How To Grow Zinnias

This page is how to grow zinnias for the home gardener. Zinnias will make your garden pop with color. There are so many styles and colors to choose from. They really attract the pollinators. Over the years that we have been here growing zinnias, I have seen countless bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds all over them. They also make a lovely cut flower that you can display in a vase on your table.

Butterflies love zinnias!

How To Grow Zinnias - 6/9-6/15/2025

Hey there, fellow gardener! Have you ever thought about adding a splash of vibrant color to your garden while attracting a buzzing crowd of pollinators? Zinnias are your answer! As I said above, these easy-to-grow beauties are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds. Plus, they thrive in the Texas heat, making them a perfect choice for gardens across the US. Let's dive into how to grow zinnias and bring your garden to life!

Why zinnias, you ask? Well, they're unlike other flowers in a few key ways. First, they're incredibly prolific. The more you cut them, the more they bloom! It's like a floral magic trick. Second, they come in a rainbow of colors and a variety of sizes, from petite button-like blooms to giant dahlia-like showstoppers. And third, they're super easy to grow, even for beginners.

Now, you might be wondering, should I start from seed or buy pre-grown plants? Both work great, but starting from seed is incredibly rewarding and gives you a wider selection of varieties. Plus, it's more economical, especially if you want a lot of zinnias.

So, let's get down to the nitty-gritty: how to grow zinnias. It's a simple process, and I'm here to guide you every step of the way.

How To Grow Zinnias - Sowing The Seeds

Zinnias growing in front of our Farm Store

You can find our heirloom zinnia seeds here.

Zinnias love sunshine, so choose a spot in your garden that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. They're not too picky about soil, but good drainage is key. If you live in a super hot climate like I do, a little bit of shade can be good.

You can sow zinnia seeds directly into the ground after the last frost, or start them indoors about four to six weeks before the last expected frost. If starting indoors, use seed trays or small pots filled with a good seed-starting mix. Me? I just direct sow them in the garden and they grow like magic.

Sow the seeds about ¼ inch deep and keep the soil moist but not soggy. Zinnias usually germinate within four to seven days.

How To Grow Zinnias -Germination Time

Zinnias love the heat.

As mentioned, zinnia seeds are quick to sprout. Keep an eye on your seeds, and you'll see tiny seedlings emerge within a week. It's always exciting to witness the beginning of a zinnia's life cycle!

How To Grow Zinnias - Soil Requirements

Zinnias aren't too fussy about soil, but they prefer well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter. Amending your soil with compost or aged manure can give your zinnias a boost.

How To Grow Zinnias - Watering Wisdom

Look at this beautiful magenta zinnia!

Water your zinnias regularly, especially during dry spells. Aim for about an inch of water per week, including rainfall. Water deeply at the base of the plant to encourage strong root growth.

How To Grow Zinnias - When To Bid Farewell

This is a gorgeous shade of purple.

Zinnias are annuals, meaning they complete their life cycle in one growing season. Once the first frost hits, your zinnias will start to decline. You can pull them up at this point and add them to your compost pile.

How To Grow Zinnias - Seed Saving Secrets

Several varieties of purple zinnias in with the vegetable garden.

Want to save seeds for next year? It's easy! Let some of your zinnia flowers go to seed. Once the flower heads are dry and brown, you can collect the seeds. Store them in a cool, dry place until you're ready to plant them again.

How To Grow Zinnias - The Art Of Cutting Zinnias

Here are some zinnias I cut and put in a vase.

Cutting zinnias is a joy! Not only does it encourage more blooms, but it also brings the beauty of your garden indoors. Cut the stems at an angle, preferably in the morning when the flowers are freshest.

How To Grow Zinnias - A Deeper Look

This was the first zinnia of the 2025 spring season.

Now, let's delve deeper into each of these steps. Learning how to grow zinnias is a rewarding experience, and I'm here to make it as easy as possible for you.

More on Sowing: When you're learning how to grow zinnias, sowing the seeds correctly is the first step to success. Remember, zinnias love sunshine!

More on Germination: Watching those tiny zinnia seedlings emerge is a magical moment. Patience is key during this stage.

More on Soil: Providing the right soil is crucial for healthy zinnias. Think of it as giving them a good foundation.

These are some of our Queeny zinnias.

More on Watering: Watering is essential, especially in the Texas heat. Keep those zinnias hydrated! But, do not overwater.

More on Pulling Up: Saying goodbye to your zinnias after the first frost can be bittersweet, but remember, they'll be back next year!

