zinnias keep falling over; advice?

11 years ago

Hello everyone, several weeks ago I planted some zinnias from seed in a medium sized container. They grew very quickly and straight but now I've noticed that they've started to lean over and in some cases totally fall over. Some quick Google searches tell me that the zinnias should be straight and upright. What am I doing wrong? some pictures are attached; are they too thick and getting tangled with each other, making them not be able to stay upright? Another possible factor is the heat; I've read that they need full sunlight, which they get, but it also gets VERY hot where I live, upper 90s pretty much all day long, so I'm wondering if indeed that is actually TOO hot and they can't take it.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

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Comments (3)

sandy_forresy
11 years ago
Plants reach for sunlight. I plant giant zinnias every year outside and they lean towards the sun. The plants are too far down in the pot and are falling over to get sunlight.
grubby_AZ Tucson Z9
11 years ago
It's not clear, but how many plants are in that pot? I'm taking a guess in thinking (depending on the variety) that maybe three or five plants would be ideal? Another question is what are they growing in? Old soil? Fresh potting soil? They seem to be anemic and stunted, so have you ever added any fertilizer?
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
The plants are competing for everything in that overcrowded container, including light. I agree that they are too deep in the container and hugely overcrowded.

How many plants should grow in one pot depends upon the variety of zinnia. I grow 'Profusion' zinnias for my containers....one plant (one seed) takes up over twelve inches of space! Others aren't so shrubby, but still require plenty of elbow room.