Ken, For a variety of reasons your zinnias have gotten off to a rather bad start. You probably started them too soon for what you intended to do. You can set zinnias into deeper soil, and roots can start from buried stems. Their growing conditions must have been very much not to their liking, because I have had indoor zinnias bloom as early as 5 weeks from when I planted them. I grow my zinnias under bright fluorescent lights with at least 16 hours of light per day. Zinnias don't get enough light on a window sill, and not enough day length. I start my zinnias in 3-inch square pots: If they are going to be inside for several weeks, I repot them to 5-inch square pots, and they can bloom in that size of pot. Actually, they can bloom in a 3-inch pot, but that is a rather sad sight of a zinnia being abused. ZM

I get my zinnia seeds from a variety of places. Mainly i check out the catalogs and other seed sites and make a list of the ones i want then go trolling for them at the cheapest place I can find them. I eally like the swallowtail seeds site but the queen lime seeds I recieved from them did not germinate so I then ordered from ebay and got a 50% germination so at least I will be able to collect seeds from them. As for saving my own seeds I do not mind waiting to see what I get. It might be less than the parent or who knows it might become a new favorite. Paula

Mommyandme, I understand that one well. Last year we had flooding rains and I lost 55 zinnia seedlings and 35 dahlia seedlings all to slugs. Nothing I could do about it either cause they where either in a yard turned swimming pool or a mud pit that looked and felt more like quick sand. Our weather has been really bizzare all spring and summer. Either really cold in June, the heat went on a couple of times until mid June with the thermostat set at 62 or it was drop dead heat and humidity. For the last month it's been a couple of days of horrible heat and humidity or it gets really cool again. Rain fall has been at a premium until today. Not even a thunderstorm all summer. So I need to go out and cut what I do have and maybe that will make them fill out and look better. Will do that one tomorrow. Not sure what kinds they are as the seeds where from trades and they aren't blooming what they where labeled. I did have one zinnia pinwheel that bloomed a very small flower and was only about 2 inches tall. then it got a trip across the lawn in the mouth of a chipmunk. The rest look like these plants or they haven't bloomed yet. some where supposed to be 3 feet tall, others short. Fran

I looked at the "I grow" statement and I've said the same thing myself. What I refer to is that in a business, all members don't automatically "grow". I am the primary grower and list myself as such. I think the post just wanted some hints on how to produce nice baskets, and what we find helpful. Pretty innocent and perhaps the responses were enough to put the poster off, if he/she were a shy person. I remember in ag econ class........we were discussing the law of diminishing returns. An assumption is made, if you are in the business, one is capable of growing any quality of product they wish. IOW, where is the most profitable point on the line for maxing out profit for $$$$ put in. It's not always the best product who is the most profitable. I try to produce the best product I can where I can still get a high return. Not the best return, because quality is an issue I feel helps to sell my product overall as opposed to mass produced. As a "farmer" and that is essentially what we are........one is always at the mercy of some variables. Weather is the most obvious. I've had cold, dark springs where no matter how much heat I throw to a crop, they are more spindly than I'd like from low light levels. Sometimes I'm the victim of poor cutting quality. Sometimes an unexpected pest outbreak robs the pots of the vigour they should have before the pest is identified and treated. So, there are many variables to consider and the same crop may need to be grown in different ways every year to achieve maximum quality. Firstly.....don't stint. Use an appropriate number of cuttings, and if in doubt go higher instead of lower. May cost more in the initial, but also could cut down on pinch or chemical pinch applications. So, may be cost effective. Secondly, good scheduling. Know how many weeks it's going to take beforehand so that time is allowed for growth and pinching. Thirdly, start with high quality stock. This can be trial and error, but is essential. Find a source you can trust. Fourthly, yes........good soil. You can make your own quality soil. I worked for a large concern where we did, but it is not usually price effective for a smaller grower. Know your fertilier needs and use them, and use care on salts buildups. More isn't always better and I do leach outs on a schedule. Pest control. One of the worst enemies of small cuttings or plugs in large pots is fungus gnats. I seldom have a problem with them because one skill I mastered early was watering. Wet soil and fungus gnats can set your schedule and quality back more quickly than anything I can think of. If you do get them, get rid of them pronto. And of course heat is an issue. Basket crops can be grown cool. If one does, however, choose the old fashioned way of not pushing a crop, they have to allow for more bench time. That may.......or may not........be cost effective in the long run. Know your numbers and be realistic. Internode control. A must for lush baskets. Pinching is a given, either manually or chemically. Do it early enough so that new growth and branching has a chance to develop to bloom WHEN you need them. Know your marketing windows.