It can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 15
zen_man
13 years ago
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zen_man
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
It can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 21
Comments (113)JG, "Does your pink flower have patches of white in it? What else do you have there?" It doesn't seem to have patches of white, just the side effect of poor growing conditions. As for what is what, last year I grew a huge mixture. I think I had Zahara Coral, Big Red, Giant Flowered Mixed, Envy, Candy Cane, Thumbelina, and some kind of white zinnia seed, plus my own from previous years. As you've mentioned, I can definitely see some traits from before. Here's a picture of my little raised bed, with zinnias growing between peppers. They're all pink except possibly the one in the foreground, which appears to be yellow with an orange center. I'm really hoping that it is yellow, because the only yellow flowers that I had last year were from my very first zinnia plant, which was yellow, maybe 4 or 5 years ago. That's not to say that the flower couldn't have gotten the yellow from elsewhere, but I'd like to imagine it came from my plant. I'm eagerly keeping an eye on that one. Also, JG, the latest zinnias that you posted are absolutely gorgeous. I'm guessing it's your camera, but they all have a very pleasant soft glow to them. ZM, nice explanation about the seeds. That's a good solid technique. I have experimented with germinating embryos as well and can confirm that they do behave like you've described, coming up much sooner because of the seed husk. I'm more of an indoor growing person myself, and I'm going to grow zinnias this winter. I may experiment with some odd techniques to see what could happen, like intentionally bending the stems and shaping the plant, cutting liberally and watching what comes of it. I will keep everyone updated for sure. Here's a "Common Buckeye" butterfly sipping some nectar on this hot day:...See MoreIt can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 16
Comments (104)JG, "Where does the main stem of that plant go into the ground?" The main stem goes into the ground pretty near the center of the picture I posted. "Do you know what the parents were?" The shrub zinnia's ID code is E13 and its maternal parent was coded C72 and the shrub was planted indoors 22 April 2011. C72 was an echinacea flowered "scabi", as was its maternal parent, C46. The shrub zinnia's male parent must have been some sort of large flowered non-scabious. It's kind of odd that the shrub comes from a long line of scabious specimens. Its main stem and its laterals are all very long -- so long that they can't stand up under their own weight. All of the main stems are lying on the ground unable to support their weight. Most of what you see are the secondary branches emerging from the primary branches. If this thing had a couple more months in which to develop, I suspect that those secondary branches would also collapse onto the ground and throw up long tertiary branches. I am not pleased that the thing can't stand under its own weight, so I remain somewhat skeptical as to how its progeny will prove themselves. But E13 does have a very unique plant form. "With the toothy, scabious dahlia, and shaggy dog type zinnias along with this shrub zinnia, you have lots going!" Grin. And don't forget the Bugle zinnia (E2). I spent nearly an hour today applying Bugle pollen to The Shrub because E13 didn't put out any pollen florets of its own today. This recent toothy bloom had an interesting recurved petal form. It wasn't wilting -- it was just holding its petals that way. It has since straightened out its petals some, but they are still recurved. I am doing a lot of toothy-to-toothy crossing in order to hopefully build up a supply of seeds for a larger toothy planting next year. But I am using some toothy pollen on other breeders, and I have been crossing some non-toothy pollen onto toothies. One toothy has been getting some Bugle pollen. "If you knew someone in the country where it is hot and sunny year round, it would be interesting to transplant that "shrub" and see just how extensive it could get." That would be interesting. I think there is actually at least one zinnia species that is a shrub in the wild. More later. Our nights are getting too cold for comfort. It was 46 last night, with 48 predicted for tonight. There were frost warnings not too far north of here for last night. ZM...See MoreIt can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 35
Comments (106)ZM - major storm here last night - thunder and lightening (one strike very close - will walk the property to see if I see damage), followed by heavy rain and hailstones that sounded like they were the size of marbles, though I didn't go outside in the dark at 2 or 3 AM to confirm it. The cats inside were a bit freaked. One of the ferals who typically eats with the inside crew was out all night; came back soaked this morning. There are many places to shelter in the area, so I imagine he wasn't out in the worst, just wet from the transit. Anyway, now bring on some heat and this place will really see the green. The 40 seed packets was a rough estimate, but it's not all. This is just the first wave. However, some of those packets have no more than 3 seeds a piece, specifically some of the zinnias that I am starting early. I don't want many of those right now when they will need to be taking up light space for more than 2 months. Today I will start the teeny-tinies in 6-cell plastic planters with my Baccto propagation mix: petunias, lobelia, nicotiana, some campanula, etc. I've decided again that I am very satisfied with the way this propagation mix performs. I wet it first before I ever plant, then water the seeds in. From then on, as long as I don't let the mix get bone-dry, it will take water in immediately without danger of run-off, as some mixes do. The price is steep - about $24 per 2 cu ft, but I feel the quality's worth it. Oh dang - just went to look at the radar map to see if I could tell you if the storm was moving down your way, and I see we are about to be clobbered again BIG TIME. Lights just flashed out and came back on - better send this and get off line.- Alex...See MoreIt can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 51
Comments (146)OK this is good stuff ZM. I was at first blush ignoring features, instead focusing on learning mechanisms,,BUT as you wisely allude, they are one in the same, to wit: the cone IS the floret factory. And while I am aesthetically SO not a conehead fan (at least at this hour), it is so very helpful to understand that this despisable (to me) "tumor" on top of this delicate flower is indeed part of the whole operation. OK OK learning slow but sure. So now I can emesh some aesthetic thinking in my mechanical procedures. On that score, this very morning, my first breached green seed sprouted (seven days and nights I've been sweating), but doggone it I believe it is happening. I've got two rows of breach tests going on, one barely nicked, and two days ago a much more agressive scalping to see if I observe germination differernces. My first hybrid attemp is in day 17 of finished pollinating, will hold off another week to ten days to start pulling./breaching/planting seeds. Woo hoo, more fun than a barrel of politicians. John, appreciatively Low mountains Veracruz PS The colored petals in your foto are indeed gorgeous, undeniably. I also think that Zowie thing is particularly disgusting, but that's just me....See Morezen_man
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
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12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
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12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
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12 years agolast modified: 9 years agozen_man
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agojackier_gardener
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12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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