I sow sunflower seeds direct and I plant zinnias from my own plugs.

Joe

I start zinnias 4-6 weeks ahead in 806 packs. Sunflowers I do the same for three weeks prior to last frost then direct seed. However, the mice have a different strategy this season...got most of my first two plantings of sunflowers in 806s...Ann

I start sunflowers about a month before plant-out date, so they will be 2-3 weeks old at planting-out time. I have to germinate them on a table in the hoophouse. If I put them on the floor, the mice have one all-night party and the seeds are gone. Once they are sprouted, the mice aren't interested any more.

I have not successfully grown zinnias anywhere.

Jeanne

Kirk

I direct seed both, Suns 1 to 2 weeks before last frost and Zinnas right after last frost.

Kirk,

Our sunflowers are direct seeded in the field.

We start planting our zinnia seeds in deep 72s in April.
You can also direct seed the zinnias using an Earthway planter and the cucumber plate with tape over every other slot. Taping the slots saves on thinning the row later. In the past, we direct seeded. Now, it's plugs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's some information on succession planting

Thanks everyone, very helpful as usual.
Kirk

Kirk,
Michigan is a lot like Indiana... lots of humidity. I've found I save a lot of time, effort and money by just seeding Zinnias. I've tried starting them ahead of time but damping off takes about 75% of them on average. I usually start seeding about now. On sunflowers, I do both. I don't start too many sunflowers ahead, because again... in our climate... there are no guarantees as to when it will actually warm up and stay that way. You can end up with very leggy sunflower seedlings that don't do very well. I begin putting out sunflower seeds a little earlier than the zinnias and do succession plantings every other week through mid June.
DD