Hi Alex,

" Your RDs have a name in the gardening community. "

Razzle Dazzle Gaillardias have been in the gardening community for quite some time. I think that only a very small segment of the gardening community is aware of my RD zinnias at the present time. But the Razzle Dazzles are a "different look" in zinnias, and I think they do have a future as a zinnia strain, particularly after they get larger blooms, better plants, and a wider color range.

" Better get that strain stabilized and start marketing! :) "

I take note of your "Smiley" at the end of that statement. But I do grow zinnias just for fun, and I want to postpone the commercial aspects to years in the future. And that postponement is not artificial -- there is a lot of progress that needs to be made before these babies are "ready for prime time." And sometimes I can be a bit "pokey". More later.

ZM

ZM - yes, I was ribbing you, but it's true that the guy was referring specifically to Razzle Dazzle Zinnias. Must have been following your thread, but not very closely, obviously.

Hey, did yall get that big ice/snow/thunderstorm that passed through here day before yesterday? Wind blowing mostly from the east, which means that our woodstove sometimes can start to smoke like crazy. It was all kinda scary, to tell the truth. All sorts of trees down around the area I noticed when we were out and about today. We only lost power for an instant fortunately. Just a dusting of snow today, but more coming next week according to the weather forecast.

- Alex

Hi Alex,

" Hey, did yall get that big ice/snow/thunderstorm that passed through here day before yesterday? "

It was just a cold rain by the time it got to us. Essentially no lightning. We did get a lot of wind with it, but, hey, this is Kansas, and we get wind with pretty much everything. We were on propane heat, so no smoke reversal down the chimney. We get lots of smaller limbs down after every storm. We have an impressive brush pile where we put the limbs. This Spring I will probably put some of that brush through our shredder-chipper.

This is one of my current Woollies that is a bit more colorful than the average for Woollies.

ZM

ZM - once again I have chipper-envy. Sigh. Only in my dreams.

13 degrees this morning when I woke up, but the really cold day predicted is Saturday, or more properly, Sunday morning when we supposedly drop below 0*. [ASIDE: why do the weather sites do that - list the low as actually on the day before? Why not list the temps as they occur: the low in the morning of the true date, and the high later in the day? Presumably to give you a heads-up on what to expect in the morning, but it's confusing and irritating. I'm always flipping ahead to the next day and checking the graphs to make sure. Add this to the list of THINGS THAT IRRITATE ALEX]. The good news is that they keep shifting the projected temps up. I'm doubting now that we will even hit zero. Hoping, anyway.

I have put in my order for propagation mix to the Farm & Garden Supply (so glad I found a local operation that will order for me); I have seeds winter-sowed outside and some in the fridge. All my seeds have come in from my catalog orders. Will go today to buy some lumber for the installation of the new indoor nursery area - getting excited about starting some seeds under lights!

Show us some more pics of your current blossoms, please. Any new bedheads?

- Alex

Hi Alex,

" Why not list the temps as they occur: the low in the morning of the true date, and the high later in the day? "

They should do that. I think TV Weather Girls are picked more for how fetching they look in a dress rather than their detailed knowledge of weather issues.

On the subject of zinnias, I am becoming more aware of the plants themselves, in addition to their more obvious bloom characteristics. Professional zinnia breeders seem to believe that long slender sharp leaves are superior to, or would be superior to, the more usual broader blunter zinnia leaf shapes. There is actual corroboration of that opinion in this link: Zinnia leaves that are long and narrow are desirable.

Incidentally, you might want to explore the book in that link as much as it is accessible, because it is one of the more authoritative zinnia references. I have owned that book for several years. It is expensive, but I considered it an investment in my hobby. It covers the breeding of many different flowers.

Anyhow, thanks to the magic of multi-hybrid recombinance, I do have a few plants with those long slender sharp "spear point" leaves.

Our weather was semi-mild yesterday afternoon, so I was able to get in some outdoor pot washing. I use the garden hose with a jet nozzle and a concrete builders block as a pot holder to do a "rough clean" of my pots, and I finish them up indoors in 5-gallon buckets of soapy water and rinse water. It's not too different from dish washing. Incidentally, we wash our dishes by hand -- this rural farmhouse did not come equipped with a built-in dishwasher. More later. Take a look at that book.

ZM

ZM -

Incidentally, you might want to explore the book in that link as much as
it is accessible, because it is one of the more authoritative zinnia
references. I have owned that book for several years. It is expensive,
but I considered it an investment in my hobby.

Looks like the book to have, but expensive - yes. Cheapest copy I see is a used pb for $65. I will keep my eyes open for it while book buying; you'd be surprised at the stuff that suddenly appears for us once we are aware of it.

In the meantime, I will used the tried and true method of "just do it and see what happens". I've got a bit of experience now with the zinnias, which will stand me in good stead when approaching these others. Would like to have had some advice on poppies, but will try it different ways - emasculating the seed parent before the pollen is ripe, for instance. It's easy to see the male and female parts on them, after all. Pansies and petunias I may resort in the beginning to pulling petals off so I can see better what I'm doing. Thank goodness I've got the OptiVisor.

