Companion FlowersAsteraceae
Zinnias.
Pollinator magnet
At a glance
The spec sheet.
- Indoor start
- Apr 15 (optional — direct sow works)
- Direct sow / out
- May 15
- Germ
- 5–10 days
- Days to harvest
- 60–75 to bloom
- Spacing
- 10"
- Depth
- ¼"
- Square-foot
- 4 per square
- Qty target
- One row of 20 = weekly bouquets all summer.
Plant
Direct sow after last frost. Zinnias are the easiest cut flowers — full sun, moderate water. Benary's Giants are the workhorse cut variety.
Care
Pinch first bloom for bushier plants and longer stems. Deadhead constantly. Watch for powdery mildew — good airflow helps.
Harvest
Cut when the stem is stiff below the bloom (the 'wiggle test'). Cut stage: fully open. Vase life 5–7 days.
Save seed from open-pollinated varieties. Cutting is preserving — bouquets weekly.
Companion planting
What zinnias likes, and doesn’t.
Good neighbors
- Beans
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Raspberries
- Vegetable beds needing pollination
- Nothing significant
Goldfinches love the seed heads in September — leave the last blooms for the birds.
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