Zinnias are popular summer flowers that come from South America. Zinnias are annuals and not hardy. Overwintering and perennial culture succeed with a little effort.
In a nutshell
- Consistently remove faded flowers
- relocate to the winter quarters at a temperature of 15 °C
- Location in winter must be bright and frost-free
- Keep root ball constantly moist
- check for aphids and spider mites
Table of contents
- Remove faded inflorescences
- Digging up in the fall
- winter quarters
- care in winter
- pests
- Diseases
- frequently asked Questions
Remove faded inflorescences
So zinnias (Zinna) grow for several years, they must not reach seed maturity. As soon as seeds form, the plant has reached its goal of reproduction and dies. Therefore, it is important that you consistently remove faded flowers. Don't wait too long before removing them, as this means that hardly any new flowers form and the plant puts its energy into seed ripening.
Tip: Always cut shoots close to the ground. This encourages the formation of new, strong shoots with large flowers.
Digging up in the fall
In order for the non-hardy zinnia to survive the winter indoors, you must relocate them in good time if they were planted directly in the bed. If the battlements are already in the pot, this step is not necessary.
Instructions for digging:
- Dig out as soon as the temperatures drop to approx. 15°C drop
- Remove inflorescences and seeds
- remove dead leaves
- Lift out the plant generously
- Fill the pot with a 2 cm thick drainage layer made of lava granules
- something commercial potting soil fill in
- Place the zinnia in the middle
- fill up with soil
winter quarters
The winter quarters for the zinnia should be bright and frost-free. It needs at least 15 °C in winter. If the temperatures fall below this, it usually does not survive. You should therefore also avoid drafts, as this can damage the plants.
Tip: Due to its preference for warmth, the zinnia can be overwintered in the living room, for example. However, avoid a location directly above the heater, as the zinnia does not like air that is too dry.
care in winter
The maintenance effort in winter is low. Just make sure that the root ball is always slightly moist. The zinnias should never dry out completely.
Tip: Use a moisture meter so that you don't overlook watering during the warm winter temperatures. This is available for indoor plants for little money, also with a digital display and warning tone if the substrate becomes too dry.
pests
In the winter quarters, zinnias are not spared from diseases and pests. The main pests include aphids and spider mites. Both can be treated with simple home remedies.
Measures against aphids:
- shower off if infestation is weak
- If infested severely, spray with lavender decoction
You make the brew by boiling lavender and letting it steep overnight. The next day, filter the brew and spray the plants with it.
Identifying features of spider mite infestation:
Spider mites are often recognized late, especially since they hide well.
- fine webs on the underside of the leaves
- selective discoloration due to suction damage
- Leaves dry up and die
Spider mites are not uncommon in warm winter quarters with low humidity. You can get rid of the pests simply by using the increase humidity. Spray the zinnias regularly with room temperature water.
Diseases
While some pests can cause problems for zinnias in winter quarters, diseases are rather rare. The only problem is rotting of the roots when waterlogging has formed. Therefore, only water moderately so that the root ball remains moist. If you have accidentally watered too much water, check after approx. 60 minutes to see if water has collected in the coaster and pour it out.
frequently asked Questions
No, zinnias must not be fertilized in winter. Fertilization could encourage the formation of new shoots too early. Due to too few hours of sunshine, these would only grow poorly or die off quickly. This costs the plant unnecessary energy and weakens it over the long term.
As soon as the temperatures are constantly at at least 15 °C and there is no longer any danger of night frost, the zinnias can be kept outdoors again. Get the plants used to outdoors about a week beforehand by placing them in partial shade for the first few days of the day and then in the sun for a while. This allows the zinnia to develop protective substances against UV radiation and the leaves are not damaged by the move to the open ground.
Despite good care, the chances of surviving zinnias are rather low. You can easily re-grow the plants next year by sowing. If you start doing this in mid to late April, you will already have beautiful zinnias to plant out when the temperatures are right. Alternatively, you can plant the zinnias directly from May sow outdoors.