At the risk of re-opening the whole homemade vs commercial perservative spat that appears here periodically...

If the stems are getting mushy then you need to add some kind of biocide to the water. The flowers are drooping because the rotting stems can no longer take up water.

I use Jeanne's formula for homemade preservative on everything, including zinnias, and have good results with it. It contains sugar but it also contains some bleach which will inhibit bacterial growth.

You can read the "Homemade Solutions" post a few down from this one to get the formula and the whole debate about what to use. As LizaLily points out in the Homemade Solutions post, there are a bunch of variables involved here - the chemistry of the water you are using, the variety of zinnia, maybe even local soil chemistry. When I say something works for me, that is all I am saying - it works for me.

I think the point to remember is that if you are using clean buckets, fresh water etc and still having the stems rot, then you probably should try adding *something* to your water before giving up on zinnias entirely.

Good Luck!
Kirk

Kirk and Ed,

Thanks for the tips on zinnias. Actually I've been doing a lot better with them the past two weeks. I talked to a man who grows a lot of them and he gave me some good pointers too. I've been putting 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid crystals per gallon of water into the bucket I pick them in, then use a homemade solution similar to Jeanne's when I make bouquets. Apparently zinnias do need a little sugar, about a 1% solution which is 2 tsp. per quart. So into a gallon of water, I use 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. citric acid and 1/2 tsp. bleach. It seems to be working, as last week my personal bouquet of zinnias lasted all week. Hurray! I could hardly believe the difference. Now if I add ice to the vase, they may last a month, lol!

Heidi

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to selling field-grown flowers. I delivered some of my Benary's giant Lime to a florist last wk, and they had to return them to me because the leaves and the edges of the petals started to turn brown in just 2 days. I was so embarassed and disappointed! I think I made the deadly mistake of dipping the stems in QuickDip and maybe that has caused the burn. Anyhow, I really want to prevent this from happening again.
Heidi, would you mind telling me where can I order the citric acid crystals? I've read in a different forum in which a lot of growers recommended to just cut Zinnias into plain water without any bleach or preservatives, so I'm a bit confused....what do you think Kirk and Ed?
Also, do you recommend to the florist/buyers to leave the Zinnias out of the coolers?

thanks a bunch!
sewsmall

I don't sell to florists and don't have a cooler so I can't tell you whether they take well to coolers, although I think I've read they don't like temperatures that low.

I have found the lime green to be quite a bit less robust than the others and to be more prone to deformed and discolored flowers. Did you cut them early enough? The pollen should not be showing (the gold in the center) and the center petals should still be partly closed.

You may want to experiment a bit at home and see how well they hold for you.

Good luck,
Kirk

Hi Kirk,

Thank you so much for the advice (I just love this forum!). I did not know that I should cut them when the centre is still partly closed. (the books always say cut when zinnias are fully open). Of those that I've cut early, they still developed some brown colour starting at the edge of the petals, about 2 days after cutting. The stems are still robust and straight when that happens, with no mushyness at all. I've bleached all my cutters, buckets and now experimenting with different combinations of water, bleach, floralife, vinegar, etc...hopefully I can come up with a good recipe for the Lime Zinnias. I don't seem to have any problem with Zinnias of other colours. Does anyone else seem to have problem with green Zinnias? I'm quite disappointed and I have 2 rows of them still to come.

Hi - I agree with Kirk about when to cut them...if they're too open, they don't last! They also don't like a really cold cooler, but can handle it for a day or so. I cut mine into preservative and am careful not to squish the neck!

The lime is more sensitive, in fact, I didn't like the Benary's Lime and have gone back to Envy...maybe they're the same, not sure - wish they were hardier, and more consistently green! But, once you have a bucket where the zinnias are turning brown...pull all the brown right away and toss...I also quickly deadhead those that have it in the field. These can be some of your longer lasting cutflowers!
Wendy

Hi all,
Thank you so much for all your advise. In my "experiment",I found that my Lime Zinnias look best in 1) water with FloraLife or 2) water with a little bleach. The brown spots begin after 2-3 days with plain water or with water, bleach and floralife. However, I put some of my coloured Zinnias with the lime in bleach, and the coloured ones don't do well! I think next year I'll try the Envy instead. I'm very happy with the Benary's giant mix though. Wish everyone a very bountiful harvest this summer!

Sewsmall,

I get citric acid crystals at the health food store. A company called NOW sells them in small bottles as an aid for making sprouts.

Another comment on the brown petals you've been experiencing: the zinnia grower I talked to said never pick zinnias when they're wet, either from dew or rain or sprinklers, because wet petals will cause them to turn brown in a couple of days. Certain colors seem to be more prone to this. I've been trying to wait till the dew dries to pick mine. I pick as quickly as I can and put them in the shade until I carry the buckets to the house.

Also it's good to water with drip irrigation to avoid excess wetness. This helps prevent spotting on the leaves and mildew.

Best,
Heidi

Heidi,

Thank you for the tip. I can't wait to try out your recipe. Now I always make sure not to get the lime zinnia's petals wet. Lately I've been picking my Lime into water with very little bleach (like one drop) and it seems to work quite well. My Zinnias seem to last longer in floral foam vs. in water for some reason... I also read in the " specialty cut flower " book that they sometimes last and sometimes don't, and that's what I found too. I'll be having my first farmer's market sale this weekend...hopefully with all your great tips my Zinnias will last! Good luck with you at the farmer's market too!

Does anyone know if there is any better response in bouquets with Gerber daisies and Dahlias? Are they all prone to the same thing? I have been experimenting this summer also, with varying results, most of the time I forgot and let the water go low, or not change it, but they lasted pretty well. Maybe a week, but they were getting brown, I think they did last a week or so. Do Gerbers and Dahlias do better? I just adore Zinnias, it seems a shame not to use them.