coleus and impatiens should be pretty easy ...

treat them like mums.. when they get about 6 inches tall ... clip back to 3.. keep doing it ...

around april ... start rooting the clippings... and then throw away the old-timer ....

the lights, in case you dont know ... need to be about 2 inches from the plant ... the more bulbs.. the better ... anymore than a few inches.. and you will just be wasting electric ... so you have to figure out a way to make either the lights or the trays adjustable ...

good luck

ken

If the definition of insanity, is "doing the same thing over and expecting a different result" is as I have heard, then you are right. To be a gardener requires an optimism, that borders on insanity, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Al

Boy⦠I do SO know what you mean! I do this every yearâ¦save all the exotic stuff. I figure, even if half croaks, IâÂÂm ahead. It does mean a few days of mess and disorganization, but everyone tolerates it.

My biggest planters get hauled in lock, stock, and barrel. They are foam so itâÂÂs manageable. That means the central plants (which are spikes or something similar : I have red ones. Plus exotic ivies.) get bigger every year. They get hauled the minimum possible distance: from porch to dining room windows, which have the best sun.

It makes for instant impression when I put those out in May. Then I fill in whatever died (like the more ordinary impatiens, snapdragons, etc.) after they are outside. Though sometimes they surprise me and bloom all winter.

ItâÂÂs all those other things that are hard to find a place for! I set up card tables in front of my bedroom windows. It inconveniences only me, there. I donâÂÂt crowd the spouse or the kids with my obsession. The upstairs bathroom also gets good light, so the counter and bathtub in there get filled! It has a shower too, so the bathtub never gets used. If anyone ever wanted to use that bathroom, theyâÂÂd get a good laugh! My husband may roll his eyes, but he likes the results.

And you know, it's not much better for those of us in milder winter areas, other than the fact that winter is shorter. I finally finished taking cuttings this week, so have about 6 dozen plants to overwinter in the basement under lights: durantas, salvias, roses, torenias, etc. etc.
Then on top of that, I planted 23 flats of pansies this week! Looks like first light frost will be tonight, but for once, I think I'm reasonably ready.

"It's astounding,
time is fleeting,
Madness takes its toll."
...from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I brought in a bunch of cuttings from my favorite zinnias, to save them from the killing frost.

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Now I will be growing them under fluorescent lights this Winter. And I will use some of them in my experiments to learn the Tissue Culture of zinnias. Tissue Culture could prove to be more useful than propagating zinnias by taking cuttings.

Stop the insanity? Madness takes its toll.

ZM

zenman, are those freezer containers you're growing your cuttings in? That is a great idea! (Incredible looking cuttings too!)

Donna,

Actually, they are not freezer containers, although I should take a look at what is available along that line. I am using 3.25-inch square clear orchid pots. The ones I am using now are a batch that I got from rePotMe. I've been using them for a couple of years for zinnia cuttings (and for seed starting.)

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I find it quite helpful that you can see the root development through the "clear" sides of the pots. However, some of my clear pots got brittle in prolonged exposure to sunlight this Summer (I accidentally left a bunch outside on the deck), and a few broke while I was re-washing them a few days ago.

So now I am considering buying them in more quantity from Chula Orchids, because they talk about UV inhibitors in their clear pots. The Chula Orchids clear pots look the same as the ones I got from rePotMe, but the Chula pots may have better UV resistance. I learned the hard way that UV resistance is an issue with clear pots. I'm planning to expand my zinnia hobby next year, so I am considering investing in a case of the Chula pots.

However, first I will need to resolve the discrepancy of the listed depth of these pots. The ones that I am using now from rePotMe are indeed 3þ" deep, and I like that. But Chula lists theirs as only 3ü" deep and, if that is correct, I won't get theirs after all. I like the extra depth of the pots I am using now. I hope that Chula simply made a mistake on their website.

ZM
(not associated with any product or vendor mentioned)