Zinnia time.....continued

WOW! 5 zone changes. A lot must have changed.

~Daniel

My thumbelina sprouts are stagnating. I suspect that they would like more light or warmth. I'll try to find room for another light.

Here in Wichita,we have a south wind 10 to 20 mph a lot during the summer time,and the giant zinnias could not stand that much wind,and I planted very close together,and when the thunderstorms appeared with high winds,it took them down to the ground.
I ended up putting bamboo canes in the ground and tying them up,this year I might build panels out of the bamboo and place in the ground before planting the seeds.

I was doing some planting and clean up in the garden yesterday (if you're interested or nosy you can read my blog here) and there were the corpses of the zinnias, 5 feet or more, still standing upright...The Achilleas were very green and really branched out, can't wait to see them bloom. (Last year was the first time I grew them from seed.) The packet lied as usual, it said they were first year bloomers. A couple Gallardias made it, and the Kniphofia (red hot poker) seedlings were fine as well.

I'm having HUNDREDS of baby plants of all sorts(from Abelmoscus to Zantedechia and everything in between, almost,lol) under fleuroscent lights now. Groweth is phenominal. I can't wait till SPRING!!!
Daffs are nearly 2"... I'll tell ALL when they bloom! lol.

Tropic, so sorry on your Zinnias. Maybe better luck next(this) year...
The wind from the Once-In-A-Century Hurricane Ike took down pretty much every thing in my garden in 2008. It even did away with part of a maple tree! I remember driving the next day and seeing thousands of tree, buildings, ect down or damaged. Hurricanes are definately not nice.

I got this 'lux' catalog in the mail that advertised lots of bedding plants at exhorbitant prices. Great pix though. They have Petchoas! Those Callie and Petunia crosses, remember BB??? They got lots of Impatiens that look identical to roses and some Sweet potatoes that look like mouldy peppermint candies! Ipomoea batatas 'Tricolor' I think is the name...

Well, snow is very near nil point, maybe some soil will decide to bring forth Iris, Hibiscus, Hydrangea, Herbs, Salvia, and of course Zinnias soon???

~Daniel

Thanks Daniel,
Your garden is like an alphabet,from A to Z,now that is exciting!
I think I could keep things in order and remembering them better,if I did that too!

Hi, Im back.. WOW, take 6 days away and you guys swamped me!

Yeah, Danny, the callies! Somewhar will have to dig that thread up again! LOL!

Shooooot... im still stuck in frostyville here in the weather.. nothing blooming yet....although I noticed my hostas, daffs and some other bulbs were about 3-4 inches. My rose has some sprouts on it.. YEEEEE_GADS the yardwork I have. BUt on the good side, they are talking 50's by weeks end. Is spring here to stay now?

I just did my front lawn in Milkie Spore.. the gophers made a landmine out of it in its entirety and I dont know where to start!

Guess I will take tonite and get caughtup on threads then get back to other stuff. OY!

Welcome Baccck !
Same here 50's are coming by weeks end!

Thanks Tropicman! Man I was suffern PC withdrawers!

wow! I was looking for Tropicman and found this thread.. I got the same three from lowes that you did , Don, how weird is that?

this was my favorite last year.. it was in with the salmon and fuscia four o clocks

you must be physic.

Zinnas, my favorite flower. Can't wait. I start them always outdoors with no trouble.

The thumbelina didn't make it in the window box, must be either old seeds or not enough light/warmth. I'll have to wait until summer for regular garden zinnias.

Im gonna direct sow mine as soon as the weather will let me.

Me too.I am growing zinnias for the first time this year. I want them in containers as well as the garden

I think I am gonna just put them in a row, all mixed up. This year my best laid plans have kind of gotten waylaid due to illness so its one day at a time on what we get done.

I do both, containers and in the garden..

Have you found the tall zinnia varieties are too tall for containers?
This will be my first year adding zinnias to planters

I am trying to get away from rows, so I am going to plant patches and groups.

absolutly.
I scatter in the area where I want them.

I like patches and groups.. en masse plantings are always awesome!

I am back!

Last week it was snowing again, yesterday was 83F. Weird?

There are soooo many plant up/going to be up that it's hard to count. My Daffs are at their peak, bringing much needed color. Tulips are next!
While I was digging in one area, I found three more Johnny-jump-ups. They were moved to the herbs. All the herbs look fantastic now. The peony has buds(flower!)
Mint tea will be coming back soon...

The Lady in Red Hydrangea came back! With flowering branches! YAY!

Forsythias are covering Eastgate, Mount Orab, Sardina, Williamsburg, etc with yellow. At the exit to enter Williamsburg, there is a grouping of Daffs with at least 4,000 bulbs. There is another at the exit to exit too. And my Dandilions are blooming. Yellow is everywhere!

Debra, I like that white one! White is my fav for Zinnias. Orange is probably next.

It has been so warm lately that I am considering starting my warm weather planting, headed by MGs and Zinnias!

Has anybody planted Zinnias yet, outdoors?

~Daniel

Not yet Danny....I have fallen behind in a lot of my intended planting.

I got taters in about a week ago and that is as far as the outdoor planting has gone.

I did move my housemums to the GPS.

But no zinnias. I gotta catch up on cuttings and do not plan to put anything outside until after the 19th.

Ohio is lovely this time of year. But Hah! you got snow! We been having rain, sun... I anticipate some hard frosts yet and though I do not want any snow, it would not surprize me. Just about the time my double daffs alwasy seem to bloom we get a blooming killing frost or snow. They are budding.. but will be a week to 10 days before they pop if at all, weather depending.

My hyacinthc bloomed today

I threw out zinnias last week everywhere.. my whirly gigs i started inside are third leafs now..

