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Zinnia is an ornamental plant from the family of astroids, which is used for growing on a flower bed, as well as at home. During the flowering period, it produces beautiful inflorescences of various colors. Zinnia successfully propagates in seedlings. You can sow seeds directly into the open ground, but the young plants obtained in this way will bloom only closer to August. Therefore, many grow seedlings in greenhouse conditions, because it allows to approximate flowering.
One of the most common problems in obtaining seedlings is its stretching. Thus, the shoots give a signal that certain mistakes were made during the care of them.
Why are seedlings of zinnia pulled out?
The reason for the fact that the upturned seedlings starts to stretch upward, forming a long unstable stalk, may be such factors:
- Too early seed sowing. As seedlings grow very fast, do not plant seeds before April. You can replant the mature shoots to the bed only before the threat of nocturnal frosts passes.
- Lack of sunlight. For optimum development of seedlings it is recommended to extend the light day to 12 hours with additional lighting.
- High temperature in the room. Air temperature above 25 degrees Celsius promotes active growth of shoots in height.
- Thick planting. When sown in a common dish, growing close to each other shoots begin to fight for a place under the sun, stretching upward.
How to save the sprouting seedlings?
If grown up already grown bushes, they can be planted on the bed a little earlier. At the same time, a too long stem must be deepened into the ground, so new ovaries will form on it. In addition, near each plant should be installed support and tie it. The distance between bushes to withstand at least 35 cm.
Transplant to the open ground is possible only in the presence of stable weather and the absence of a night temperature decrease.
If the shoots have not yet formed completely, or the long-awaited warming has not come, you can slow down the growth of zinnia. For this, a container, where seedlings grow, should be poured on the substrate. Either plant the seedling on its side and sprinkle half of the stalk with the earth.
Too long shoots of zinnia can be folded neatly in the form of a loop.
Suspend the growth of zinnia in height will allow pinching the tops - thus, the plant will redirect forces to form side shoots. And in order that the stem began to build up a lot, seedlings for the night should be brought into a cool room.
To stop growth, young bushes can be poured or sprinkled with a solution based on special preparations, for example, Athlete (per 1 liter of water 1 ampoule).
