Zinnias are well-known annual flowers, primarily recognized for their easy and fast growth. Their wide range of growing habits contributes to their popularity, as they can range from short and bushy to tall with a singular stalk. Regardless of their growing habit, Zinnias are prolific bloomers. They belong to the aster family and are native to Mexico and Central America, thriving particularly well throughout the South.
Photo: De’Anthony Price
Zinnia Characteristics
There are three distinct types of Zinnias based on floral structure: single, double, and semi-double. The different floral structures do not necessarily correlate with plant habits. ‘Single’ refers to flowers that have only a single row of petals, with the center of the flower clearly visible. ‘Double’ Zinnias have multiple rows of petals, and the center is not clearly visible. ‘Semi-double’ cultivars exhibit a combination of traits, with flowers having multiple rows of petals while still maintaining a clearly visible center.
Pollinators and Zinnias
Zinnias are great for attracting pollinators, especially butterflies. Interplanting zinnias between rows of vegetables or as a border around vegetables is a great way to attract more pollinators to your garden. There are a few guidelines available for attracting butterflies to your yard using zinnias. The taller varieties are better than dwarf or compact cultivars, and those with wide, flat blooms provide a larger landing surface. Flowers should have prominent yellow centers (disc floret); double bloom varieties make it difficult for butterflies to access nectar. It is also possible that some varieties attractive to butterflies produce a larger quantity of and/or better-quality nectar than others.
Photo: UF/IFAS
Planting Zinnias
Zinnias perform better in garden beds than containers and, due to their ability to grow so quickly, can be direct seeded. To direct seed, the soil temp should be at least 70 degrees and plant the seeds at 1/4’” deep. Zinnias can also be planted as transplants and should be done once the soil warms to 60 degrees. Plant spacing can be anywhere from 8 to 12 inches depending on the plant’s habit. Singular stalk varieties can be planted closer together and bushier varieties should be given more space. Zinnias prefer full sun and well-drained soil. For longer flowering, remove the old blooms.
Zinnia Management
When planting zinnias, it’s recommended to incorporate a general-purpose fertilizer with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium into the soil. Following planting, monthly fertilization with a phosphorus-rich fertilizer is advisable to encourage continuous blooming. Maintaining adequate moisture is crucial for zinnias but avoid overwatering as they thrive in moderately dry conditions. To prevent fungal diseases, water only when the top 1-2 inches of soil are dry, focusing on watering the base of the plant rather than the foliage whenever possible. Powdery mildew is a common issue with zinnias, but it can be managed by applying a fungicide when necessary. However, it’s best to prevent this problem by ensuring good air circulation and avoiding wet foliage.
Photo: De’Anthony Price Diseased Zinnia
Zinnias as Cut Flowers
Zinnias, known for their vibrant charm, make delightful cut flowers that can brighten up indoor spaces for a week or longer. For optimal longevity, harvest the blooms when their centers are just beginning to unfurl fully. Trim away lower leaves and promptly place the cut ends into water-filled vases. Regularly refreshing the water helps prevent the growth of algae. When it comes to drying zinnias, double-flowered varieties are preferred as they tend to maintain their shape better than single forms. While all colors undergo slight changes during drying, cutting stems at their peak, removing leaves, and hanging them upside down in bundles away from direct sunlight facilitates the drying process effectively.
Have you ever heard of “the third place?” It’s a concept introduced by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his 1999 book, “The Great Good Place. ” In the book, Oldenburg writes about the need for a space beyond home (the first place) and work (the second place) where people can relax, socialize, and connect with their surroundings. Third places are known for being easy to access, inclusive to all, and free from rigid social structures. They provide a cozy and inviting atmosphere where people can relax and socialize, away from their homes and workplaces. This idea of third places has gained importance in conversations about city planning, building communities, and improving overall well-being. Cities are increasingly focused on creating spaces that encourage social connections and foster a sense of belonging among their inhabitants. “The third place” is an anchor of society and essential for our prosperity and for building strong communities.
