{"product_id":"zinnia-seeds-cherry-queen","title":"Zinnia Seeds - Cherry Queen","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZinnia elegans\u003c\/em\u003e 'Cherry Queen' — an open-pollinated, dahlia-flowered zinnia in deep cherry red. Fully double blooms, 3 to 5 inches across, on stems tall enough to cut all season.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZinnias are the plant that teaches people they can grow cut flowers. Direct sow them, cut them hard, and they answer by flowering more.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSow:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1\/4 inch deep, directly where they are to grow.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGermination:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7 to 14 days at 70 to 80°F.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpace:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sow 4 to 6 inches apart, thin to 12 to 18 inches.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e To about 3 feet.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom:\u003c\/strong\u003e Roughly 80 to 90 days from sowing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eUF\/IFAS recommends direct seeding over transplants — zinnias started indoors too early go spindly and never quite recover.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIn Florida\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eZone 9 planting months are \u003cstrong\u003eApril\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eSeptember through October\u003c\/strong\u003e. This is a warm-season annual and frost will take it, so a fall sowing needs to finish before first frost, which in Ocala averages mid-December. The fall window also sidesteps the worst of the powdery mildew and bacterial leaf spot that flatten spring-sown zinnias here by August.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFor cutting\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCut fully open blooms in the early morning or late afternoon and strip any leaves that would sit below the waterline. Vase life is about 5 to 7 days. Deadhead what you do not cut and the plant keeps going.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWorks for bees, butterflies and every other pollinator in the neighborhood. May reseed itself if you let a few heads ripen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpen-pollinated and non-GMO. Save seed from the best plants and it comes back true.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePacket artwork and paper color may vary slightly from the packet shown.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valhalla Hall","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50540968771759,"sku":null,"price":4.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0652\/0897\/5535\/files\/cherryqueenzinnia_c152dec1-02b0-4bb8-bd83-1acdc3258ce4.png?v=1790555460","url":"https:\/\/valhallahall.com\/products\/zinnia-seeds-cherry-queen","provider":"Valhalla Hall Farm","version":"1.0","type":"link"}