In hot humid late July, it’s hard to find many happy campers, unless it’s a bunch of kids eating popsicles while bobbing around in a wave pool. In the flower fields, most everything goes limp in the blazing afternoon sun. Our growers rush to get their morning harvests done by 10AM or else it will all melt. But there’s one bright cheerful undeterred exception: zinnias!
Zinnias relish the kind of weather that makes the rest of us want to go to the deliciously dark and airconditioned movie theater one afternoon and not come back out until September. These classic “field flowers” that come in a rainbow of colors and sizes are best harvested in the afternoon (gasp!), which is a blessing when growers struggle to keep up with the summer bounty. Harvest crews go down the row and do the “wiggle test” on each stem before cutting to ensure the bloom and stem are mature enough to stay hydrated.
Tips for Longer Lasting Zinnias
Once out of the field and into the studio, zinnias prefer to keep that summery vibe going. They hate life in a super chilled cooler. In fact, many summer flowers do: celosia, amaranth, strawflowers, ageratum and even lisianthus shiver in a floral cooler that’s set to the typical 34F. The workaround is to set the thermostat a bit warm, somewhere around 40-42, so they hold longer. Or, if your studio is well airconditioned and you’ve got the floor space, they’ll do fine sitting out of the cooler.
Another trick for zinnia longevity is to place a slow-release chlorine tablet, called a CVBN tablet, in the water of each bucket. This kills off the bacteria that notoriously clogs zinnias stems and causes them to wilt. Do NOT use flower food in zinnia buckets or in designs that include zinnias. Flower food actually shortens zinnias’ vase life considerably. No holding solution either. Just clean water and a CVBN tablet.
Your water source itself could have a big impact on zinnia vase life. Some municipal water can cause zinnias to collapse quickly (Philly is one of those municipalities). If you’ve struggled with zinnias lasting, try using bottled spring water and see if they’re holding up better. If so, your water source is likely the culprit to your zinnia woes. Though in foam, they never hold up more than 2-3 days. But who uses foam anymore anyway?
Some zinnia varieties are longer lasting than others. Of course, the more unique ones with the sophisticated coloring have the shortest vase life typically. Whomp whomp. This is because the pigment in their petals fades out faster and they quickly look old and dirty as a result. Varieties like Queen Lime Orange and any white or cream varieties are better left for event work and it is best to source them just a day or two before the event.
For retail sales, grab the Oklahoma variety (lots of colors to choose from), the Uproar variety (currently available in rose and yellow), or the Zowie variety (yellow) for a longer vase life. The bright bold colors tend to be more attractive to retail customers anyway.
Zinnias are probably the most affordable focal flower on offer at PFG and they’re available from July through frost in mid-October. So it’s worth finding the ones you and your customers like and then mastering how to store and use them. Hopefully these tips for longer lasting zinnias help! Please feel free to ask for more pointers when you are picking up your orders. We are always happy to share our knowledge.