UF/IFAS Photo
Now, let’s think about an unexpected third place – the garden. Gardens aren’t just about plants and flowers; they’re havens where social connections flourish amidst nature’s tranquility. Gardens offer a peaceful escape from the chaos of everyday life, fostering social interaction and community bonding. Whether you’re chatting with fellow gardeners or simply enjoying the beauty of your surroundings, gardens bring people together from all walks of life. They also provide a chance to connect with nature, promoting mindfulness and well-being. From gardening activities to community events, gardens cater to diverse interests and needs, making them versatile spaces for everyone to enjoy. Additionally, many gardens are maintained by volunteers or community groups, fostering a sense of ownership and pride among residents. At their core, gardens embody the essence of “the third place,” offering a blend of natural beauty, social interaction, and community engagement.
UF/IFAS Photo
Think about your garden for a moment. Remember the people you’ve met and the friends you’ve made while working together. Remember the joy you felt when you all got your hands dirty preparing the soil and planting seeds. Gardens are more than just pretty places; they’re important spots where people from different backgrounds can gather, connect, and feel better surrounded by nature. So, the next time you walk into a garden, think of it as more than just a place with plants and flowers. It’s a friendly place where community grows and friendships bloom at “the third place.”
Florida is a fun state to live in for many reasons. You are never more than an hour or two away from a great beach, it never gets bitterly cold, and the fishing is phenomenal. I could go on. More than all that though, my favorite thing about living in Florida is the ability to have something blooming year-round, even in the cool months. This year, the stars of the spring show in my backyard container garden have been new selections of an old favorite, the Petunia.
Petunias, a close relative of Tobacco, originally hail from South America. And while the original petunia species were not a valuable crop like Tobacco, enterprising European explorers realized the group had horticultural potential. By the late 1800s, plant breeders had begun hybridizing wild petunia and the petunias gardeners now recognize took shape! Fast forward to today and petunias are the most popular bedding plants in the US, with annual petunia sales topping $260 million (USDA’s Census of Horticultural Specialties). More than 700 petunia cultivars have received plant patents, comprising all manners of sizes and flower colors. This year, there is even a controversial genetically modified petunia called ‘Firefly’ hitting the market that displays bioluminescence – it literally glows in the dark!
Petunia ‘Jazzberry’ growing in a container. Photo Credit: Daniel Leonard, University of Florida/IFAS Extension – Calhoun County
In the past, petunias struggled in the Deep South, as they were often ravaged by various fungal pathogens induced by our too-warm weather. These old-fashioned petunia cultivars, while pretty on store shelves, don’t perform as well in the heat as newer varieties bred for warmer, wetter conditions and that possess enhanced vigor and disease resistance. When shopping for petunias in the Panhandle, avoid anonymous petunia varieties of questionable quality and look for modern named hybrids, for example the Supertunia Series, the SuperCal series, and the Wave series. These improved hybrid petunias are resilient to pesky diseases like Botrytis Rot, flower heavily over a longer period, and tolerate temperature extremes better. Within these series, individual cultivars vary in flower color, flower size, and overall plant size (ranging from mounding monsters growing 4’ in diameter to tiny dwarfs that barely span 18”). I grew several varieties from each of these series this year and all performed wonderfully. There’s a petunia variety for every garden!
Petunia ‘Supertunia Royal Magenta’. Photo Credit: Daniel Leonard, University of Florida/IFAS Extension – Calhoun County
Once you’ve picked a quality cultivar, petunias are relatively easy to grow! In the Panhandle, petunias are grown as cool season annuals – planted in the fall (October-November) and grown through about May, finally playing out once the summer heat arrives. Petunias prefer full sun and are at home in containers filled with a quality potting mix (container size will vary from medium to large depending on the growth habit and mature size of the petunia). Petunias are not particularly drought tolerant and prefer regular water and fertilizer to look their best. I water my containers each day during sunny and warm conditions, backing off to every other day or less during cooler, cloudy weather. Because of their floriferous nature, petunias are also relatively heavy feeders and appreciate supplemental fertilizer. I top dress petunia containers with Osmocote or similar slow-release fertilizer at planting and supplement with liquid fertilizer every week to ten days during the peak of the flowering season.