So - let's get this party started!

BTW - never had a dish washer here either. Happily, I have a kitchen window which allows me to watch the wildlife (mostly cats and birds). And this year there will be a garden right outside my window - woo hoo!

- Alex

Hi Alex,

" Would like to have had some advice on poppies... "

I don't know of any book that covers breeding poppies. Tychonievich's book, Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener, covers poppy flower anatomy on pages 52-54. Do you have his book?

" Pansies and petunias I may resort in the beginning to pulling petals
off so I can see better what I'm doing. Thank goodness I've got the
OptiVisor. "

Welch's book, Breeding New Plants and Flowers, has a chapter on Pansies and Violas. The Flower Breeding and Genetics book has a whole chapter on Petunias. (Petunia seeds are too freakin' tiny for me to work with.) As you mentioned, with a little practical experience you will be well ahead of the books.

" Happily, I have a kitchen window which allows me to watch the wildlife... "

Our kitchen window over the sink where we wash our dishes also has a good view of our main garden and a lot of scenery beyond it.

This is one of my indoor zinnias that shows the influence of several factors in its flower form.

ZM

ZM - I'd call that one the Raggedy Ann - I like it! Those long narrow leaves are attractive to me, also - maybe you can breed some onto the Raggedy Anns.

Have gone looking at books; I see at eBay a used copy of Breeding Ornamental Plants edited by the Callaways that looks interesting. Do you have this one, and can recommend it? Also Welch's Breeding New Plants and Flowers that you mentioned is available - of the two can you make a comment? I'm more interested in the mechanics of the cross rather than theory. And I can grow things from seed fairly well without further instruction, so not particularly interested in that. And I have no desire to market anything, but wouldn't mind other thoughts on record-keeping which the Callaway edition includes. BTW - eBay prices on the Anderson book are even higher than what I see at Amazon. Freaking book pirates! It's one of the downfalls of the new computer-age bookselling trade that I truly HATE. Too many people selling that know nothing about books and only care about the money. Glad I got into the business before all this, so I got to experience what "true" bookselling was all about.

Deer! I forgot to mention I see a lot of deer out the kitchen window. They're out there now pawing up the snow. Lucky, though - it was 6* this morning, which is better than the minus 1* that was predicted. Temps should go up gradually from here. Very light snow at the moment. One set of my hybrid daylily seeds are starting to split their coats in the fridge. Need to get the plant shelves built!

- Alex

Hi Alex,

I very rarely see deer in our garden through the kitchen window, but do see their footprints in the garden weekly. Some are very deep, so I guess some of those deer must weigh a lot. Their incursions are probably nocturnal.

" I see at eBay a used copy of Breeding Ornamental Plants edited by the
Callaways that looks interesting. Do you have this one, and can
recommend it? "

I do have it. I bought it used many years ago. Mine was in perfect shape, and even came with a library jacket. Its plant coverage is limited to African Violets, Amaryllis, Ornamental Aroids, Camellias, Daffodils, Daylilies, Gesneriads, Hostas, Kalmias, Lilacs, Magnolias, Oaks, Penstemons, Rhododendrons & Azaleas, and Siberian Irises. The Callaways wrote the first two chapters, Genetics and its Applications and Plant Breeding--Practical Matters, and Dorothy Callaway collaborated with Ted Petit on the Breeding Daylilies chapter, but the other plant-specific chapters are written by individual experts. The book is illustrated, including some full color photos.

" Also Welch's Breeding New Plants and Flowers that you mentioned is
available - of the two can you make a comment? I'm more interested in
the mechanics of the cross rather than theory. "

Welch's book is much "skinnier" than the Callaways book, but Welch's covers a wider variety of plants, including African Violets, Aquilegias, Begonias, Chrysanthemums, Clematis, Daffodils and Tulips, Dahlias, Delphiniums, Fuchsias, Gladioli, Heathers, Irises, Lilies, Lupins, Pansies and Violas, Pelargoniums (Geraniums), Phlox, Pinks and Carnations, Primulas, Roses, and Sweet Peas. It also has a section on Fruit and Vegetables covering Potatoes, Tomatoes, Strawberries, Soft Fruits, Heathland Berries, Red-, Black- and Whitecurrants and Gooseberries (I love gooseberry pie and so did my Dad), Hard Fruits, and Vegetables. There is also a section on Shrubs.

Both Welch's book and the Callaway's book do a decent job of describing and showing the mechanics of crossing, including many photos and diagrams. The Anderson book has no coverage of mechanics. It is written for professionals who presumably are experienced and expert at the mechanics, or have people working for them who have those skills.

" BTW - eBay prices on the Anderson book are even higher than what I see
at Amazon. Freaking book pirates! It's one of the downfalls of the new
computer-age bookselling trade that I truly HATE. "

Amen to that. And you have to watch Amazon on the third party offerings. Occasionally you will see an out-of-print book that has a price that is 10 or even a hundred times the original price. Amazon should do a much better job of policing their site. Those inflated prices "imply" collectors value, but in many cases they are just used books offered in a "sucker" deal. Some of the most egregious offerings that I have seen have been in the subject field of Tissue Culture.

