Do Zinnias Make Good Cut Flowers? How Many Days Do They Last in Vase?

Zinnias are lovely cut flowers and may remain fresh in a vase for an average of seven to ten days. Benary’s Giant and the Queen Series are two of the most widely used cutting kinds that flower producers cultivate. These low-maintenance flowers need full light and soil that drains well to grow.

Zinnias may not be as showy as other popular cut flowers, such as sunflowers and dahlias. Still, they more than make up for this with their ability to produce blooms that persist for a significant amount of time, and as a result, they deserve a place in every flower garden.

Zinnias are one of the most beautiful flowers that may be cut and brought home to display. Most of the time, they can stay in a vase for a week or more, and they come in many different colors and sizes. In addition, they have a long vase life. Except for dwarf variants, most zinnia types develop long stems that are wonderful for cutting and arranging vases. Dwarf versions are the exception to this rule.

Zinnias are a kind of flower that may be cut and kept for subsequent bouquets, which is one of the many reasons they are so popular. This indicates that you can cut the flowers, which will continue to produce additional blooms throughout the season. Because of this, they are a fantastic option for fresh bouquets throughout summer.

Don’t be afraid to cut those gorgeous blossoms, even if you’re apprehensive! If you pick some of the flowers from the plant after each harvest, the plant will continue to grow new stems and blooms, keeping it productive for much longer than if you were to leave all the flowers on the plant.

Zinnias benefit from being grown in full light since this encourages aggressive plant growth and sturdy stems. Zinnia plants may be cultivated in garden beds that get a partial shadow, although the resulting plants may be smaller than those grown in full sun.

You might also try cultivating your zinnias in containers, mainly if doing so would allow you to use a sunny area where you do not have any garden beds.

When Can the Zinnias Be Cut From the Plant?

Zinnias should be allowed to open up fully before being cut, as the flowers won’t continue to expand once they are placed in a vase. The flower’s stem should also be sturdy; to determine this, you can use the wiggle test, which identifies flowers that have not yet reached full maturity.

More on the wiggle test can be found here:

1. Holding the stem 6-8 inches below the flower head, wiggle it back and forth as you move your hand up and down the stem.
2. When you wiggle it, and it maintains its straight position, the flower is ready to be cut.
3. If the flower moves around a lot on the stem, you should wait another day before picking it.

How To Cut Zinnias

Zinnias should be pruned first thing in the morning after the dew has been allowed to dry off. Because they spent the previous night rehydrating, flowers look their best first thing in the morning. You can also cut at the beginning of the evening; you should avoid picking flowers during the hottest part of the day.

The following are the steps that need to be taken to harvest your zinnia bouquet:

1. Pick blooms that are fully open and developed. The petals should be fully expanded, with the flower’s core visible.
2. Use pruners or scissors with a sharp blade to cut a long stem. Remove the axle of a leaf by cutting it at the point where two leaves emerge from the stem.
3. Remove the leaves from the stem that has been cut. Your zinnias won’t have as long of a lifespan if you let their leaves rot in the vase water.
4. Put the flowers into the water as soon as possible. This will help them maintain their freshness and keep them from becoming wilted.

How Long Will Zinnias Stay Fresh if They Are Placed in a Vase?

With proper care, zinnias can last for up to two weeks in a vase. To extend the life of your flowers, you should keep them out of direct sunlight and change their water every few days. A flower food packet dissolved in the vase water will also help the flowers last longer.

When it comes to ensuring that your zinnias (and any other cut flowers!) last as long as possible, changing the water is an important step that is frequently neglected. Maintaining your flowers with clean water will help prevent the growth of bacteria, which can reduce their longevity.

Zinnias are “dirty flowers,” which means they turn the water in their vase murky more quickly than other flowers. Therefore, you must use clean water if your vase arrangement lasts longer. The Floret Flower Farm suggests using flower food that reduces the likelihood of bacterial growth.

To replace the water, you need only remove the existing contents of the vase and replace it with new, filtered water. Be sure to remove any leaves that have accidentally fallen into the vase as well, as these will also encourage the growth of bacteria.

One additional method for revitalizing your flowers is cutting the stems off them. When you take an inch off the bottom of the stems and then replace them in the water, the stems will have a clean surface area that will assist them in taking in water.

Which Types of Zinnias Make the Most Beautiful Cut Flowers?

Although almost any variety of zinnia has the potential to make an excellent and lovely cut flower, some types perform better than others. Flower farmers who pick bouquets weekly to sell at farmer’s markets, for bouquet subscriptions, and to local florists typically use the ones listed here as their go-to suppliers.

You can purchase these varieties as mixes or individual colors if you want to stick to a specific color palette. This is convenient.

Top 5 Zinnia for Good Cut Flowers

Benary’s Giant

Benary’s Giant is one of the most popular zinnia varieties that flower growers cultivate in their greenhouses. Large, double blooms that can reach a diameter of up to four inches are produced by this plant. This gorgeous cut flower stands out in the garden and a vase due to the vibrant colors of its blooms, which include red, yellow, orange, white, pink, and even purple.

Queen Series

It’s highly regarded by commercial and amateur flower growers and home gardeners. The flowers have a width of approximately three inches and have lengthy stems. The palette comprises five tones: rose, rust, orange, lime, and blush.

Oklahoma Series

It produces blooms of medium size on sturdy stems, making them the ideal choice for enhancing the appearance of larger flowers when arranged in a vase. They come in various colors, including orange, white, pink, and even more options besides those. This year, I’ve planted salmon-colored flowers in my garden because they go so well with the Queen series flowers I already have.

State Fair Mix

It is a perennial variety that will provide you with an abundance of large, open double, and semi-double blooms throughout the summer. The width of the flowers ranges from three to five inches, and they can be shades of pink, red, orange, and other colors. This classic cutting variety is more resistant to fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, which is the bane of any zinnia grower’s existence. Its beautiful blooms are another reason why every garden should include this zinnia.

Zinderella Series

They have a bloom shaped like a cupcake and a rounded top with a fringe of petals around the edge. Some gardeners and flower growers do not find this variety to be successful for them. Some claim that the flowers cannot reliably produce their distinctive bloom shape during the cooler summer months and that they instead revert to producing single or semi-double blooms.

Even if this occurs to you, you will still be able to take pleasure in the brilliant colors and the odd bloom in the shape of a cupcake. It is still a good idea to try out this different flavor!