That's right.
I walked down the freshly planted bed and ripped the tiny little delicate flowers off of my freshly transplanted zinnia plants.
All of those beautiful first blooms, gone.
Why did I do it? I'll discuss that below.
Just know that it felt so incredibly wrong to remove them and toss them!
Removing Zinnia Blooms: Yes, It Was Necessary!
Unfortunately, my zinnia seedlings spent entirely too much time in their seedling flat. There are always a million things to do, and unfortunately, that means a lot of things get put on the back burner. It's already well into June, and I still don't have all of my tomato starts planted. That's just how it goes around here!
Anyways, those tiny little plants were flowering, despite being 3-6" tall. Not ideal if you're looking for cut flowers, especially if you want the plant to recover from forming buds at that size in the first place.
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| A summer harvest of blackberries, garden fresh squash, a cactus zinnia, Black-Eyed Susan wildflowers, and Queen Anne's Lace wildflowers. |
Why Did I Remove the Flowers and Buds?
Since the zinnias were in the tray for so long, they decided to start blooming. The plants look absolutely pitiful right now. They should not be blooming, and they absolutely cannot handle seed production at this size.
Off with their heads! Lots and lots of buds came off- and I'll have to continue doing so until the plants begin to grow larger and bush out. Even if I left the flowers to bloom, they're just tiny little things. Nothing spectacular (even though many of them are already so pretty, even as single blooms.)
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| Ice Queen Zinnias; A stunning bicolored zinnia that I fell in love with this year. |
Growing Flowers and Seeds Requires Lots of Energy
"If the plants were small and unable to handle flower or seed production, then why are they flowering?"
As you know, flowering and going to seed is how zinnias reproduce. No, they did not have ideal conditions for flowering and growing- so why did they do it? It's a necessity. They don't have the energy to produce large flowers, so the flowers were very small as you see in the first photo. This is a sign that your plants cannot meet the energy demands of flowering. They might be lacking nutrients, root space, or sunlight. Some zinnias are naturally small and produce smaller flowers- but not these. This was a problem that arose from nutrient and space insufficiencies.
It is unlikely that these flowers would have produced viable seeds; and if they did, there might only be one or two. However, the plant is in a dire situation. It absolutely must try to reproduce, even if that process fails, before the plant succumbs to its inhospitable environment.
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| Close up photo of a zinnia blooming. |
What Happens to My Zinnias Now?
I will continue to monitor them, pinching blooms and stems as necessary. The zinnias are already getting cozy in their new homes, and I expect to see phenomenal growth over the next two weeks. They got a nice little boost with fertilizer and have been experiencing some stormy weather and lots of rain. All of these things will help them to take off in growth.
I may do some deep pinching to encourage more vigorous growth in a week or two, helping the plants to really reach their full potential. It depends on each individual plant's appearance and progress at that time.
I'm sure we'll be seeing some lovely blooms within a month. Some of the colors on these tiny buds are very impressive, so I have high hopes for this big flower patch! I'm very excited to see how everything turns out!
We already have stunning Ice Queen Zinnias blooming, and I'm absolutely blown away by those blooms. If you have not grown that variety and enjoy growing zinnias, I highly recommend them.
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| These candy cane mixed zinnias are absolutely jaw dropping. |
Why So Many Zinnias? The End Goal...
I decided to lean heavily into flowers this year, especially cut flowers. I love having bouquets available for the home at all times; they add so much cheer and brightness to the home. I love to keep them on my table, kitchen island, counters, anywhere and everywhere, really! So, first and foremost, the goal is to enjoy them to the fullest.
Secondly, I want to expand my knowledge this year, and grow several flowers I've never successfully grown before, or improve my knowledge with varieties that I don't have as much experience with. When it comes to gardening, I love to learn or experience something new.
Third, I want to learn about the genetics behind zinnia breeding. I would love to begin trying my hand at isolating some of the varieties I have growing to save seed from them, but I'd also like to make some crosses to grow out for myself.
Fourth, I want to grow out my seed collection. I'd love to expand further, and the first step is to grow out what I have, and trade those for other varieties. This will require isolation, however.
Lastly, I'd love to have a small flower farm eventually. Nothing massive; just a nice little flower farm that satisfies my desire to grow all of the pretty things, while helping me to afford the expenses and labor associated with growing so many plants.
Pinch those zinnias, y'all! Even if you don't have small blooms, pinching them encourages them to branch out more. This will yield you more stems for cutting, and a sturdier plant. It's really hard to start doing it; but once you see the results, you'll know you made the right choice by pinching them back.