My little Whirligig variant now has side blooms. This is one of them.

ZM

ZM - wow! I really love that whirligig variant! The colors are wonderful, paired with the unique form. Looking forward to getting going SOON with my own garden.

Well, none of the books sound like exactly what I want, so unless I see an actual copy that convinces me, I suppose I will hold off for now. Rather save my money for buying things I know are what I want. I've got some general genetics books that I have been reading: Principles in Horticulture by E. Denisen and Plant Breeding and Genetics in Horticulture by C. North. Pretty dry stuff, but still useful. It's possible that Denisen is the same guy who published the propagation manuals I used to own - that gave all the low down on germination percentages in whatever conditions and after whatever storage. Sold my copies to a customer who came in asking specifically for them. Good info, but I don't really need them now, and she did.

Well, gotta go. Later - Alex

And we have first germination! My sempervivum seeds that I bought for the little rock garden area have germinated in the fridge. They are now transferred from the paper towel to plastic 6-pack cells. Doing nicely; had been a little nervous about starting anything so tiny on the paper toweling (though I've done it before - that's why i was nervous!), but decided if there was a problem, I'd just cut the paper towel into squares and plant them without trying to move the seeds. No problem moving them as it turned out since I caught them so soon.

My new plants shelves are in place now, and I am very excited about it. There's room for 12 flats, the flats being those plastic storage bins that are 23" x 16-1/4" x 6". Can't tell you right off how many pots that will hold, but I know from memory that they hold 14 6-packs or 40 (or less, depending on size) of the styrofoam cups I prefer to use for transplanting up. That's room for a lot of plants! And another plus is that there is ample room between the lights and the shelves so that I can start out elevating the flats with books or whatever to get them close to the lights, and then gradually remove the "booster seats" as the plants grow. The bottom level has a good 21" from ground to lights. And - further plus++ - either or both of the two bottom shelves could be removed if I wanted to have very tall plants. Maybe I'll get some zinnias started ver-r-ry early; get in an extra generation. :)

- Alex

Hi Alex,

It sounds like you are off to a great start with your indoor seed starting. It's interesting that you germinated Sempervivum seeds on paper toweling in your fridge. Your "booster seats" method of adjusting the distance from the seedlings to the fluorescent tubes is interesting. I do it the opposite way, and have my fluorescent fixtures on chains with S-hooks, so that I can raise the lights as the seedlings grow. This is a picture of one of my "conventional" indoor zinnia blooms.

My son and I have been putting up some trellises made of cattle panels. I will be growing some pole beans and Costata Romanesco zucchini squash on them. One objective is to pick some squash blossoms for cooking and eating purposes. I like squash blossoms dipped in a tempura batter and deep fat fried. This year we will experiment with easier ways to prepare them, probably in a conventional frying pan.

The weather here is Spring like. We will be putting up some more trellises this afternoon. More later.

ZM

ZM - I'm partial to your so-called "conventional" bloom forms. Don't look like your grandmother's zinnias to me, though - ha!

Yeah, it was a surprise to me to find the sempervivums actually germinating in the refrigerator. I figured it would work as it normally does - you give them a chilling and then after they have been out for awhile in the warmth, they start to sprout. They've about doubled in size now, but as they are still only about the size of a pin-head, you can see they are still pretty tiny.Have to watch for damping-off.

I used to love tempura, though I've sort of stopped cooking things which are deep-fried in oil. Somehow I never got into the squash blossoms; I'm more a broccoli/cauliflower fan. Needs a very light batter not to overwhelm the delicate blossoms - how do you make your batter? BTW, have always used my cast-iron skillets and dutch oven for most everything except soups or baking stuffs. Even for popcorn - makes great popcorn, but we only get to have it twice a year now right before our dental appointments. :) This was at our dentist's suggestion; she said she'd set this up with another popcorn-loving patient some years back. Eat all you want no more than a week before the visit, so that she can pick all the remains out of your teeth before a problem develops! It has made popcorn a very special treat, believe me.

Are those cattle-panels going to be moveable? Otherwise, will you not be rotating your crops? Crop rotation is fairly important, I feel. Of course, you can grow most anything vertically, so you could still rotate things even if the panels stayed in place. Just curious.

Here's a view out our kitchen window - using the telephoto, of course.

- Alex

Hi Alex,

That's a great view out your kitchen window, courtesy of a very good telephoto lens.

" Needs a very light batter not to overwhelm the delicate blossoms - how do you make your batter? "

I don't make the batter, my son does. So far it has been just eggplant slices. I'm unsure of his exact recipe. It involves some kind of special flour, rice flour I believe. He mentioned something about carbonating the water and chilling it. I think the squash blossoms are going to cause some further evolution of his battering recipe and technique. I anticipate quite a bit of trial-and-error. My Mother used to refer to that as "By guess and by golly".

