Hello,

I just planted the annuals and i can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm watering them ( the soil is moist ), I applied a compost top layer, I applies miracle grow fertilizer but look bad as shown in the pictures. Can anyone identify what is wrong with them OR at least guide me into what might be the issue because I cannot figure it out! Some annuals i planted look great but these are just struggling!

Hi Lochness,

That black stuff (your compost top layer) is loaded with disease, which is infecting your zinnias.

ZM

ZenMan said:Hi Lochness,

That black stuff (your compost top layer) is loaded with disease, which is infecting your zinnias.

ZM

That is just not the case. I literally removed all compost and placed it down today when i took that picture and it was pure black with no disease look to it.

Without being there to dig them up and look at their roots (which is what I'd do), I'd say that because those tiny zinnias were forced to bloom so prematurely in a greenhouse, when you disturbed their tiny roots to transplant them, they couldn't support the flowers and grow new roots at the same time. Geez, the poor little things barely have enough leaves to support photosynthesis. One other cause could be that you didn't press the soil firmly enough around those little roots and they died from air exposure — I've seen that happen to tiny 6-pack plants before.

A tip for buying the best bedding plants: don't buy the ones that are blooming. You want them to establish good roots first. Also hold off fertilizing them until they are established and looking healthy.

If they haven't already expired, I'd suggest clipping off the blooms, making sure the soil is firmly pressed around the roots and waiting. But I'm not too optimistic.

nmoasis said:Without being there to dig them up and look at their roots (which is what I'd do), I'd say that because those tiny zinnias were forced to bloom so prematurely in a greenhouse, when you disturbed their tiny roots to transplant them, they couldn't support the flowers and grow new roots at the same time. Geez, the poor little things barely have enough leaves to support photosynthesis.

nmoasis said:One other cause could be that you didn't press the soil firmly enough around those little roots and they died from air exposure — I've seen that happen to tiny 6-pack plants before

My wife planted them but i also thought about this. I'm the soil is just not compact enough that there is more air versus water and the roots can't get enough/any

I completely agree with Zoe. How do the leaves look? If the leaves look like the petals, the only chance you have are at the leaf nodes. I would start again and clip the flowers off, make sure the roots aren't over grown and packed full. If you get these flats too late, it is hard to get a good plant out of it. Since it was just planted, you could easily take one out and examine the roots. You could also get a pack of zinnia seeds and direct sow them.

Zinnias get mildew. That may be what is affecting your plants. I would not water again unless the soil dries significantly. Watering already moist soil is not appreciated by many plants and can cause the mildew to spread if it is present. Zinnias do grow very quickly to blooming stage from seeds. Usually less than 2 months when I get sprouts. Cosmos might be something to consider adding, with similar blooms and less susceptible to mildew as far as I know.