They are as easy as cosmos from seed.

You can order single color packages of some varieties. I love the large cactus ones the best and I do have red, orange, pink, white, a few yellow in my mix - they are definitely hot colors but by the time they really come into their glory in late July I am ready for that color palette.

I might try dropping them into little individual starting flats next year just so I would waste less seed and get them better placed.

But with that said i have a lot of color for a few packages of seed...

Definitely...they grow so easily from seed I would never waste money on starter plants...as the above poster said, they are as easy to grow as cosmos...you can save the seeds from current flowers for next year, as well...they store well in jars as long as you don't expose them to too much heat or moisture. I used to gather them in five gallon buckets every fall...we must have planted an acre of those things...it was kinda silly, but spectacular when in bloom!

I grew plants from seed for the first time last winter and the Zinnias grew very easy. I'll be getting different varities for next year.

Where are the seeds located? I just finished deadheading mine. Are they in the flower somewhere?

I think I'll get the little pots of soil next year and start them indoors, IF I know where to place them inside.

I used to do that in a greenhouse, but it was a greenhouse and they grew great! lol

Zinnias grow very easily from seed..and you will get more for your money. There's a wide variety of styles, colors and sizes which can be purchased at many stores or from seed catalogs.

They don't even have to be planted early to get decent blooms.

Very easy to grow from seed - I love the profusion and megellean series - both are compact about 15" and bloom forever - profusion has small blooms and megellean has very full large blooms - just wonderful zinnias ......

Lynne

Now I'm excited! I just bought a packet of 100 seeds of "Benarys Giant Mix."

I hear these are nice, are they just as easy to grow as the other's?

Okay, this is a riot! I just did an AOL google search for pictures of the Binary Zinnias. Look what I found close to the top of the search page!

Here is a link that might be useful: Zinnias

Funny about seeing your own post when you probably least expected it.

Yep, the Benarys are easy to grow too. I grow hundreds of the plants each summer without any big problems, mostly reds, yellows and oranges, as you can see. The smaller ones in the buckets are Oklahomas - nice and tall, but smaller blooms.

ThinMan

I was impressed with most of the zinnias I grew from seed this year. I'm saving seed from the Zowie! Yellow Flame. Out of 3 packs only 3 seeds germinated. AND they were expensive compared to other zinnias. But they sure are beauties!

Cindy, I just got a catalog from Wildseed Farm yesterday and saw the cactus zinnias you talk about. I'll have to try some next year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Zowie! Yellow Flame

Do most of you sow the seeds right in the soil in spring? Or do you start them inside? I've always started them inside and had lots of luck and I do like that I can then plan where they get planted, and spacing. However, direct sowing would certainly be easier and less expensive.

Scotty, I can only imagine what that field of zinnias must have looked like in full bloom!

Thyme, I start my tomatoes and peppers from seed along with a few flowers like rudbeckia and echinacea. Zinnias and cosmos I direct seed.

I wintersow mine but they are the last ones I do - around late February early March for my zone. I use Parks bio-dome for them - usually have 100% germination .....

Lynne

Susan/thyme, the main advantage of sowing inside in our climate is that they bloom earlier. If you direct sow, you won't get flowers until so late in the summer. Our growing season is short enough as it is! I love the pastal colored zinnias, not the too-bright ones.
lucia

Thyme, I do both. I start some inside to get flowers as early as I can, and when I set them out, I also sow seed for later in the season when the first plants are getting tired.

TM

Zinnias are one of the few things I do grow from seed as they are so easy. I also buy plants from the nursery if I can find what I want. But always start some seeds too. This year I started seeds of Zahara Double Fire. The State Fair I had bought at the local nursery.

Mine were wintersown also.

Re: Where you find the seeds to save.

Let a really prime bloom dry on the plant. Cut off the dried bloom. Over a newspaper spread on a table, slowly pull out the petals. If the seed is viable, there will be a brownish or grayish spade shaped seed at the end closest to the plant head. You can pull off the dried, colored petal (which will by now be very faded.)

I keep different colored blooms in bags. I am sure they cross and I keep meaning to see if they all come true, but haven't yet. So your reds may be other colors.
It is a very cheap way to have zinnias for the garden.

They self seed in my zone 6 garden, but to be sure, I still plant some. I wait until I know a frost won't kill them if they germinate around the time you set out peppers and tomatoes.

I never have had a problem with Zinnia seeds germinating when direct sowed.

Thinman - beautiful selection of blooms.

I plant seeds, but next year, I am going to sow them in the garden. My neighbor has a marvelous stand from seeds she sowed that she had collected the previous year. I'm collecting seeds now, but I just had to order the Zowie Yellow flame zinnias.

There are only 15 seeds in the TFZ package, but I may plant a couple of these seeds this year to get more seeds for next year. Some of them may even seed true. I could probably grow them in posts and put them in the greenhouse if necessary.
kay

Kay, only 15 seeds and they're expensive. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they come true.

Thanks for the info everyone!

Gldno1, thanks for the seed-saving lesson. I am hoping to save lots of seeds this year.

I grow the Persian Carpet variety from seed. Not only are they extremely easy, but they are also mildew resistant. I would say that they are by far my favorite zinnia.

Rosefolly

zinnias are so easy to grow from seed. I have a lot of success and such pretty zinnias this year.

I pull the dried petals and seed out and toss them back in the garden. They come back each year. I don't do well saving seed, as I usually forget to plant them. My theory is mother nature does a better job than I.

I would post a picture, but I have yet taken the time to learn to use my new camera.

I am new to this site. I want to grow giant zinnias from seed and would like to start it indoors. How far apart do I need to place the seeds from each other? What is the best method for indoor planting of giant zinnia seeds? Do they prefer dried hummus or some other fertilizer once planted in the ground? Is it true they don't do well being transplanted? Thank you - any advice helps.

Absolutely,i've never brought them in 6 pks or anything,seeds for me are the way to go.They are one of my favorite flowers.
Kathi

Beethie--I'm also zone 5. I started a few zinnias inside last week. I used bag of potting soil left over from last year. I use left over 6 pack trays and plant one or two seeds per pot. If the soil dries out I mist it. Sometimes I use a plastic done but zinnias germinate well without it too IMO. I will grow them under lights for a while--kind of waiting to see what the weather does. When I transplant I do not tease the roots as I might for other plants and they do fine.

I also direct sow them and have good success that way too. I will not direct sow until late may though.

Thank you for the advice, trovesoftrilliums. I have one of those plastic filmed greenhouses that I got as a present and have used it to grow my marigold's from seed. I will start my giant zinnia seeds in there too. I am excited to start as I am learning to grow things from seed. I appreciate any advice I can get from anyone on this website.