" I used to love tempura, though I've sort of stopped cooking things which are deep-fried in oil. "

I know there are health concerns about oils in the diet. Olive oil is supposed to be OK, although its use in deep fat frying is questionable, due to its smoke point being lower than peanut oil. I am anticipating we will be experimenting with "shallow fat" cooking with Olive oil in a frying pan. Some of the healthy diet guidelines seem to be subject to shifting. Eggs were a no-no, and now they are coming back into vogue. Cholesterol was bad, but now it develops your brain needs lots of it.

" Even for popcorn - makes great popcorn, but we only get to have it twice
a year now right before our dental appointments. :) This was at our
dentist's suggestion; ...so that she can pick all the remains out of your
teeth before a problem develops! "

There is no question that popcorn creates a tooth brushing challenge. I have found that a modern flexible dental "floss" like Johnson & Johnson REACH Total Care is far better than any dental floss I have used before. It is made of some kind of polymer instead of floss fibers, so it can't create "fur ball" problems. It can break if it gets in a jam, unlike some dental tapes. It is flat like a tape, and has micro ridges to snag particles. I suggest you give it a try. It comes in several Listerine "flavors". I am currently using "Fresh Mint". I also use a Water Pik (on a gentle setting) and mouthwash. I am not a big fan of popcorn, because all of it has way too many hulls for my taste. Eventually modern technology will achieve the "impossible" goal of hull-less popcorn. Puffed wheat and puffed rice have much less hulls. So, maybe, puffed corn? But less messy and fake than "Corn Puffs".

" Are those cattle-panels going to be movable? Otherwise, will you not be
rotating your crops? Crop rotation is fairly important, I feel. "

Well, I don't rotate crops in my zinnia beds, but I do amend the soil each year. There may actually be more rotation on the "permanent" cattle panels. I can switch between vining pole beans (a legume which I intend to inoculate) and other vining things, like vining squash. And, who knows? Maybe some day I will come up with a zinnia that vines. More later.

ZM (not associated with any product or company mentioned)

ZM - dang! Now you make me want some tempura. I do have some cauliflower in the crisper - hmmmm... No rice flour around, but I have some white pastry flour which is fairly light. I used to add ice cubes to the batter, but I bet I've got some club soda I could put outside in the brand-new eight inches of snow we just got last night. Shouldn't take long to chill it. Didn't take long for me.

Some of the healthy diet guidelines seem to be subject to shifting. Eggs
were a no-no, and now they are coming back into vogue. Cholesterol was
bad, but now it develops your brain needs lots of it.

Ha! Makes me think of the old Woody Allen movie "Sleeper":

Dr. Melik: This morning for breakfast he requested something called "wheat germ, organic honey and tiger's milk."
Dr. Aragorn:(chuckling) Oh, yes. Those are the charmed substances that some years ago were thought to contain life-preserving properties.
Dr. Melik: You mean there was no deep fat? No steak or cream pies or... hot fudge?
Dr. Aragorn: Those were thought to be unhealthy... precisely the opposite of what we now know to be true.
Dr. Melik: Incredible.

Personally, I'm hoping the hot fudge part is true.

I have found that a modern flexible dental "floss" like Johnson &
Johnson REACH Total Care is far better than any dental floss I have used
before.

Actually I use DenTek Slim Brushes more often than the floss - my dentist finally got me hooked. They're piks with little brushes on the end, and slim enough to fit between most of my teeth. Still need the floss for some areas. There are other brush piks, but these are the only ones skinny enough for me. But even with these, I still had one of those nasty hulls stuck way back in a pocket behind a tooth last dentist visit. And sorry, but no "puffed corn" will do - no substitute for the real thing.

There may actually be more rotation on the "permanent" cattle panels. I
can switch between vining pole beans (a legume which I intend to
inoculate) and other vining things, like vining squash.

Yeah, that's true - you can switch where you plant stuff. And as for the zinnias, I've never heard mention of it's being necessary to move flowers around, other than asters that are prone to yellows. Haven't done much with them, so I'm not sure what causes the yellows, but I have heard it can get in the soil and ruin future aster crops.

Well, going to take it easy today. Was just out shoveling snow this morning from around the ferals' feeding stations, and I'm feeling it.

- Alex

Hi Alex,

I made a note in my journal about the DenTek Slim
Brushes. I'll keep my eye out for them and give them a try. That excerpt
from the Woody Allen movie was hilarious. And, yes, hot fudge on ice
cream is at the top of my "food pyramid", along with chocolate malts.

With
respect to crop rotation and zinnias, I would do it if I had the space
to spare, but I don't anticipate increasing the size of our present
garden, simply because "my hands are full" with my present garden. I do
hope to increase the scope of my composting activities.