More on Seed Saving: Saving zinnia seeds is a great way to continue enjoying these beautiful flowers year after year.

More on Cutting: Cutting zinnias is a win-win: you get to enjoy beautiful bouquets, and your plants produce even more blooms!

So, are you ready to transform your garden into a pollinator paradise? Growing zinnias is a simple yet rewarding way to do just that.

They are all zinnias in yellow, red, and orange shades.

Remember, learning how to grow zinnias is all about providing sunshine, good drainage, and regular watering. With a little care, you'll have a vibrant display of zinnias that will attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your garden.

Zinnias in the garden are a true delight. Their cheerful blooms bring a touch of magic to any outdoor space.

Learning how to take care of zinnias is a worthwhile endeavor. These low-maintenance beauties will reward you with an abundance of colorful flowers.

How to grow zinnias is a question many gardeners ask, and the answer is simple: provide sunshine, good drainage, and regular watering.

Zinnias are a fantastic addition to any garden. Their vibrant colors and easy care make them a favorite among gardeners.

Thinking about how to grow zinnias? Give it a try! You won't regret adding these beauties to your garden.

The pinks and purples are my favorites.

Zinnias in the garden are a surefire way to attract pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds will flock to their colorful blooms.

How to take care of zinnias? Just remember the basics: sunshine, water, and good drainage.

How to grow zinnias is a skill every gardener should learn. It's a simple process with rewarding results.

Zinnias in the garden are a symbol of summer. Their cheerful blooms brighten up any outdoor space.

Learning how to grow zinnias is a fun and educational experience. It's a great way to connect with nature and beautify your surroundings.

Zinnias are a testament to the beauty of simplicity. Their vibrant colors and easy care make them a joy to grow.

How to take care of zinnias is a question with a straightforward answer: provide the basics and watch them thrive.

How to grow zinnias: Start with seeds or pre-grown plants, provide sunshine and water, and enjoy the colorful blooms!

Here is a white zinnia called Polar Bear.

Zinnias in the garden are a gift that keeps on giving. The more you cut them, the more they bloom!

Learning how to grow zinnias is an investment in the beauty of your garden. These cheerful flowers will bring joy for years to come.

Zinnias are a reminder that even the simplest things can bring immense beauty. Their vibrant colors and easy care make them a treasure in any garden.

How to take care of zinnias is a lesson in the rewards of simple care. With a little attention, these flowers will flourish.

How to grow zinnias is a question that deserves a simple answer: plant them, water them, and watch them grow!

Zinnias in the garden are a symbol of abundance. Their prolific blooms bring a sense of fullness and joy.

Learning how to grow zinnias is a step towards creating a vibrant and thriving garden. These flowers are a magnet for pollinators and a delight for the eyes.

Beautiful peppermint zinnia mix

Zinnias are a celebration of color. Their vibrant hues bring a touch of artistry to any garden.

How to take care of zinnias is a lesson in the power of observation. Pay attention to their needs, and they will reward you with beauty.

How to grow zinnias is a question that leads to a fulfilling journey. From seed to bloom, the process is a testament to the wonders of nature.

Zinnias in the garden are a source of inspiration. Their resilience and beauty remind us of the power of nature.

Learning how to grow zinnias is an invitation to connect with the natural world. These flowers bring a sense of peace and tranquility to any garden.

So, there you have it! Everything you need to know about how to grow zinnias. Get ready to enjoy a vibrant and buzzing garden filled with these beautiful blooms!

This is a zinnia bud.

Monday, June 9, 2025

Some of my zinnias growing in the garden right now. Aren't they gorgeous?

Good morning. I got up early to schedule some social media posts. I made coffee and am sitting here working. This week we are talking about how to grow zinnias. They are truly easy to grow and thrive in the Texas heat as long as you water them.

Today should be a very busy day. A few people are coming to help us continue to move things about. I am expecting several deliveries this afternoon, and Trump has to go to the vet. He was supposed to go at 2pm on Friday but we got busy with everything going on and forgot. I remembered at 4pm that day.

Our green zinnia is called Envy and we have the seeds.

A History Of David's Garden Seeds®

Taking our San Antonio store apart once covid hit. The mayor would not allow the store to stay open. We packed up and started moving things out to the farm.

Yesterday at church, five different people came up to us asking if we are okay, saying they heard that we are selling everything off. One woman came up to me saying all of that and I don't even know her name. She has never had a conversation with me before except to say hello or good morning. I didn't know she even knew who I was. Isn't that interesting?