Daniel...I am jealous! It is still muddy after all the rain and snow. Another storm is due to hit us tomorrow with snow, again! I have not even started my zinnias. I suppose it is time to start them, though. Once Old Man Winter leaves the Springtime zones, and just before the long hot summer arrives, I hope to have my Zinnias blooming.

This picture was taken 3-31...

I started growing zinnias under fluorescents but moved to halogens, as the stems were etylated and spindly. Still looking for a solution, I decided to move everything out to the greenhouse once they had germinated.
As I consider transplanting, I am faced with the difficult choice of letting the zinnia firm up on its own under the sun, or give it a bit of help, planting some of the stem into the soil, for propping. I have not used more than a fish emulsion spray on the seedlings, tho am about to begin to add liquid orchid bloom and calcium nitrate to my drip tape, using a mazza injector. I am not sure if the etylation is caused by lack of sunlight entirely, but it might be the main cause. Thoughts ?

I put the seed tray/cup in a clear plastic container, add some potting mix to cover the cups/trays about a half inch high, spray with mister for a sec, and put the lid on, set under my picnic table for a coupple days, then take the lid off, and let them harden under the dappled light, pull them out into the sun for the last half of the day for a few days, then transplant. That is what I do with my seedlings of all kinds. I wait until I see lows are in the 50s'.
hope someone else has an answer for you..
Happy Easter and have a blessed day!
Debra

Daniel,

I have sowed at least a half pound of Carrousel zinnia in a bed in the greenhouse, ten feet by three feet...and I will use a holland waterwheel planter (using the strawberry- planting- sized "arms" to plant them. I planted the zinnias in strips, as I did for my barley and alfalfa, and will cut them into pieces about half inch square, and put them in the ground around April 15th, if I am able. I will transplant into the ground covering them with hoops and plastic, as well as a floating row cover...depending on the weather, I will remove the plastic.

As I am a first year flower grower, I am most grateful to the list for suggestions as well as concerns they might hear as I write. Also, I am happy to post pics of the various flowers, some from you, which I am growing, including a wide variety of zinnias. Still have to work out the drip irrigation in the field, as it is a long way from the house, about 500 feet...but there is a high water table, so I am hoping I will be able to wait a little longer before I have to get my head around that project. Will plant and lay drip, but don't think I will be able to get it hooked up yet, as I am building 7 more 12 x 48 greenhouses, as well as trying to get the greenhouse plants grown well and planted out into hot frames as soon as I can. I have another ten thousand seedlings coming in the grow room in about two-three weeks time and I need to keep the plants
moving into the fields....even if I am risking some cold nights....I figure the double cover, high water table, and early summer (perhaps) will let me off the hook of one mistake many make up here.

Thanks again for your help in getting started.
John

I was considering planting my Salvia plants, but there's a possiblity of a frost tomorrow night!

John, how many Zinnia seeds are in a half-pound? Close to 1,000 I would think. Sounds great over there. Greenhouses, fields to plant in already, and Zinnias!
Are you having troubles with Zinnias? I think that they hate being started indoors. GH's around here don't even carry Zinnia plants, except for the occasional dwarf cultivar. Most Zinnias will start blooming in just 6-7 weeks if they are sown at "peak" time. Today, the temps are "peak". But tomorrow will be too cool. well... Spring has sprung...

Evelyn, winter storms in April? And in zone 8? What's happening? lol. I saw some swallows and 2 goldfinches yesterday. I think that means something.

Well, at last I finished my lettuce yesterday. And I planted my other Cabbage. Rain is necessary... A thunderstorm delivered a 5-minute shower, which didn't even soak down to 3 inches.

Time for a new thread? Getting a little long...

Okey Dokey!
Lets keep her going!

Where we going???

Over here
Over there
Yes spring is a coming
over there!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1086141/

zzzzoooom!

As we are about to grow zinnias, or are, who among the group would care to share their fertigation techniques ? I just sprayed, for the first time, orchid bloom on the greenhouse zinnias, and they loved it. I had used Fish emulsion, since they were "born" and, apart from the smell, can't say it hurt. So, now, before planting out....what about ammonium nitrate for transplanting ? Last year, all I did for the "boys" (sorry, ladies) was spray some liquid seaweed and I was quite impressed. Does anyone wish to augment my regime ? Oh, today I bought some GreenCure....as well as some of the bug spray, from Bayer, that Zen Man wrote about, as it looks like this year it will be the bugs that reign....what are you all thinking ?

John

Direct sowing and taking what comes! But then thats just me for my "girls"!

Horse poo.

Nothing frastic.

Unfortunately, money is an object.

I was thinking of putting some chicken poop into a 55 gal drum and using it for fertigation. Yes, the store-bought stuff is expensive. But, $50, or so, in the scheme of things, growing in a greenhouse, well, it isn't as much, for instance, as the propane. An old farmer told me to use manure at the bottom of the holes for tomatoes, I wonder if it would be good for zinnias, too ?

Use sparingly,as fresh, will burn your plants if too much is used!

yES, WATER THAT CHICKEN POO DOWN TO A TEA...YOU DONT WANT IT TOO DARK OR MURKY, MAKE IT SOMEWHAT SO THE WATER AND POO IS TRANSPARENT, BUT NOT TOO LIGHT.

A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY!

I dont know if there are test strips available to measure, but I have always gon by eye and color of the tea.

my zinnias just get what ever they rest of the yard and garden gets.. between the birds,squirrels, the dog and the Kens Mix, we do just fine.
My zinnia whirly gigs and old mexicos are ready to transplant. I planted some polar bear whites, and the zowies, green envy, rose Queen and my tropical sunsets. Still have the mangoes and the reds to go. Canary yellows will be spread out tommorrow..

I see you must be gardening in the moon light!