We had a
brief snow flurry last evening, but not enough for an accumulation. I
think it is supposed to hit 70 this weekend. I'll be doing some
in-garden work then. Our trellises are up, but I want to incorporate
some soil amendments under them and work them in, so that they will be
ready for Spring planting.I am still using tubular specimens as
indoor breeders, by exposing stigmas via petal "surgery". I hope to
further improve the color of the outside of the petal tubes, and of
course increase the bloom size as much as possible.

ZM

Just givin' a shout out to my south neighbor ZM! Starting Magellan Mix this season, love these guys..... Been sans zinnias for a few years due to the encroaching timber from the Kansas River limiting my sun..... Keep up the good work ZM!

Hi gltrap,

" Been sans zinnias for a few years due to the encroaching timber from the Kansas River limiting my sun.... "

Is any of that encroaching timber something you could take a chainsaw to? When we lived in Maine it was like a cool weather rain forest. Complete with Black flies. I got a "good" chainsaw and used it to cut a hole in the sky (which was full of trees). That created an unlimited supply of firewood, which we used a lot of, and still had a surplus. The terrain was sloping, so my garden was on a terrace of my own making. I used some of the surplus wood to create modest retaining walls for my garden. Some of my zinnias are visible in that picture.

Anyway, I just think it is just "wrong" for timber to encroach on zinnias. (grin) We would like to see pictures of your Magellans.

ZM

Nice to hear from you ZM! Mountain Lions....... yuup they've been caught on trail cameras around the Topeka area recently... I'm in the foot hills above the river so I'm surprised I haven seen one...... My hens attract lots of wildlife!

I've lived here (same house) 40+ years & have done battle with the Kansas timber throughout time..... I have an arsenal of Stihl equipment that gets a good workout! In all his wisdom Dr. Carl Menninger (maybe you've heard of him,lol) brought Honeysuckle back from his European travels (some 50 years ago) because he was so mesmerized by the stuff........ He owned 40+ acres (dubbed Carlisle Woods) along the banks of Soldier Creek, just a stones throw from me, where he planted this invasive monster. Thanks to the wildlife that eat it's berries & spread the seeds, I'm inundated with Honeysuckle. This stuff is threatening Kansas timber by slowly taking over...... Smells wonderful in the spring & makes for a good privacy fence, just keep all your chains sharp!

My home is built in a natural clearing which affords me the opportunity to plant a few full sun annuals in several beds, this year those beds (hopefully) will sport the Magellan...... I'll post some pic down the road! Have a wonderful growing season!

Hi gltrap,

" Thanks to the wildlife that eat it's berries & spread the seeds, I'm inundated with Honeysuckle. "

Around here birds eat the Poison Ivy berries and spread their seeds. I have an ongoing battle with Poison Ivy. I spray it with a commercial product called "RoundUp Poison Ivy" subtitled "Plus > Tough Brush Killer". The active ingredients are Glyphosate, isopropylamine salt, and Tryclopyr, triethylamine salt. It is reasonably effective on Poison Ivy, although the kill is not instantaneous. The plant takes many days to die completely. But it is killed completely, including the roots. That product might be effective against your honeysuckle.

We haven't heard any mountain lions so far this year. We do have several packs of coyotes in the area, and they sometimes set up some really weird howling and other strange noises. We have chickens and guineas, and many varmints threaten them, including large owls, hawks, possums, raccoons, and of course the coyotes. There are foxes in the area, but as far as I know they haven't predated our poultry. We see skunks from time to time, but don't harm them. They might eat a few eggs, but not enough to declare war on them. Skunks are primarily insectivores. Occasionally a large snake will eat some of the eggs, and any snake in the henhouse does get killed. Raising poultry in a rural area can be a battle.

ZM (not associated with any product discussed)

I purchase my generic Round Up as well as 2-4-D, at a deeply discounted price from the Shawnee County Noxious Weed Department..... They're a fraction of the cost of retail..... Nearly bankrupted myself buying OTC products to maintain my 6A tract, before I discovered this service...... Once I use my chain saw to lop off the Honeysuckle, I give the stump a generous "drink" of generic Round Up........ That (usually) does the trick...... Very effective on Poison Ivy also......

I went to great lengths when building my chicken coop/run to thwart predators, using many techniques I found on BackYardChickens.com....... To date, it's worked..... My hens don't free range much, so that's also a factor....... In decades gone by, I've lost a hoard of turkeys, geese, ducks, & chickens to predators....

Hi gltrap,

I'm glad you have an economical source of control for the invasive Honeysuckle.

There was an old hen house here when we rented the place. Our chickens don't free range, but they have a fenced in chicken run. Our guineas aren't deterred by the 8-foot fence around the chicken run, and they free range for several hundred yards in all directions. This is an older picture of some of our guineas crossing a seed bed.

ZM

Hello everyone,

My indoor zinnia project continues. I have been growing some California Giants because I really liked the look of some of the zinnia blooms that Brenda showed (Saturday, November 28, 2015) because they truly had the look of a Dahlia bloom. This is one of my indoor California Giant blooms that really interests me.

ZM

Will you Be Able to Un-bend The Stem So it'll Live to Bear Seeds???