We are changing the way we do business because of the horrible economic downturn. Yes, we have our buildings for sale because we no longer employ 20 people so we don't need the space. Why should we continue to pay taxes on large buildings that we don't need?

Yes, the business is actually for sale now but there have been no takers so we are modifying. Change in everything is inevitable. For 15 years, we did good business but we changed a lot during those 15 years. Then over the past year, we had to change more because people were buying less and I know that is due to high grocery prices.

History lesson: David started the business in our home back in 2009. He sold seeds on Amazon. The seeds were in our home and we mailed orders out as they came in. Then Amazon started Fulfillment By Amazon so we changed and started sending all of our seeds to Amazon to mail out. That is when we started hiring people because we couldn't keep up with Amazon's demands on our own.

By 2015, David had seven employees and moved the business out of the house to our first storefront.

Two years later, we had outgrown the space with more employees and lots more seeds. Somewhere along the way, in addition to Amazon, we started selling seeds from our website. We moved to a much bigger building.

In 2019, we bought land out in the country and we began to get things ready to move our company out of the city.

In early 2020, covid hit and the mayor made us close our store. Amazon stopped accepting seeds so we had to mail them out again. We had to hire more people to keep up with the demand for seeds that we sold. We had 25 people working for us.

By June of 2020, some of those people went back to their regular jobs and we moved the entire company to the country. Some more people quit because they did not want to drive all the way out here everyday and who could blame them?

We hired people out this way. Some did a great job and others were not so great.

We got a brand new website causing website orders to go up.

Amazon raised its fees and we stopped doing Fulfillment By Amazon. We had to lay off a bunch of people because the money was no longer there to justify them all. We started filling all Amazon orders here.

Then orders went down as prices went sky high on gas, rent, groceries, almost everything so we had to let more people go because our customers had less money for seeds and hobbies.

Now, we are changing again. We have nine buildings that we do not need and they are for sale. We are being taxed for every single building even though we no longer need them.

If by chance, someone wants to buy the actual business for the right price, our feelings won't be hurt. We would take the money and do some things we just don't have time for now.

But if that doesn't happen, we came up with a plan to simplify business and buildings.

Stay tuned and I will keep you posted as things progress.

All display racks in the store have been removed. Right now, we are moving our most popular seeds up to the store in new display racks. The rest of the seeds we will continue to sell online until they are gone. They will not be reordered. We are emptying the buildings, getting ready for them to be sold. That way, when they are sold, we don't have to scramble and panic. We are preparing.

Matt pulling orders up in the store with the new display. We are nowhere near finished with the move.

One of the large printers has been moved to the store, as well as the seed counter.

Well, I made the mistake of ordering a new dishwasher from Home Depot. They came early and then the guy told me he cannot install it because there are two problems. So now, the old dishwasher is where it has been and there is a new dishwasher gracing my living room. Fun times.

There were six of us today so David ordered lunch in. Lunch was delivered and they brought everyone's lunch but mine. This is why we stopped using this same place a few years ago. They kept not putting my lunch in the bag...Matt called and they finally brought it over. I got to eat pretty late. Let's just say that when I am hangry, I am not a very nice person. I finally went in the house and ate something to tide me over. From now on, I will just get my lunch from the house and this won't happen anymore.

I got Trump a new collar at the vet's office today as Sue Ellen ate his again. If you look to the left on his nose, you can see the spot which was getting bigger. Poor baby.

We took Trump to the vet for a spot that is getting larger on his nose. Turns out it is some sort of fungal infection. Trump is on two weeks worth of antibiotics and I have to put antifungal cream on it. The antibiotics are large capsules--horse pills. I got creative and stuffed the capsule in the middle of half of a cheese stick. Then I told him I had a treat for him. I put it in his mouth and he chomped the whole thing down. Only 27 more to go!

When we got back from the vet, a guy was here hooking up the new dishwasher.

Everyone finally went home and then I made chicken and rice for dinner.

I loaded the dishwasher and it is going. I also started a load of laundry.

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

This is a new seed for us this year and I was so excited to see this first peppermint zinnia!

Good morning. Trump took a second capsule in a piece of a cheese stick. David and I have doctor appointments this morning and two people are coming to help move things. Also, Nacho and his team will be here doing some things around the farm.

The new dishwasher works well. I need to get help today to start putting up my new drapes. I took down some of the old curtains over the weekend but I could not get any of the blinds down. They are dusty and broken so most will go away.

Time to make breakfast and then get ready to leave to go to the doctor.

Doctor visits went okay. We came right back to the farm and started working.

