What should be done if zinnia sprouts are stretched out?

Zinnia is one of the most popular crops used for garden decoration. It amazes with its variety of shades and lush bloom until the beginning of autumn. Florists are also attracted by unpretentious flower care and rather simple cultivation by seeds or seedlings.

Many people believe that the correct spelling of the name of the flower is "zinnia". This is not so, the correct option is "zinnia".

Growing seedlings is quite relevant, because the plant is very sensitive to temperature drops. Zinnia can be transplanted to a permanent place only by the end of May or at the beginning of June. If you sow seeds directly into the ground, then the flowering plant can be admired only by the end of summer. And I really want it to happen as early as possible. Having decided on growing by the seedling method, you should know that flower bushes can stretch out, the stem will become thinner, the sprout can easily break. What to do in this case?

Growing conditions

First, it is worth identifying the factors that contribute to the elongation of zinnia shoots. To do this, you need to know under what conditions the seedlings should be grown.

• Air temperature... For normal growth and development of the bush, it is necessary to maintain an optimal temperature of about 20 ° C.
• Shine... Since the culture is photophilous, it is desirable to provide additional lighting, if necessary, at least 12 hours a day.
• Moisture... The flower is drought-resistant, therefore it is easier to tolerate the lack of watering than its excess.
• The soil should be closer to neutral, loose and fertile, capable of simultaneously retaining water and letting it through in excess.
• Fertilizer... Zinnias require more mineral fertilizing, an excess of organic matter in the soil increases the risk of powdery mildew damage.

Failure to comply with the conditions for growing zinnia can lead to various consequences: pulling out seedlings, rotting of stems and inflorescences, disease, slowing growth and development.

Reasons for pulling seedlings

Having determined the optimal conditions under which the seedlings develop normally, the following factors can be distinguished that contribute to its stretching.

• Early sowing... Zinnia seedlings develop very quickly, after a couple of months after the emergence of shoots, it begins to bloom.
• High temperatures, especially in combination with insufficient lighting, also affect the elongation of the shoots.
• Planting thickening - too many seedlings located in a small area do not allow them to receive light in the required amount.
• Lack of illumination affects stretching, because the sprouts are drawn to the light, trying to get it as much as possible.

Under such conditions, the sprouts lengthen, become thin and brittle, the seedlings fall on the ground. To prevent such a phenomenon, it is necessary to take into account some of the nuances of growing.

• Since zinnia bushes develop very quickly, it is better to sow seeds by the end of April - beginning of May. It is better to plant strong sprouts with several real leaves, provided there is no chance of frost.
• It is necessary to observe the optimal growing temperature: temperatures below 15 ° C slow down growth and decay of sprouts at high air humidity, temperatures above 25 ° C stimulate an increase in sprout length, which negatively affects the stability of the crop.
• It is best to plant seeds in separate pots so that each plant gets the necessary space.
• In case of insufficient illumination, it is necessary to use additional lights, increasing the daylight hours of the zinnia sprout to at least 12 hours.

What to do if, despite all the efforts and preventive measures, the zinnia seedlings still stretch out? How to slow down the growth of seedlings and rehabilitate elongated bushes?

What to do?

Of course, in this case, the best option would be to transplant zinnia sprouts to a permanent place. To do this, prepare the soil in advance and make holes.

When transplanting, you need to follow the recommendations:

• deepen the seedlings into the ground so that adventitious roots appear on the excess length of the stem, covered with earth;
• tie the plant to a support so that it does not break under the influence of wind loads.

Advice

It is necessary to plant sprouts at a distance of about 35 cm from each other, so that they do not interfere with the "neighbors" to grow.

However, transplanting into open ground takes place only after the formation of favorable weather conditions and after the end of all spring frosts. If transplanting is not possible, then you can do the following.

• Pour earth into the "snail" or dish where the zinnia is planted. This makes it possible to reduce the length of the stems due to the formation of additional roots on the covered area.
• Sprinkle soil over a portion of the stem to reduce its length. To do this, next to the sprout, dig a small hole, put a stalk in it with a loop and sprinkle it with soil.
• Change growing conditions: keep in a cool place at night to slow growth, and take out into the sun during the day. This strengthens the root and makes the stem thicker.
• Use special drugs that stop plant growth. They are bred and used strictly according to the instructions. For example, ampoule the drug "Athlete" diluted with 1 liter of water and used during watering or spraying 2 times at intervals of a week.
• Pinch the sprouts from above. In this case, zinnia seedlings will stop development, and future bushes will be more lush.
• Plant in separate containers if the zinnia is stretched out due to the dense planting pattern. In this case, the sprouts must be buried in the ground.
• In the case when it is not possible to plant overgrown bushes in separate containers, you can simply tie them up on supports. To do this, you can take bamboo skewers, wrap them in a plant in a spiral and stick them into the ground. You can use strapping wire or molar tape to secure the sprouts to the support.

Advice

When tying, you must not squeeze the stem too much. To prevent this from happening, a small space is left between the support and the sprout.

Growers trying to grow beautiful and strong sprouts are often frustrated when they stretch out. To prevent this from happening, you must follow the rules for growing crops. But this does not always work: the weather is cloudy, then cool on the windowsill, or other factors may affect. What to do in this case? Just don't panic! The bushes will quickly recover during transplantation, if there are only a few days left until this moment. If, however, there is more than one week before disembarking at a permanent place, then you should use other methods, no less effective. And by the middle of summer you can admire the strong flowering plants in your area.