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Post by gianna on Feb 6, 2021 13:24:58 GMT -5
Ive fallen into the Zinnia rabbithole. I've never grown them much because I was not drawn to the very double beehive types, extremely bright yellows, shocking pinks, and reds that the most commonly grown ones seem to exhibit. But recently I've seen some types that to me, are just gorgeous, and I'm now growing them. But the seed can be relatively expensive, sold out, and for some, virtually impossible to get. So I'm finding work-arounds of self saving the seeds, and now, growing them from cuttings. The Queen Lime series is more accessible, and I am growing those now. These come in 4 color forms - red, orange, blush, and lime. Google image search shows how nicely muted they are. But the holy grail to me are the Unicorn mix from Florets. freshcutky.co/2020/08/24/florets-unicorn-mix-zinnias-theyre-gorgeous/ I was able to get one packet in their recent sale, but they are pricey and gone so quickly and not available again till next year. A big complication of course is that it's now winter, and zinnias are heat-loving summer annuals. But a technicality such as that is just a minor deterrent to a crazy person (don't judge)... So I'm growing them now. Germinated inside, grown in small containers outside during the day when there is sun, and brought in for a few hours of additional LED light morning and evening. Did I say 'fallen into a rabbithole'? Even in this frost-free area, it's too chilly to put them in the ground now, so when they are large enough, theyll be transplanted into two gallon pots and put in all sun against the house. I have about a dozen of the Queen Lime series already in 2 gal pots and living outside, and they are just about to bloom. The other really cool thing about Zinnias that I never knew, is they are very easy to take cuttings from. The set-up for a bright, high humidity chamber can be difficult, but the cuttings themselves seem to root very easily. From the Queen Lime plants now growing outside, I made cuttings from side shoots just over a week ago - and many are already showing healthy roots!!! I'm using net/mesh cups for this for better aeration, and many roots are sticking through the bottoms and sides. Who knew? I also plan to do a lot of seed saving from these and others I plan to sow when the weather warms more. This is a great pandemic distraction.
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Post by tom π on Feb 6, 2021 15:08:57 GMT -5
I have a large area in volunteer zinnias. They reseed and come back each year. They need thinning, weeding, and sometimes spraying for powdery mildew.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Feb 6, 2021 15:19:13 GMT -5
Love Zinnias! My Granddaughter at four years old saw a packet of seeds on the store shelf and had to have them. They are gorgeous, thrive in the heat, and reseed dependably. We add different varieties every year. Bees and butterflies love them, and they are a big feature in the garden, and cut for tabletop arrangements.
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Post by Mumsey on Feb 6, 2021 16:42:55 GMT -5
They don't self seed here. But I save lots of their seeds. gianna , I grew the Green Envy ones a few years ago. Saved the seed for fun, since it's a hybrid it came back a really pretty orange! The green ones were beautiful.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Feb 6, 2021 17:10:24 GMT -5
Most of ours are hybrids and differ from year to year, and we don't mind. We get everything from deep purple to pure white to orange and red ... and all points in-between.
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Post by tom π on Feb 6, 2021 18:04:29 GMT -5
Bees and butterflies love them And gold finches. Zinnias to me say "joy". They brighten up a place. I do not grow modern commercial zinnias but a strain I have had for forty years.
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Post by gianna on Feb 7, 2021 0:40:08 GMT -5
They don't self seed here. But I save lots of their seeds. gianna , I grew the Green Envy ones a few years ago. Saved the seed for fun, since it's a hybrid it came back a really pretty orange! The green ones were beautiful. They don;'t self-seed here either. There are so many birds that pass through, including flocks of quail and all the babies, that seeds just get eaten. And I'd rather have the quail. I've grown Zinnias occasionally the past few years, and there has not been one seedling that appeared on it's own. Some of the first seed I planted in December and grew this year was from saved seed from a single flowered variety called Forecast from Burpee. It had pretty muted colors. I picked the first flower today. Also a single, but a clear red color. There had not been any red flowers in the original packet, and I havent grown any other Zinnias. One of the things I want to do with the more hoity-toity Zinnias I'm planting is to save seed. They are not F1 hybrids, though I'd bet their ancestry is rather mixed. The plan is to cover flowers before they are in full bloom with mesh bags to prevent out-crossing. Not sure what I'll get, but I'd rather not have to buy seed every year.
