Zinnia

Uproar Rose

To find a tall, cut-flower-type zinnia available as a transplant at local garden centers beside shorter landscape zinnia like Dreamland and Magellan is like finding a four-leaf clover: improbably delightful.

Unlike those shorter cousins, Uproar Rose offers a bounty of blossoms all summer. When spaced as recommended, they also show a good level of powdery mildew resistance.

Mid-July is an opportune time to plant zinnias, with plenty of growing time between now and autumn’s first frost. They prefer full sun to put on their most dazzling performance.

Prepare beds by incorporating 3 - 4 inches of organic matter and 2 pounds of a slow release 12-6-6 fertilizerper 100 square feet of bed space. Direct-seed, or set out transplants that have little to no color showing.

Thin seedlings to around 6 to 8 inches for the vigorous growth that is about to occur. Mulch when the seedlings are large enough or after setting out transplants. Side-dress the young plants in six to eight weeks with light applications of fertilizer.

Cut-flower growers usually grow them in rows to facilitate daily cuttings.

In the landscape, Uproar zinnias work in a cottage setting, in a pollinator garden  simply as a taller form of intense rose in a living bouquet of mixed colors. Uproar zinnias also excel artistically in designer containers.