The seed counter is now in the store where the pumpkins and radishes used to hang. The printers are where beans and cucumbers were. The door to the counter area is now off.

The seed move is still going on and everything is out of place making it very hard to fill orders. I filled some but for most, I just cannot find everything I need. One of our helpers decided not to come in today so things are slower going than they need to be. She finally texted David this afternoon instead of this morning.

Then to top it off, two customers came. One bought a display unit that was in the store. The other bought some seeds in the jumbled mess.

The chicken and goat pens were cleaned out very nicely by some of our help today.

More seed display units were hung up in the Farm Store today and seeds are still being moved a few at a time.

Matt had to hang up some curtain holders. He took down old drapes and broken blinds. Tomorrow, we will do the same in the den.

After work, Matt helped me hang new drapes and curtains in the master bed and bath, the living room, and the kitchen. We finished at 7pm. Tomorrow, we will hang new drapes in the den, taking down the old drapes and dusty, broken blinds.

This evening, the Strawberry Moon was supposed to rise at 8:36pm. It didn't come up here. It is now 8:45pm and cloudy. How disappointing.

I just caught a glimpse of it between the clouds, pretty pink but rain clouds are moving in. It is supposed to rain around 1am. I sure hope the rain does not pass us by.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Coral, pink, and light purple zinnias in my garden.

It started raining sometime after midnight. It is still dark outside so I cannot see how much rain we got yet.

Okay. We got one and 1/8 inches of rain overnight! That is fabulous. Thank you, Lord! Supposedly, we will be getting more rain today and tomorrow.

Below is today's Bible verse.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

We came out and got to work. Two helpers showed up. The other one did not call or text again. At noon, after texting her several times, she responded to David that she is helping out at her church today and she can't come next week because of VBS. When you accept a job, you show up every work day. David told her the project is over.

Matt ordered pizza for lunch. After several calls, the guy showed up at 2:15pm. I guess they ran out of flour or cheese? One helper had already left at 1:30pm so I guess we will be having pizza for dinner as well. I don't believe we will be ordering pizza from them for a while...

Our new neighbors came over for some eggs so I got to meet them. They are very nice folks.

This afternoon while working at my desk, I had a fun time with neuropathy in one of my feet.

After everyone left, I went up to the store to pull some more orders. Things are a mess so I had a difficult time and could not finish.

I finally went in around 5:30pm with a bad headache from it all. My plan was to put up the new drapes in the den but I just put my feet up and chilled after I fed the puppies.

At 7pm, I was joined by David and Matt for two hours of Gordon. At 9:21pm, I looked for the moon but it was too cloudy.

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Orange and hot pink zinnias

I woke up to thunder and rain. It is pouring right now so that is wonderful news. I had a neuropathy episode in one of my feet in the night and it was not mild. I really don't know what to think although it has been days except for yesterday. Then when I stepped out of bed at 6am, my left foot was going off again. It is fine now.

I made a pot of coffee and fed the puppies. I got two of them to go out but they stayed on the side deck. Pamela refused. David said they had gone out at 5am. It is now 7:17am and we have had 3/4 of an inch so far.

We are supposed to have one helper today who will stay for just four hours.

We were supposed to go into San Antonio for an important medical test this morning. They are having flooding so David is going to call and cancel if anyone is there to talk to.

Matt just made it in and the lumpia man at Farm to Familia brought us some free breakfast lumpias to enjoy with our breakfast tacos. The rain has stopped for now and I let the dogs out. The rain gauge is right at one inch at 8am.

We Are Not Closing

It rained some more, quite heavily this morning. It is now 12:56. An hour ago I looked at the rain gauge after it stopped and so far today, we have two and 5/8 inches! It is still cloudy so maybe we will get more.

The mailman just brought us a very pretty letter. David opened it. It is from a customer out in Boerne saying she is sorry that we are closing up shop. She said she read about it online. Ummm...Thank you, but we are not closing up shop, unless, of course, someone actually buys this business from us.

I think a lot of people have been misunderstanding what is going on.

What we are doing is changing the way we do business as I explained earlier in the week. We are clearing out our buildings so that we can sell them. That way, we don't have to continue paying property taxes on them while they sit here unused. We are discontinuing a bunch of our seeds, the ones that just don't sell well. They are on sale now for 50% off until they are gone.

If someone buys the business, we will let you know once the deal has gone through but I think we will be keeping it.

I worked until 7pm trying to find seeds in this move. Hopefully, David will spend time in the store today, fixing where they all go.