Petunia ‘Supertunia Mini Vista Scarlet’. Photo Credit: Danial Leonard, University of Florida/IFAS Extension – Calhoun County
Though it’s past petunia planting time this season, be on the lookout for petunias to hit nursery shelves next fall. Simply pick a good hybrid cultivar, plant in a container in full sun, water and fertilize regularly, and you’ll be rewarded with no-fuss, months-long color until the summer heat finally draws the curtain on the show! For more information about petunias or any other horticultural topic, feel free to contact us at the UF/IFAS Calhoun County Extension office. Happy gardening!
Here in North Florida, it is not uncommon to see a few citrus trees in a residential landscape. With Florida being the second highest producing state of citrus, it is not out of the normal to see them when you are out and about. They are a great option to keep a lush green aesthetic in your yard. But, what other options are there for the homeowner that wants to add some edible diversity to their landscape? In this article we will be discussing a few of the many edible landscape choices that can add both diversity and a sweet treat to your yard.
A popular edible landscape option is the rabbiteye cultivar of blueberry. The rabbiteye blueberry plant is considered easier to grow for the first time blueberry grower in comparison to the southern high bush cultivar. This cultivar thrives in acidic soils and requires a soil pH of 4.0 to 5.5. When planting, the use of pine bark mulch is a great organic method to satisfy the soil pH requirement. Mixing composted pine bark mulch in the soil and adding additional mulch after the bush is planted will add to the soil’s organic matter over time. Mulching also aids the establishment of young plants and moderates soil temperatures and weed control. For variety selection, mid-to-late season rabbiteye cultivars are best for Northwest Florida, as they are more cold tolerant and less susceptible to lose their flowers and young set fruit in late winter/early spring frosts. Common mid-to-late season rabbiteye’s are ‘Vernon’, ‘Brightwell’, ‘Powderblue’, ‘Tifblue’, and ‘Georgia Giant’. Because blueberry plants are not “self-unfruitful”, they will require more than one variety to cross-pollinate with in order to produce fruit. Two is great, but three plants will also encourage larger fruit set for you and your family to enjoy!
Blueberry Set Fruit, Jackson County Master Gardener Demo Garden
Another option that has steadily grown interest in the Florida Panhandle is the apple tree. There are two known cultivars of apple that are acclimated to the North Florida region due to their low chill hour requirement cold tolerance. This is the ‘Anna’ Apple and the ‘Dorsett Golden’ Apple. Apple trees will perform best in full sun locations of the yard and prefer a well-drained soil. The chilling hour requirement for these cultivars of apple are between 400-600 hours. You will begin to see the fruit ripen in the months of May to June. The ‘Anna” Apple has been compared to the well known ‘Red Delicious” that is best known in northern region of the United States. Planting should occur in early spring and planting holes should be big enough that the root system does not become over crowded from limited expansion space. There is no UF/IFAS fertilizer recommendation for the apple tree because it is not commercially produced in Florida, but generally a fertilizer such as 10-10-10 can be used.
‘Anna’ Apple, Photo Credit: UF/IFAS NFREC
The blackberry is a great choice as well for an edible landscape. There are several blackberry species that are native to Florida. Most blackberries produce thorns on their shoots, but many new cultivars have been developed as thornless. When selecting your planting location, low-lying areas should be avoided to deter from over-flooding of your plants. Blackberries thrive best in well-drained soils and high air flow and should be planted between December to February. Pollination of the plant is very important to ensure the quality and quantity of the fruit produced; blackberries range from self-fruitful to self-unfruitful depending on the cultivar. ‘Apache’, ‘Flordagrand’, and ‘Choctaw’ are a few examples of many blackberry cultivars available. The first year after the blackberry has been established, it will only produce new shoots with no berries. These shoots are called primocanes. The second year, berries will produce on these shoots and then be called floricanes. It is important to cut the tip off the primocanes after they have reached about 3 ft in height to encourage the shoot to create lateral branches. Floricanes will die off after they have produced fruit. Trellises can be used as well to encourage the plant to grow upright and off the ground.
