{"product_id":"open-pollinated-zinnia-seeds","title":"Zinnia Seeds – LLFF Farm Blend","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eZinnia Seed Mix\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eApprox. 30 seeds per packet\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eGrow your own zinnias from seed! This is a mystery mix from the zinnia field. All seeds have been collected and carefully dried by me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does Open Pollinated mean?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt just means that all our happy pollinators (bees, butterflies, flies, etc) have been hopping from flower to flower feasting – all the while they are dropping off pollen from one plant to another. This means they are transferring the genetics from one plant to another in the wide open field, which leads to us not knowing which plant now has been crossed with which! It's quite a fun way of breeding new flowers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy growing these seeds, you are growing a unique zinnia. Zinnias have around 16 chromosomes which allows for plenty of genetic diversity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy zinnia field was a mix of mainly soft pinks, apricots, butter and antique tones, but I did have Benary Giant white, purple, Red, Queeny lime orange, and plain orange. This mystery mix is a mix of seeds across the entire zinnia field, so these could grow you just about anything and will be lots of fun to see what pops up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow and when to plant\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eZinnias are frost tender, so you will be planting your germinated seedlings well after the last frost (think early to mid October). You can either direct sow your seeds (put them straight in your garden bed) in October after the frosts have gone, or count back about 6-8 weeks (early August) and start your seeds in a greenhouse or on your windowsill inside the house.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDirect sowing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eZinnias are considered a beginner friendly cut flower – you can basically throw their seeds around in your garden, cover them lightly and they will pop up! But don't throw them in the garden until the last frost is gone. This is the easiest method and doesn't require any special setup. Space them out around 25-35cm apart as they like some air flow and they grow big. Don't forget to pinch your zinnias as they grow to get them to branch out and create more flowers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTray sowing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you are wanting to germinate your zinnias before the last frosts, then I recommend sowing them into trays and lightly covering them with enough soil so that you can't see them, then cover with a light dusting of vermiculite (also from Bunnings or Mitre10) to help keep your soil moist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is okay not to have grow lights, so long as they have a source of nice indirect sunlight they will be okay. I often put mine in shelves inside on an Easterly or Northern facing window and they get plenty of sun. You can also buy mini greenhouses on TradeMe or online – these are handy to put on your deck if you don't have room in the house. Google is your friend, and you can be as budget friendly as you like! Happy growing!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little Lifestyle Flower Farm","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49427553878168,"sku":null,"price":10.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/5994\/3064\/files\/IMG_5826.jpg?v=1771796885","url":"https:\/\/littlelifestyleflowerfarm.nz\/products\/open-pollinated-zinnia-seeds","provider":"Little Lifestyle Flower Farm","version":"1.0","type":"link"}