introducing any fresh seed.. or relying on freebies???

and shall we presume your have the same horrible summer weather with high heat and little rain ....

seems like there are a lot of variables you are leaving out.. by thinking only of location ...

sure wouldnt hurt to work in some compost after you pull them out in fall ...

ken

ps: up here in MI.. an extremely long cold spring has had a big effect on all annuals ... as you say.. they just look like they lack vigor this year ....

Donna, whenever you plant something that you eventually remove from the soil, you should plan on replenishing that soil. Soil borne elements are taken up by the plant and turned into the 'flesh and bones' of the green world. All of that good stuff needs to be replaced.

Compost can do the trick, but so can other sources of minerals.

Zinnias are subject to several disease problems if you grow them in the same place every year: powdery mildew, Botrytis (gray mold) and Alternaria blight. If you are meticulous about doing a fall clean up of all foliage and you don't retain the mulch if there was any outbreaks tha year (fungal and mold spores over winter in the mulch easily), then you can grow zinnias in the same place for many years. Otherwise rotate your flower choices among the beds.

When I pull out my plants,I routinely add 2 to 3 inches of finished compost, worked in, before replanting. I have never used anything else, and have not had any reduction in plant performance. Al

Well, it has been 3 or 4 years since I added some good compost... As luck would have it, my "horsey" friend called yesterday and is bringing me a load of manure. Guess I know where that will go.

No disease problems. I am very careful of clean-up and the like. You're right, Ken. We had an early spring that later turned cold for weeks (no frost. Just chill.), and then it turned ghastly hot a solid month early. It's just that my annuals in other beds have done well. Just the one bed that is not thriving.

Maybe the manure will turn the trick. Thanks to you all. There is wisdom in many counsellors...

Just the one bed that is not thriving.

==>>> i grew up in FLAT!!! suburbia.. moved out to 5 acres ... with just an 8 foot swale from the neighbors ...

the cold air pools at the lowest beds.. and they can be 2 to 4 weeks later than the higher beds [all hosta] ... i presume... just from pooling of cold air ...

because the cold air floods those beds .. the sun may warm the soil the same every day .. but at night.. the soil cools further.. so its takes weeks for the soil to warm sufficiently for vigorous growth ...

can you come to any similar conclusions about that one bed???

it took me about 3 years to figure why that was happening ...

ken

Just because you are not a horse person, and do not have a supply of manure to add to your compost, all gardeners DO have a supply of garden waste to compost. Al

Donna;

Look closely at your plant leaves do they have fine light colored dots/ splotchy coloring because spider mites are rampant due to the very hot dry summer this year. I am not sure if they affect Zinnias the way they some other plants.

Wow, Ken. I had never thought of that. It is possible that colder air settled in that bed. It tends to be quite damp and that would only add to the cold spring....Hmmmn.

Oh yes, Al, I know. The trouble is that I NEVER have enough compost to get around to all my beds, and I confess that I usually give top priority to my vegetable beds.

family, don't think so. The plants look fine, healthy, and all that. They just haven't put on as much size overall this year, and they took forever to start blooming.

You all have given me a great deal to think about and watch. HOpefully some good manure and compost over the bed this fall will help for next year. Gardening and baseball....just wait until next year! :)