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Post by gianna on Feb 7, 2021 0:43:56 GMT -5
Most of ours are hybrids and differ from year to year, and we don't mind. We get everything from deep purple to pure white to orange and red ... and all points in-between. I also purchased seed from more traditional OP zinnias, so if the flowers are not covered, and I save seed, it will be a real genetic buffet. I look forward to a general diversity in some, but more control from others (if possible). It's all part of the experiment.
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Post by gianna on Feb 7, 2021 0:47:39 GMT -5
Bees and butterflies love them, and they are a big feature in the garden, and cut for tabletop arrangements. I currently have iceland poppies blooming, and they are a real hit with the bees, with some having at least 8 bees at a time crawling all over the stamens. A real treat to see. I look forward to the same attraction with the zinnia flowers. One of the reasons for growing zinnias is to having more bouquets in the house, as well as giving bouquets away.
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Post by davidjp on Feb 7, 2021 0:52:40 GMT -5
Iβm a big fan of zinnias, really good return for investment it seems to me. Iβve grown a few of the Benary varieties which are good but I almost prefer some of the simpler ones. A good deep red scarlet is nice
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Post by Mumsey on Feb 7, 2021 5:58:24 GMT -5
gianna, Zinnias look nice in a big pot with lemon grass in the center. I do that for deck pots.
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Post by gianna on Feb 7, 2021 11:06:49 GMT -5
Iβm a big fan of zinnias, really good return for investment it seems to me. Iβve grown a few of the Benary varieties which are good but I almost prefer some of the simpler ones. I definitely prefer the more simple ones - like the one in your photo. Either singles or semi-doubles. I perfer the ones that show a nice show of disc flowers with the ring of yellow star-shaped florets. Those look like real flowers to me, while those that are very double ones seem less so. Zinnias seem quite variable in form as to singles and doubles. I want to figure out what sort of conditions give me the form I prefer and not the extreme double ones - though many people seem to want to go the other direction. Obviously genetics is prominent, but the environment must play some sort of role. This is the Zinnia that really drew my attention a few years ago, and the flowers I've just picked from saved seed - nothing like the parental plants in terms of color, lol. And no other variety growing anywhere nearby. www.burpee.com/flowers/zinnias/zinnia-forecast-prod500078.html
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Post by gianna on Feb 7, 2021 11:18:34 GMT -5
Zinnias look nice in a big pot with lemon grass in the center. I do that for deck pots. Growing some in big pots is in the plans too. I think they will look really nice. I currently have 7 nursery pots (15 gal) on the drive with Iceland poppies blooming. Just lovely! I'm intending to move those pots out eventually and replace them with 5 or maybe 7 eclectic, large terracottas with Zinnias. Using the clay pots was in the original plans, but I feared hitting them with the car when backing out (it's on a curve), but I dislike the look of the nursery pots there. With the pandemic, I'm not exactly driving much anyway. So I get to use the pots I prefer soon enough. So one breaks - what am I saving them for? Those pots is where I intend to put all the cuttings I'm rooting from the Queen Lime series. Eventually.
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Post by datgirl on Feb 7, 2021 15:02:09 GMT -5
gianna,thanks for reminding me how pretty Zinnias are. I'll have to pick up some seeds.
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Post by binnylou on Feb 7, 2021 17:03:10 GMT -5
This one is new for me this year...www.superseeds.com/products/giant-wine-zinnia-sold-out And I have lots of leftovers from previous years, including some saved seed from a petite white zinnia introduced to me by lisaann .
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