Zinnia Queen Lime Red

No, Zinnias are not poisonous. On the contrary, they are considered edible flowers and can be used, for example, to decorate cakes or salads. They are also safe for dogs and cats.

Yes, zinnias are excellent for supporting biodiversity in the garden. Their flowers attract bees, bumblebees, and butterflies, all of which love to feed on them.

For rarer and more expensive varieties, such as the Queen Lime series, we definitely recommend starting them in seed trays. This gives you greater control over germination, and the resulting plants are stronger. Seeds are sensitive to cold and slugs, so starting them indoors increases your success rate. Direct sowing is possible, but only in warmer weather and with the risk of a lower germination rate.

Sow 1 seed per cell in a seed tray. Zinnias need darkness to germinate, so cover the seeds with a 2–3 cm layer of substrate. We recommend using larger seed trays (e.g., size 60) so that the roots have enough space and do not suffer before transplanting.

It is not worth rushing the sowing of zinnias, as they do not like the cold. For starting indoors, we recommend sowing during April. Seeds germinate very quickly (5–10 days) at a temperature of 20–22 °C. If you want to sow directly into the garden bed, wait until the end of May or June, when the soil is already warm and there is no risk of frost.

This is a common problem caused by plant stress. Zinnias react to discomfort by failing to produce full blooms (they revert). The main causes include:

• Disturbing the root ball during careless transplanting.
• Overgrown seedlings in small cell trays (delaying planting).
• Low temperatures or irregular watering.

Try to give your plants a calm start without any shocks.

Be patient and wait until after the last frosts, ideally until late May or early June.

Zinnias do not tolerate frost (0 °C is fatal for them), and temperatures below 10 °C cause unnecessary stress, which leads to yellowing of the leaves and stunted growth. It pays to wait for stable warmth.

Starting seedlings takes approximately 3 to 5 weeks. It is important not to leave the seedlings in the seed tray for too long, so they do not start to suffer and the roots do not become root-bound. Once they have developed true leaves and the root system has filled the cell, it is time for planting (weather permitting).

The recommended spacing is 20–22 cm. Do not plant them closer together. Zinnias need good airflow to prevent fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.

Yes, we highly recommend pinching zinnias! Pinching (removing the top of the plant) encourages branching, which results in a much bushier plant and ensures more stems and flowers. It is ideal to pinch the seedlings while they are still in the seed tray or shortly after they have established themselves in the garden bed.

Yes, given their height of 60–120 cm and large flowers, support is recommended. You can use a growing net that the plants can grow through, or stretch string around the perimeter of the garden bed to prevent the stems from falling over due to wind or rain.

Queen Lime Red is unique for its variable coloration. The flowers shift from vintage wine to dusty pink with a hint of lime green. The petals towards the center create a 'frosted cake' effect. No two flowers are exactly the same.

Definitely! Zinnia 'Queen Lime Red' is one of our best-selling cut flowers. They stay fresh in a vase for a long time. Harvest them when the stems are firm (the flower head shouldn't 'wobble' when you shake the stem).

Zinnias love the sun. Choose the sunniest spot in your garden for them. The soil should be loamy, humus-rich to sandy, and well-draining. Good drainage is important so that the roots do not sit in water, but at the same time, the soil must not dry out completely.

The most common problem is powdery mildew (a white coating on the leaves), which you can prevent by maintaining proper spacing and watering at the roots, not on the leaves. As for pests, slugs love to feast on young plants, and later on, aphids or spider mites may appear.