Plug crop time: 4 to 5 weeks
Transplant to finish: 6 to 7 weeks
Zinnia 'State Fair' is an old-fashioned heirloom, tetraploid cultivar that was created to compete in state fair flower competitions. And with its 4 sets of chromosomes per cell (tetraploid), giving it the advantages of larger size, higher yields, and improved vigor and stress tolerance, it's sure to be a winner in your home garden. This tender annual grows to a mature height of 30 to 40 inches in a season and flowers abundantly and continuously from early summer through fall, possibly to first frost. Its jumbo-sized blooms come in shades of orange, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow. Borne singly at the end of a long, slender stem, the brightly colored blooms are a great nectar source that sustains native honeybees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial pollinators. The cut-and-come-again flowers make charming, long-lasting cuts for summer bouquets, bright garnishes for salads, and nice dried everlastings.
A Zinnia elegans cultivar, commonly called zinnia, 'State Fair' has a dense, upright, mounding habit and a fast growth rate. A long-time gardener favorite, zinnias are shown to best effect grouped or massed in beds, borders, patio pots, and window boxes. They are a must-have in a cutting garden or pollinator garden. Good companion plants for vegetables, zinnias also offer pest control in organic gardens.
Quick and extremely easy to grow from seed, zinnia grow best in a sunny spot with humusy, medium moist to dry, well-draining loam or soil, raked to a fine tilth; but they tolerate a wide variety of soils. Good air circulation is vital for best performance, so provide generous spacing. Although zinnias are low maintenance, pinching young plants promotes a more compact, bushier plant and deadheading regularly encourages and prolongs flowering and discourages unwanted self-seeding. Zinnias love heat and are drought tolerant and deer resistant.
For more tips and in-depth guides, explore these blog posts on Zinnias: Learn step-by-step tips in How to Grow Zinnia Flowers from Seeds, discover the beauty of variety in Garden Diversity: Different Styles of Zinnia Flowers, and find perfect planting companions with What to Plant with Zinnias, and let your garden bloom with inspiration.
