Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Benary's Giant Coral Zinnia, Giant Coral Zinnia (Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral').
More about zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral'
About Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral'
Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral' · also called Benary's Giant Coral Zinnia, Giant Coral Zinnia · flowering
'Benary's Giant Coral' is a tall florist zinnia bearing large, fully double, dahlia-form blooms in soft coral-salmon on strong, long stems. Prized as a cut flower, it flowers profusely from midsummer to frost and draws bees and butterflies. It wants full sun, warm soil and good airflow, and rewards regular cutting with even more buds.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Japanese beetles and aphids: Beetles chew blooms and foliage while aphids cluster on buds. Hand-pick beetles and treat aphids with a strong water spray or insecticidal soap.
The reasons zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:
- Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
- Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
- The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
- Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
- It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.
Feeding zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
The fix — how to get zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
- Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
- Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
- Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.
Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' and get the feeding right with the zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.
Bloom season and what to expect
Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
Post-bloom care so it flowers again
Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.
For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' flower?
Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
How do I make zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' bloom?
Give zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
When does zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' normally bloom?
Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' after it flowers?
Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' flowering?
Feeding zinnia elegans 'benary's giant coral' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Coral' fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
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- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 2023 bloom guides in the Growli library