Hi ninecrow,

I think I will be able to apply a splint to the bent stem. I have done that before, This is another young bloom that is somewhat similar to it.

ZM

I see I've been missing a bit - took awhile to catch up with all these posts! ZM - I really like those two blooms, particularly that lavender color with the lighter reverse.

Haven't planted any zinnias yet, but will soon. Transplanted more germinated echinacea seeds yesterday - puts me at 84 of those. What I'm going to do with them all, I have no idea. :) Actually, I do - I'm planning to harvest for herb and tincture, that is, what comes out looking ordinary instead of orange or something more exotic. These are progeny of the Harvest Moon F1 hybrid that was given to me - the only one of the bunch so far that bloomed orange. There are still 9 others that haven't bloomed yet. Love this botany stuff - lol! Gotta go. Let me know if you see any mountain lions.

- Alex

Hi Alex,

Sounds like you are already nicely diversified. I planted a couple of flats of seeds from that 3Z (threesie) plant today. I showed pictures of the plant back on January 23rd. They may all turn out to be culls, because I will be looking for 3Z seedlings, with a strong tendency to dump any that aren't 3Z.

I have a rather odd specimen that has a small bloom emerging from the stem of the main bloom.

If I hear any mountain lion screams at night, I will definitely watch out for them. I will be especially watchful that they aren't in a tree above me. Someone said that they like to attack from above. More later.

ZM

ZM - correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that kind of aberration more often "mechanical" (can't think of the word) rather than genetic? Seeds would be OK, wouldn't they? Like the look of the petals, at any rate.

One of my new lighting fixtures is broken already; will have to return it. Sigh. Well, they were cheap after all; what can I expect. We already have a backup, but we'll buy another backup - don't need it immediately though anyway as I am currently only using two lights. The bulk of the crops won't be started till middle of the month or later.

Don't know about mountain lions - never saw one except in a zoo. But I did see a jaguarundi at night up a tree in south TX. Looked sort of like a small black panther. And I broke up a 3-way fight on the porch last night between a possum and 2 raccoons - does that count for interesting?

- Alex

P.S. Ninecrow - I've splinted plants before myself - it can work if there's enough vascular tissue still in place to allow movement of fluids and nutrients. (Knew it worked from trial and error, but just now had to go look up the word "vascular" and the other words "xylem" and "phloem" - which are the tube-thingys that do the actual work - just so I'd look like a smarty pants.)

Hi Alex,

" But I did see a jaguarundi at night up a tree in south TX. Looked sort of like a small black panther. "

Wow! I never even heard of a jaguarundi. I had to google it. And I lived in Texas for a little over 20 years. I bet very few people have had the rare experience of actually seeing one "in the wild".

" And I broke up a 3-way fight on the porch last night between a possum and 2 raccoons - does that count for interesting? "

Uh, yes. Sounds like you are having all the fun. Possums are a serious problem for our poultry. They are surprisingly bold. We probably average shooting one about once a month. There are raccoons in our area, but we see them only rarely. There are reportedly bobcats in our area, but I have never seen one.

" One of my new lighting fixtures is broken already; will have to return it. "

I use inexpensive T8 fixtures, and they have inexpensive ballasts, which tend to fail. I have purchased a few better T8 ballasts separately, which I use to refurbish a T8 fixture when its ballast fails. I purchased a few books on electrical work and a few of the connectors and tools that electricians use, so that I can be my own electrician when it comes time to fix a T8 fluorescent fixture. I like my cheap two-tube T8 shoplight fixtures, because they have a compact form factor, with a narrow reflector, that lets me hang four of them over a 2' x 4' chrome-wire shelf. So when one of them goes bad, I fix it.

" ...but isn't that kind of aberration more often "mechanical" (can't think
of the word) rather than genetic? Seeds would be OK, wouldn't they? "

Actually, I think there may be a botanical term for it, but I don't know the term right offhand. I use the term "environmental" to explain zinnia problems that aren't genetic, but I don't think that is the technical term we are looking for.

I suspect that the "broken" zinnia flower forms may be genetic. At least, that is my working hypothesis, so I tend not to save seeds from zinnia blooms with any kind of deformity. I see broken zinnia blooms fairly regularly. This is a picture from a few years ago.

ZM

ZM -

I suspect that the "broken" zinnia flower forms may be genetic.

I bow to your superior knowledge, Sensei. (I started to type "Zensai", as a pun, but when I went to check it, google says it's means "appetizer". Ummm - not exactly appropriate.)

Anyway...that last pic - that's not one you pulled petals off of? It's just all little florets?

9* just day before yesterday; 15* this morning; supposed to fall into lower 20's tomorrow morning, and then finally start to warm up some. Winter apparently decided to wait till the last minute around here.

Have lots of little echinaceas coming up, and some seed gathered from my Dark Towers penstemon, as well as the hybrid daylily seeds (just a handful). All very exciting, as I don't know what I will get with any of them. Hoping for at least some orange-blossomed echs, and for some of the Dark Towers F1s to have the maroon foliage. Will be planting other things in about a week and a half.

