.
Joy Johnson
on Jun 25, 2015
-
I have found transplanting zinnias is not very successful. I always grow from seed but sometimes one particular color in a mix does not grow true to form - like what yours looks like. I always assumed the seed was not as "pure". Maybe you got a bad batch of seeds? They love full sun and lots of heat. And keep cutting the flowers for rebloom.
Pm*
on Jun 25, 2015
-
Planting from seed will give you some plants with what i call mutated flowers, no idea why but I think its the plant not a disease.
Lagree Wyndham
on Jun 25, 2015
-
Charlotte, did you plant a variety of colors? Are these the only ones affected? Can we see a picture of the leaves? If you just have a few mixed in that look like this I think it would be best to rip the plants out just in case it is a disease. I grow probably hundreds of zinnias from seed a year all over my garden in zone 7 and I do occasionally get some weird looking plants! I pull them out to make room for the others or put a few more seeds in.
Katherine
on Jun 25, 2015
-
I presume you used a commercial seed and not something a friend collected from their own plants. These zinnias look like the offspring of a hybrid and those never look like the original plant. If you used commercial seed, what did the picture of the plants look like? If they weren't like these, send a picture of these to the seed company and complain about the weird plants their seeds produced. If the seed company is trying to breed a new variety or color they might have some mutations occurring if they haven't field tested them enough.
Bonny McDaniel
on Jun 25, 2015
-
I just reread your posting and I don't know what you mean by 'glossy'. I've never seen a glossy (shiny?) zinnia...they usually have a rather mat look to their color.
Bonny McDaniel
on Jun 25, 2015
-
I would love to know what kind of a zinnia yours is. I don't recognize it. I am used to a z. that looks much different.
Allison
on Jun 26, 2015
-
I believe that Miss Charlotte has a single variety of zinnia. Zinnias come in all sizes and colors! Allison, your lovely variety is a double zinnia. Don't the doubles look like dahlias? I read somewhere that they are related.
Katherine
on Jun 28, 2015
-
thank You! I don't think I have ever seen the zinnias featured here. it's great to learn new things.
Allison
on Jun 28, 2015
-
The Zinnias in your picture, Charlotte, appear to be cactus flowering zinnias. They happen to my favorite out of all the zinnia types. They are not tight or double flowering like many zinnias but are still beautiful in my mind.
Erin Maloney
on Jun 29, 2015
Sign Up to Answer
