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

Aloha Genericboi, Usually when the bunches of bananas get plump and just barely start to turn yellow, we cut the whole bunch off and hang it in the carport. Then as the individual hands of bananas turn yellow, we cut them off and bring them in to eat. When you cut the bananas off, the stalk will be real drippy. If the banana sap gets on your clothes, floor, table, etc., it can leave a brown stain, so wear old clothes while harvesting bananas. A hui hou, Cathy

I haven't fertilized at all. Last year 1 stem broke off but this year 2 stems broke off, it still has one stem but growing at a strange angle. These stems that broke were about 1 and a half feet tall. I thought perhaps something chewed it off at the bottom, but I'm just guessing.

The link you posted doesn't work for me, it just brings me to the Home Designs forum. Could you repost it or give me the name of the thread? Of course, if it's the one I started some weeks ago, never mind... Anyhow, last winter I was told that the ponytail palm I'm taking care of didn't need any light and needed very infrequent watering until growing season, but around early April the caudexes were soft and the leaves kinked terribly. A few good soaking restored the caudexes, but about half the kinked leaves broke off at the kinks, some are still kinked but not actually broken, and maybe a third are undamaged. I'm giving it more light, but although the leaves are getting stronger I have to settle for artificial light until the partly-kinked leaves are strong enough to withstand being moved back and forth between the windows (which only get 3-4 hours of sun) and the light fixtures. So do pay attention to the light requirements--this plant really needs it!