Seed Starting
MAY 24, 2024
Flower bug bit ya?
This week we're talking about flower seeds you can PLANT NOW and still have time to enjoy them before fall.
But first: let's talk about days to maturity.
Have you ever noticed on the seed packet, there's a little set of numbers? Usually, those numbers indicate the days to maturity. Days to maturity is the estimated number of days from planting in the garden (not starting in trays) to blooms beginning.
Here's where all those elapsed time word problems from third grade come into play… let's try this with zinnias:
Zinnias started indoors on May 24 → ready to transplant outdoors June 14 → begin blooming Aug 23 → blooms until Oct 15 or Nov 1 (ish depending on weather) = 1.5 months of flowers
So it it “too late” to plant zinnias? No! But factor in that you likely won't see the blooms until August, and they'll slow production once it cools down in Oct.
Want them sooner? Skip starting indoors and “direct sow” - push the seed directly into the garden soil, to a depth of twice the width of the seed. You'll probably see blooms 2 weeks sooner, but make sure to keep the tender shoots protected from pests!
All of the flowers in today's email can be direct sown :)
01. COSMOS
75-90 days to maturity:
Planting cosmos now would give you flowers in mid-late August. Cosmos actually prefer shorter day length, so these may bloom through October, but make sure they're in a sunny spot
2. ZINNIAS
75-90 days to maturity:
Several zinnia varieties look gorgeous paired with sunflowers in fall bouquets. Start seeds today that read fall, like red-lime and giant wine.
03. SUNFLOWERS
55-75 days to maturity:
One of the fastest flowers to bloom, single stem sunflowers will usually bloom in just 2 months (but only one flower); branching sunflowers will produce lots of flower heads - more bang for your buck!
4. MARIGOLDS
70-90 days to maturity:
Marigolds are a quintessential fall flower in Texas, and I love to have mine blooming during Dia de los Muertos. I plant the White Swan variety in spring, and Coco Gold or Giant Orange in summer.
Thank you so much for reading!
Still have questions? The Bungalow Blooms question box is open every Wednesday!
JOIN THE BUNGALOW BLOOMS NEWSLETTER
If you’ve enjoyed this, our newsletter delivers a mini lesson weekly to your inbox. We only email when we have something important to say and respect your privacy + inbox space.
Bungalow Blooms partners with affiliate platforms where commission may be earned based on clicks and or purchases, and I would love it if you decided to use the links above! Affiliate links help me to fund free content.