How To Prune Zinnias To Have A Bounty Of Colorful Cut Flowers At Home

The pop of orange, pink, purple, or red from beautiful zinnia flowers can brighten any garden. So who wouldn't want more of the hardy and easy-to-grow annual plants? We've got tips on how to prune zinnias so that you can create the most gorgeous flowers for your indoor bouquets. 

Zinnias belong to the Aster family and are native to Mexico and the southwestern U.S. They are a gardener's favorite, and even rank among must-have flowers by celebrity decorators and gardeners. In fact, they are among Joanna Gaines' favorite flowers in her cutting garden. It's largely because zinnias are relatively easy to grow for either novice or veteran gardeners as long as you have well-drained soil and plenty of sun. They tend to grow quickly and adapt to a number of climates, thriving in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 2 through 11. 

What you might not know is that the way you prune zinnias can determine how many flowers bloom in the first place — cut those flowers just after they blossom so that the plant can give you the most flowers for as long as it's warm. All you need are protective gloves and a sharp pair of clean, garden shears. If you want to grow zinnia flowers again next year, one of the best ways is to harvest seeds from the flower buds themselves since they are a self-seeding flower. This also means that your zinnias can drop seeds at the end of every flowering season, and can regrow where they're planted.

Pruning is an essential part of caring for zinnias. The more you cut your zinnias, the more flowers they're likely to produce. So don't wait for a flower to wither and die on the stem and then deadhead it. Take these pretty flowers before they begin to wilt — but after their blooms open – to make beautiful bouquets for your kitchen table. 

Before you get to snipping, grab your garden gloves. Some people are allergic to zinnia sap as it contains some alkaloids, like nicotine, that can irritate your skin. Start cutting zinnias when the plant is about 8 inches tall and has grown at least two sets of leaves. To begin, cut the zinnia flower at its base, beneath the last pair of leaves, ideally right above where two stems intersect in a "V". This will encourage more stems to grow outward instead of upward.

Always make an angled cut, so that the flower will be better able to absorb water in your vase. It's also a good idea to have a vase or bucket of water nearby as you're cutting so that you can tuck newly cut flowers into warm or lukewarm water and help extend their life. If you're not getting a lot of zinnia blooms to cut, it might be poor sunlight or overwatering. To care for zinnia plants growing in your flower beds, wait until the top inch or so of soil is dry before watering again.