Hi Thomas,
" What kind of germination rate do you get with the zinnia seeds from that company you recommended? "
I didn't recommend a "that company" to you, or to anyone for that matter. I provided links for five seed companies to Ellen's inquiry in the first message here in this message thread.
" ...but I don't know the average germ rate for Zinnia. "
Some seed companies print the results of a germination test on their individual seed packets. Seed companies try to package seeds with a germination rate of about 80 percent, but they don't have any control over what happens to a seed packet after they ship. Most companies will respond in some way to complaints about their seeds, with a replacement or a refund.
" Six out of 25 seeds sprouted. I'm giving them a few more days but the seeds started sprouting a week ago so I don't hold out much hope. "
Zinnias typically germinate in 2 to 6 days in good conditions (temperature and moisture). I have had a few "odd balls" take as much as 3 weeks, but that is freakish and not typical. I will occasionally have a "volunteer" zinnia come up on its own in the Spring. Its seed survived in the ground in the garden throughout the Winter and so its germination time was several months under really bad conditions. I treat those volunteer zinnias as potential "breeders" (I breed zinnias as a hobby) because of their impressive survival.
ZM
