zinnias/marigolds like windows?

21 years ago

I planted marigolds and zinnias from seed.. but the ones that are on the window sill and the ones outside are growing at WAY different speeds..

(i labeled the pots and then transplanted and didnt relabel so i dont know which ones which)

The zinnias + marigols on the window sill are doing VERY good.. I'm not sure if its a zinnia/marigold (it has sharper leaves) but it has MANY leaves and a GREAT thick stem and are about 7-9 inches tall!! wow! The other ones which have rounded leaves are about 3-5 inches tall..

HOWEVER the sharp leaved ones that i planted in pots and left outside are very short.. only about and inch or two. i put them inside the house and they started growing more leaves..

what does this mean? Should I just keep them as house plants? But I REALLY wanetd them outside.. and they are supposed to grow very tall. Is it the cool weather that is stuntin their growth? We had weather in the 70s and 80s a couple days ago for a week or two and now its cool outside again. but it IS pretty warm.

please help!! Thank you.

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Comments (3)

Jeanne_in_Idaho
21 years ago
Both of those are really warm-to-hot-weather plants. They probably want more heat. I can't grow them AT ALL here for precisely that reason. The fact that they are growing faster in the house is the tipoff to the problem. They are likely to get stretched out, and possibly not bloom, if you keep them in the house, so you probably should plant them outside soon, if your last frost date is past, and be patient. They want full sun, so they don't make great houseplants. Even a very sunny windowsill doesn't qualify as full sun. Unfortunately, what feels warm to you doesn't necessarily feel warm to a zinnia or marigold.

Jeanne
gardengurl49
Original Author
21 years ago
Oh wow.. I would HATE for them to not bloom at all after all the time watering them and staring at them, wanting them to hurry up and grow.. Tahnk you SO much JEANNE! I will plant them outside soon.
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flowerfarmer
21 years ago
Gardengurl,
The rounded leaved seedlings are zinnias. The sharper leaved seedlings would be your marigold. Have you had your last frost for the season? Zinnias cannot tolerate any amount of cold. We grows thousands every year for market, and, recently lost 75 trays in our heated greenhouse. Our temperatures dropped into the low 20s, and the seedlings must have been exposed to a draft close to the door. That's all we could figure. So, we toss them and move on. The seedlings grow rapidly thank goodness. Our last frost date here in Michigan is May 15. We will have seedlings ready for the field by that date. It's best to plant the seedlings outside when they are about 1 1/2" in height. They make the adjustment to the field or garden conditions better at this height. Zinnias growing inside on windowseals tend to get leggy which can stunt their growth. This is just their very nature. You will want to move them outside for a few hours each day for a few days so they can get acclimated to their new environment. Then, you can go ahead and plant them outside. Next time you may want to direct seed some zinnias and marigolds in your garden. By doing that, you would have stronger, healthier plants.
Good luck with your growing.
flowerfarmer