Friday, June 13, 2025

Light pink zinnias

Good morning. I was having an awful dream when David finally woke me up just after 7am. I am glad for the extra sleep but that was a freaky dream.

It is so dark with those new drapes that the early morning light does not awaken me! So nice. It has been almost six years since I have used them--in our old house in San Antonio. All this time, I left the drapes and blinds up that came with this house. Glad I finally changed them.

I need to get dressed and get moving. We are not having any helpers today at all so maybe I can get in there and find things.

Trump is still taking his antibiotic. As I have been doing, this morning I wrapped it in a piece of cheese stick. This time, he would not even bite the cheese and spit it out three times. David finally got him to swallow the capsule but that was it.

It was a long day and everything hurts.

We had one customer today and three visitors. The first visitor came this morning when I was trying to pull orders in the store. He works for some uniform company and wanted to get us to buy uniforms. He kept saying, "It's just the two of you?" Needless to say we did not buy uniforms.

Next, a couple came in to pick up a seed order they made online. They did not buy anything else.

A man David knows came in to buy something that belonged to David and has nothing to do with the business.

Today was the first day that we had no helpers at all since last Thursday.

This afternoon, David started straightening seed bins around the store, making it a bit easier for pulling orders tomorrow. I closed a bunch of big ones after searching through boxes of seeds that were taken down from the store last week. I still have about six orders that I cannot find everything I need and a big stack from the week that I have not had a chance to fill yet.

I worked again today until 7pm. David came in shortly after that. We had leftovers for dinner and I feel like I could fall asleep right now.

For Trump's capsule, this evening, I put peanut butter on a small piece of bread, added the capsule and then more peanut butter. Trump chomped it on down without an issue. I wonder how many times I will get away with using this technique...

Saturday, June 14, 2025

Bubblegum pink zinnia

Good morning. I am dressed and have to go out and feed everyone this morning. I think Matt is coming in to work but I don't know when he will get here. I made eggs with sausage for breakfast. We have a lot to do today including finishing up with this crazy move. I still don't have a table up in the store to do orders. David moved a table up there yesterday and worked in there all day.

It might rain this afternoon. That will be great because we did not really get that much compared to San Antonio and Devine.

We had one customer who actually came to pick up an order. When she got here, she decided she wanted more seeds and sat down in the store to shop on her phone. After about an hour, she told me all of the seeds she wanted. I got them all, most of which were over in Fulfillment. I checked her out and she left. I looked for a lot of seeds and found some. I filled orders and around 4:30pm, I went in the house and started the pizza dough.

At this point, David told me he still had not gotten the Home Depot refund from the installation of the dishwasher and the hauling off of the old one which came to almost $300. The delivery man said he could not do either of these things even though I paid for them. We had to pay someone to do these things on top of what I paid Home Depot to do them. The delivery man said he put in for our refund. He did not.

I called Home Depot at 4:50pm and spoke to Jose. I explained the situation and he had to keep talking to other people. At the end of the 62 minute phone call, David received a pending refund in his bank account. Good golly. That is insane but at least we got the money back. I won't be getting anything from Home Depot for a while.

We got no rain although twice today the clouds gathered and I felt sure we would.

Sunday, June 15, 2025

Different shades of purple zinnias

Good morning. It is time to go out and feed all of the animals. I feel very tired this morning.

This morning's grape harvest before church.

I made eggs in a nest for breakfast and then went out to pick grapes. After that, I fed the animals. Norton was wild, slamming himself into the wall over and over because I was picking grapes instead of giving him attention.

It is Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all of our customers who are dads and to David.

We went to church and then came home. Now it is time to start some laundry and go do orders.

This afternoon, I was in the pool and realized that it just might rain as the dark clouds gathered overhead. David was redoing the store at the time. I got out of the pool and quickly changed.

By the time I got back outside, it was raining. I took care of the chickens first because they hate to be wet. I collected eggs and the rain was pouring down sideways.

I went across the yard to the goats. They were all huddled up under the shelter. I filled their food and water and closed their gate to keep them safe and dry. I was soaked to the skin.

Next up, I had to go over to the pond at the store to feed the fish and it was still pouring. Why not? I was already soaked. I went over and fed the fish. I told David that the roast chicken and vegetables would be ready in another 20 minutes. I went home and changed, pulled the chicken out of the oven, and washed the eggs. David finally came home and ate.

The rain finally stopped around 7:20pm. We got just under 1/4 of an inch. We are happy to get it.

Lightning started after the storm and everything was lit up.

Finally got a beautiful rainbow this evening.

Return from How To Grow Zinnias to Our Sixth Year

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