- Alex

Hi Alex,

" .that last pic - that's not one you pulled petals off of? It's just all little florets? "

No, I didn't pull anything off of it. It is covered with something similar to florets. It is apparently a cross between a Razzle Dazzle and something.

It sounds like you have a interesting bunch of assorted seedlings. Many ornamentals are of hybrid origin, so you may get some interesting genetic recombinations in your seedlings. And you are diversifying your floricultural skills. Getting actual germination in your refrigerator is something "to write home about."

This is a picture of a current young Woolly zinnia bloom.

Today was shirtsleeve weather here, with a temperature near 70F. I spent some time outside on the deck using a rotary tool to shave some width off of a few of my plastic Permanest trays to make them fit more easily on my 2' x 4' shelves. That is an ongoing project. I did that outside, because plastic shavings are created in great abundance by that project. And the plastic makes a funny smell when it is machined.

I also planted some "veggie" seedlings (selected tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers) in a couple of flats of orchid pots. I will probably be doing some more of that tomorrow. More later.

ZM

ZM - we had shirtsleeve weather here today as well. Still some patches of snow around, though. The warming trend may be here to stay.

Here's a question for you: why do you suppose I'm getting a higher percentage of "white" seedlings with my echinaceas? I've counted 12 out of the 84 planted that are showing a lack of chlorophyll. I'm wondering if when they get their true leaves, if they'll start generating some green. Do you think it's their hybrid nature, producing seedlings incapable of growth? Not that I have a place for 84 ech plants, anyway, you understand. :)

- Alex

Hi Alex,

" ...why do you suppose I'm getting a higher percentage of "white" seedlings
with my echinaceas? I've counted 12 out of the 84 planted that are
showing a lack of chlorophyll. "

That is a spooky lot of white seedlings. I see one white zinnia in maybe a thousand seedlings.

" I'm wondering if when they get their true leaves, if they'll start generating some green. "

I doubt it. But I don't know echinaceas. Maybe they will start generating some green. It can't hurt to wait and see.

" Do you think it's their hybrid nature, producing seedlings incapable of growth? "

Yes, like most commercial ornamentals, they have a complex hybrids-of-hybrids origin. The lack of chlorophyll is probably a recessive lethal gene. Fortunately such genes are self-culling. You could possibly preserve them by foliar feeding them sugar, as an experiment. Then they could produce a whole lot of seeds of 100-percent albino echinaceas.

Some scabious-derived zinnias can look a bit like echinaceas.

ZM

ZM - that does look quite a bit like an echinacea. An attractive bloom - will you save seed from it, or is it too much out of the direction you'd like to go?

I'm dithering about which of my own zinnia seeds I want to start early. There were 3 main ones that I was most 'taken' with last season: the lotus, the informal dahlia, and the cactus. But there were quite a few of the others that I felt would be worth exploring. I suppose that I should concentrate on the lotus for this first indoor wave. If I start seed in another week, I could have bloom the end of April/ beginning of May - right? Which would mean I could do crosses and harvest seed around the beginning of June. Good timing for direct planting outside. That sound about right to you?

- Alex

Hi Alex,

" An attractive bloom - will you save seed from it, or is it too much out of the direction you'd like to go? "

That picture was taken outdoors year before last. You can see curved wires of its zinnia cage in the background. I don't recall whether I designated it as a breeder and saved seed from it. Its coloration was rather dull, so I wasn't very excited by it. I will increase my interest in scabious genes this year. For one thing, I am interested in how they will react with tubular, exotic, and Razzle Dazzle genes.

" If I start seed in another week, I could have bloom the end of April/
beginning of May - right? Which would mean I could do crosses and
harvest seed around the beginning of June. Good timing for direct
planting outside. That sound about right to you? "

Yes. If you have finalized your decision yet, what date are you planning to use as a planting-out date for your zinnias? I guess your zinnia date could be different from your echinacea date. I assume echinaceas are more tolerant of cool weather.

These were a few more 2014 specimens that bore some resemblance to an echinacea.

ZM

ZM - I remember that last one - loved the colors!

"I am not in love with the echinacea flower form" - I get that, though all of these are quite beautiful anyway, and certainly prove the versatility of the zinnia. The second one was also particularly striking with the florets and the gold, unopened anthers accenting the top, along with the little ring of stigmas.

Gotta go - later.

- Alex

Hi Alex,

I did some outside work yesterday. Very Spring-like weather. I am actually tempted to plant some cool season veggies like Kohlrabi, although the forecast says our nighttime Temps could drop into the 20's in a few days. A mosquito bothered me last evening, so I have to think about them again.

My indoor stuff continues. This is a bloom with California Giant heritage that has those "quill like" petals that I like. They are a little different from the "extreme uproll" petals.

ZM

ZM - no mosquitoes here yet, though the weather has been mild, and the ground mucky. Planting the garden this evening. May put off the dirt part until tomorrow, though. Have put up 40 or so packets for pre-germination in their baggies, but some things are a bit too small to mess with on paper towels. Later -

alex

Hi Alex,

" Have put up 40 or so packets for pre-germination in their baggies... "

That's a lot of seeds. You may find yourself scrambling for a place to put all of your seedlings.

