Hi Nina, "I buy packets that show large, full blooms and when they bloom they are about half the suggested size and one layer of petals instead of three or more." Some seed companies buy their seeds from growers who do not spend the extra money to hire people to rogue their fields, and the zinnia varieties "run out" under those conditions. Generally, the seeds in packets on seed racks are not the best. "I have bought several packets that show bluish purple and when they bloom they are always magenta or towards pink. I don't really believe there is a bluish zinnia." The color pictures on seed packets are not reliable and, even if they were pretty good to start with, the ink colors aren't lightfast, and some colors fade with exposure to sunlight. In general, seed racks are not a good place to store seeds. I have even seen seed packets that were water damaged, but still for sale in a home store. The best way to purchase seeds is by mail order or online sale from a reputable seed company. Higher prices do not always ensure higher quality, but lower prices usually mean lower seed quality. You stand a better chance of getting quality seed if you buy from a seed company that also sells to commercial growers. "I don't really believe there is a bluish zinnia." There are bluish zinnias, but they are not for sale commercially. As a person who grows zinnias as a hobby, I can assure you that there are lots of zinnias that you can't get commercially. I don't think there will be a true blue zinnia until blue genes (I always think of blue jeans when I say that) from other flowers that have true blues are added to zinnias by genetic engineering. That has already been done to get blue roses. But in the meantime, there are bluish lavender zinnias that actually look sky blue when they first open in the shade. But on exposure to sun, that color turns to a lavender. They are not available commercially. "Does anyone know if it could be a deficiency?" Zinnia buds and blooms can be seriously harmed by certain nutrient deficiencies. For the best results, use a soluble nutrient formula that contains a complete range of macronutrients and micronutrients. That includes the usual nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium as well as magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. Plants, including zinnias, also need quite a lot of calcium, which unfortunately is almost always absent from soluble nutrient formulas. Hydroponics growers almost always supply calcium as calcium nitrate to their plants. Garden soil usually contains some calcium, but not always enough for zinnias (or tomatoes). If you have previously added lime or gypsum to your garden soil, it should contain enough calcium. If I see calcium deficiency symptoms in my zinnias (and I do from time to time), I include some calcium nitrate in their foliar spray. Foliar feeding is a good way to make sure your zinnias get the nutrients they need. If I see boron deficiency symptoms, I add a little extra boron in the form of boric acid in my foliar spray. You have to be careful with boron, because it doesn't take a lot of it to reach a toxicity level. I also supply a little cobalt and nickel to my indoor zinnias, but there is usually enough of those in garden soil. And it is beneficial to supply soluble silicon to zinnias, to increase the strength of their cell walls, which makes for stronger stems and leaves, which contributes to disease resistance. Rice growers frequently supply soluble silicon in their fertilizer, because it is important for rice stems to be strong to keep the seedheads out of the water. It may seem counter-intuitive, but sand is not a way to supply silicon. I use a solution of potassium silicate to supply soluble silicon to my zinnias. ZM

Hi Heather, " I like that first flower more than the second, its more scruffy-lookin, like hair that's cutely messy as opposed to straightened and boringly perfect. " It is my choice too, for the same reason that you expressed. One of the things that I dislike about many commercial zinnias is that their petals lie so close together, like shingles on a roof. It just looks too formal, and the closely lying petals provide a hiding place for bad insects, like aphids or thrips. I am also going for new zinnia flower forms, like this "Razzle Dazzle" type. That is one of my currently blooming indoor specimens, and it is about 20% larger than my previous specimens of that type. They still need much more size increase, and I am working toward that goal. " How long can zinnia seedlings stay in little pots (they have a cross sectional area about the size of my palm) until they need to be put somewhere more permanent? " They can stay in little pots up until blooming time, but that is not good for them. As soon as they become root-bound, they need to be repotted. If you have clear pots like I use, you can see the roots start to crowd the side of the pot. If your pot is opaque, you can use this criterion: In the open ground a zinnias root system is at least as extensive as its top development. So if the visible part of your zinnia plant is significantly larger than the pot, it will appreciate being repotted. " And can zinnias grow in mild winter? Is it just frost that kills them, or would the lack of sunlight and cooler temperatures spell disaster? " It is not just frost that kills zinnias in the Fall. Cooler temperatures and shorter days cause zinnias to lose their vigor and become susceptible to Powdery Mildew and other foliage diseases. Sometimes disease effectively kills them before a frost. I spray my high value breeders with a systemic fungicide in the Fall, but just allow the others to succumb. After I harvest their green seeds or brown seeds I just pull up the plant and send it to the landfill. I don't compost zinnias, because that seems to spread disease. " I'm wondering whether I should stick these in the garden or take them indoors. Although, now that I think about it, zinnias do grow quickly so I might actually be done with them before winter even comes. " Yes. Wait and see. However, bringing a zinnia indoors from outdoors runs the risk of bringing one or more pests indoors with it, where in the absence of natural enemies, their population can explode. Good luck. And pictures are welcome. ZM

OK, the plot thickens. I think it IS bird damage -- and something else too (see below). Katob, to confirm your theory, here's this photo of the top of the sunflower. Not only are the petals missing, but clearly the seedhead is being picked at as well. I haven't seen goldfinches in the area in quite a while, but I guess the bright yellow of a sunflower bring them out: But in addition to this damage, something else is eating the leaves: And this may just complicate matters even more, but last night I went out and caught this beetle munching on the petals. He's smaller than a Japanese Beetle, an irridescent copper-red throughout, unlike a Japanese Beetle which I believe has the thorax a different color than the rest of the body (usually green?). Can anyone identify this fellow? Could he be eating the leaves as well? Thanks for any help.

Hi Ninecrow, Yeah, yeah, I know. I created Part 49, but Houzz lost it somehow. I have a Trouble Report in with them, but so far the only response is an automatic "we got your message" response. This was caused by a bug in the Houzz software, and I am not impressed that after 24 hours from reporting the problem, I still have not communicated with a Houzz human being. It will eventually get resolved, and there will be a Part 49. Oddly, the Link that doesn't work for you does work for me. But that is the only way I can access the new Part 49. I may just be accessing it in a local browser buffer. It doesn't show up in the Annuals message list or the Hybridizing message list (which I tagged for Part 49 because multiple forums for a message string is a feature of the new software). Unfortunately, using that feature led to the disappearance of the new Part 49. If I had not chosen to use the new feature, Part 49 would already be there for us. We shall see what we shall see. ZM