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The mercury is starting to rise, and the days are getting sunnier. Likely, you are beginning to or have been fantasizing about the potential of your landscape. Visions of multicolored flowers or rows of vegetables lined up waiting to be picked are synonymous with these visions, but they are not free from planning or work. You are not the only one waiting and hoping your gardens become flush with flowers. A veritable army of insects are looking to your landscape for their next meal. Some of these are good, providing critical pollination services, but some seek only to devastate your plants by consuming the leaves or sucking the sap out directly. It’s important to know who these culprits are and to understand the strategies within integrated pest management used to overcome or avoid the damage they bring.
Aphid nymph UF/IFAS Photo: J. Criss
The Bad Guys
First, let’s examine the perpetrators. Insects, like all subdivisions of animals, come in many forms. Those seeking to feast on your plant life are herbivores. They cause damage in several ways, and to understand them, a gardener should start by understanding the mouthparts of these creatures. Damage from chewers such as the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea microptera) will be obvious as parts of the leaves will be skeletonized or left with large holes. Others are much more subtle, utilizing hypodermic-style mouths to remove the sugary photosynthates. The damage caused by these insects is much more subtle. It may present as pathogenic, including but not limited to misshaped or discolored leaves, damaged buds, fruit drops, and blackened leaves from sooty mold (Capnodium citri). Insects in this category include stinkbugs (Pentatomoidea) and aphids (Aphidodea). At this stage, you’re probably convinced that gardening in Florida is pointless, but have no fear; there are strategies to overcome these threats.
Scouting
Defending your gardens and landscapes begins with scouting. It seems very simple, but getting into your gardens daily will alert you to burgeoning issues well before they become major concerns. Get out there and look through stems, on the undersides of leaves, and for discoloration. It is much easier to remove leaves covered with stinkbug eggs than the adults once they’ve hatched.
Southern Green Stink Bug eggs UF/IFAS Photo: James Castner
First Steps
Next, investigate your gardening practices. Keep plants stress-free with appropriate fertilization and irrigation; these plants will fare better with any insects escaping your scouting efforts. Remove stressed and diseased plants as well as any which have been harvested. This will deny habitat to herbivorous insects. These combined practices are collectively known as cultural controls and are among the best for preventing insect issues. Any insect still appearing through these controls may be removed by hand. This is considered a mechanical control and is the least environmentally taxing, though it is the most labor-intensive methodology.
Ask Nature to Help
Biological controls are next in this hierarchy. Although they may seem confusing, they are nothing more than letting nature take care of itself. This article focuses on herbivores, but the insect world is diverse and includes predatory species. Creatures such as ladybugs (Coccinellidae) and lacewings (Chrysoperia sp.) actively hunt and consume those pests in your gardens, keeping you from this task. This method is not limited to Insects. Numerous animals, such as frogs, birds, nematodes, and even household pets, can fill this role. Fungi and bacteria have also been found to fill this role, as anyone who has applied Bacillus thuringiensis, commonly called BT, has discovered. This control method is the most environmentally friendly and involves the least amount of physical labor.
Green Lacewing UF/IFAS photo
Chemical use in Landscapes
Finally, chemical controls are a viable method to control insects in your landscape. These should be used as a last resort when the controls listed above are just not working. When used, make sure you follow the label provided on the product you’ve purchased and that it is the appropriate product designed to control your specific pest. The concern with this control is that pest species may adapt to the chemical, thus rendering it ineffective. When applied, ensure it is done minimally, both in volume and across square footage thus minimizing risk to off-target species.
Controlling pests in your garden can seem a daunting task. The multipronged approach utilizing the above control methods is known as integrated pest management. Following this methodology will keep your plants pest free and your landscape healthy. For more information on integrated pest management, see these Ask IFAS documents, or contact your local extension agent for additional information on this and any topic regarding your gardens and more.
