If they are crowding into the plastic on top, you are going to have to take the covers off. If it doesn't freeze, they will be fine. Do you have a way to cover them or take them into the garage if a frost is expected?

I can find something to cover them if I have to, I can also bring them into my basement, which is on the same idea as a garage, only they won't get any sun. It would just be for the night anyway so I suppose that would be okay. I really don't see the temps dipping down too low in the daytime or even at night for that matter but you never know.

I'll have to keep my fingers crossed.

Thank you,
Linda

I'm new at this, but I'd love to get some opinions regarding your zinnias and planting in general. We're having such an early spring here in New England that our soil is very warm. I actually measured our soil temp down to about 6 inches and it was above 55. Isn't the soil temp important? As long as the soil is warm it helps protect plants from frost. If I had zinnias already (which I'm waiting to direct sow mine) I'd go ahead and plant them, but if you are getting a frost just pile some mulch on them enough to cover them. The soil is warm, the mulch will protect them, and I would imagine they should be fine. Then brush away the mulch the next day. It's more work, but if you want them out of crowded containers it's an option. That's actually easier for me than moving many containers indoors. Based on weather reports, we look frost free for several days to come.

I don't think they'll start growing like crazy till temps warm more, but they'll still be growing a bit.

Any opinions on this? I really am new, but I'm trying to figure out how all of this "nature" business works together!

Depending on what kind/size of container you might try any of the following:

For "cups," just invert another one over the top of it and secure w/duct tape. Cut the bottom out and put another window of saran wrap on it to give more headroom.

For bigger containers: I might 'corral' them with tops off and put an under-bed box over them or a large tote- one of the clear ones. Set it up off the ground somehow (like with a pallet, or cinder-blocks- just enough to let air flow around under there) just to keep them covered and frost-free til you're sure frost is no longer expected.

Course, you could go all out and take several chairs or garden stakes, and corral all the containers inside them all and use a light-colored sheet around the whole outside of the stakes/chairs...just to give them a "tee pee" of protection.

All this only because I would certainly feel your pain with early-up zinnias. I have Zs up, too, but not enough that they have no more headroom.

I find with zinnias there's always a fine line between being too early for fear of frost, or too late for fear of baking them to death. The first time I WS'd zinnias I lost a lot of them because it became too hot for them so I err on the side of frost. For example, I put mine out only a few days ago when it was rather hot, and tomorrow we are expecting wet snow!! If I were you I would completely remove the tops to prevnt them being crushed, and cover them with an old sheet or a tarp if cold weather is expected overnight. At this time of the year we all have to watch the weather carefully.

Mine are coming up too, altho I don't expect a frost in my area.

What I do, if I do fear frost, is I make a tent, something to hold up the row cover, even just a stick in the container, so the seedlings are not crushed.
I like row covers bec. they are light-weight.

I think the basement would also be a good choice.