We had a mild thunderstorm here today, with some micro-hail. Cooled things off. I adjusted the lights downward on some new flats of veggie seedlings. This is a close-up of one of my current "quilled petal" specimens.

ZM

Hello ZM. Can you tell me about Burpees and Ferry-Morse seeds purchased from Home Depot? The reviews I read are not great. Is there a better place to purchase these seeds?

BTW... After seeing these beauties I'm pretty sure I no long want to use up room in my small garden for Cosmos. More room for Zinnias! I'm a little excited about them now!

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

ZM - so did you get the heavy rains down your way? The second round was not the monster predicted, fortunately. But I hear tell we have snow on the way in a few days - sigh. Busy yesterday and today planting up all the germinating seeds from my packets. Seems like everyone had the same idea at the same time - yikes!

Later - Alex

Hi Alex,

Glad you "dodged the bullet" on that second storm. Nothing severe here. We had some light snow, which is now melted. Apparently not much moisture content, since we are now under a Fire Danger alert. I am continuing with my indoor operation, with many veggie seedlings starting, and I am now gathering some indoor zinnia seeds from inside to continue my second generation planting. More later.

ZM

Hi Sandra,

" Can you tell me about Burpees and Ferry-Morse seeds purchased from Home Depot? "

I answered that in more detail in a different message thread. But, to reiterate, I do purchase some Burpee seeds online each year. I don't have anything against Ferry-Morse, but haven't needed to purchase any of their seeds.

" After seeing these beauties I'm pretty sure I no long want to use up
room in my small garden for Cosmos. More room for Zinnias! I'm a little
excited about them now! "

I'm glad you "have been bitten by the zinnia bug". I hope you will keep us informed of your zinnia experiences, and post pictures if that is convenient. Incidentally, assuming you have more zinnia seeds than room to plant them, don't forget that you can pour your zinnia seeds out on a sheet of white paper or a big dinner plate and pick out the "best looking" seeds to plant. For example, if you want big zinnias, pick out the biggest seeds.

There is some correlation between zinnia petal shape and seed shape, so pick longer thinner seeds for longer thinner petals, or wide seeds for wider petals. Good luck with your zinnias, and keep us informed. And don't hesitate to ask questions.

ZM

Well, so now it's snowing again - sigh. 5-8" they say, but they have downgraded repeatedly, so maybe it won't be that much.

All is well with the garden upstairs. Of zinnias there are less than a dozen at this time. Probably won't start any more of them for some weeks yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing what these produce. Mostly I chose crosses involving my lotus hybrid since it was the favorite. Hope I'll be posting some pics before too long!

- Alex

I'm trying to keep my hands in my pockets, as far as starting annuals for the garden. It's just too early when I consider the safe plant-out date. And I don't have time to be messing with hauling flats in and out for hardening off. I commute an hour to and from work, and every other night I stay with my mom to save on time and gas. So, I really should rig up a cold frame or mini-green house to get any sort of head start. Zinnias, tithonia, and Cosmos are my three definite goals, and the tithonia is the only one that couldn't be direct sown. But, I'd like to get a head start some how. I'm so excited for spring.

Martha

I'm trying to keep my hands in my pockets, as far as starting annuals for the garden. It's just too early when I consider the safe plant-out date. And I don't have time to be messing with hauling flats in and out for hardening off. I commute an hour to and from work, and every other night I stay with my mom to save on time and gas. So, I really should rig up a cold frame or mini-green house to get any sort of head start. Zinnias, tithonia, and Cosmos are my three definite goals, and the tithonia is the only one that couldn't be direct sown. But, I'd like to get a head start some how. I'm so excited for spring.

Martha

Hi Martha,

I am excited for Spring, too. Yesterday was almost Summer-like here. Today was more Winter-like. We had a serious cold front.

" ...I really should rig up a cold frame or mini-green house to get any sort of head start. "

Those would be possibilities. Some people do Winter Sowing, in which plastic gallon jugs or the equivalent serve as mini-greenhouses. Some people use Reemay cloth to cover a framework to create a warmer micro climate. as an expanded version of Winter Sowing. I am retired, so I do have time "to be messing with hauling flats in and out for hardening off."

" But, I'd like to get a head start some how. I'm so excited for spring. "

You might give a thought to using some of those plastic gallon jugs as little micro-greenhouses. Maybe try just a few as an experiment, and place them where you want the plants to grow, so you don't have to do any transplanting. I think you have to cut off the top part of the jugs to make the little plant covers. Or maybe it is the bottom. You might be able to find out more about the details over at the Winter Sowing forum.

ZM

Hello everyone,

Well, lots of great discussion here, but this message thread is now over 100 messages, and considering the amount of material here, it may be slow to load for some people. So we are continuing this thread over in It can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 36.

See you all over there.

ZM