KitKat,
I did not get Queen Lime Zinnia because the description said you could get some solid maroon and I have limited space for zinnias and didn't need to risk too many coming up solids. However, my question to you since you've started your zinnias and we both live in Oregon, I'm zone 8, do you think I should start mine? Will they take the next batch of cold if we have one or yours protected in a warm greenhouse? I would start them in the greenhouse but it doesn't warm up until June here.

I won't be seeding mine for a few more weeks. It is still so darned cold here. The wild cherry that usually blooms in time for Valentine's bouquets is jsut about to pop now, 6 weeks late. That tells me I should wait another 2 weeks at least before seeding things that want warmer weather. Besides, my work room is at capacity and I moved the snapdragons, dianthus and other early starts out under landscape fabric yesterday.

Hi all, I am starting mine in the green house and planning on selling this early batch as potted plants. (An idea I got from the latest growing for market publication) I would normally wait until April 15th for seeding zins but I wanted some good sized plants for early market. All bout flowers, dont start yours yet if they are going to take up room for other slightly hardier things that can take the cold better. Zinns sulk miserably if they get cold so dont waste the seed. Kat

I haven't started mine yet so nothing to report as of now.

I read that article in GFM too, and thought it was kind of strange - isn't that like a dairy farmer selling someone a cow? Maybe I'm missing something...

I hadn't heard about the possibility of solid colors with the QRL zinnias. I hope they do well. I have limited space too. Keeping my fingers crossed!

:)
Dee

Hi Dee, I should have thought that I am starting these much earlier than most folks, and so would not have good info yet. Ah well. As to the article, I do get inquiries from folks as market as to whether I would sell some plants so I thought I would try this year, especially after reading that from the Arnoskys, I tend to be rather lemming like with those two and usually try whatever they are recommending. I love that they do so much variety testing before I have to get involved. :) Happy Spring Yeahhhhhhh
Kat

Good morning Kat! Like you, I read everything from the Arnoskys with great interest. That's why I was a bit befuddled by that article. I mean, I do sell plants also, but it seems counter-productive to sell the same plants that you use for cuts. I would think then that customers would cut their own instead of buying your bouquets, especially with some of the more unusual plants. Hmm. But then again, who am I to question the Arnoskys, lol? They've certainly been at this a heck of a lot longer than I have!

I hope you - and everyone else - will keep us apprised of how their Queen Red Limes are doing. I hope they do well enough so I can decide if I even like the looks of them or not, lol! Still on the fence there!

:)
Dee

diggerdee,
I see what you are saying about selling the plants and the cut flowers. I too have gone back and forth as to if it is a good idea or not. The same thing goes for vegetables if I sell them the plant, then they will not have to buy the actual vegetables. But I think that for most people that buy vegetables and cut flowers at markets, they buy them because they would rather not have to grow it themselves. Otherwise everyone would have gardens with vegetables and flowers. Or at least that is what I try to tell myself when I sell the plants and the cut flowers (or vegetables).

But anyhow, back to the topic of the thread, I have also not started my Queen Lime Zinnia yet, but am getting anxious to see what they are going to be like, hope that we will all not be disappointed.

Dee, I think is idea here is that for the most part, the people who are buying the plants do not buy in big enough quantity to warrant not buying cut flowers as well. I am offering plants that are not in the mainstream and have some originality to them. In the case of my customers, they were interested in the plants as additions to their borders that they do not want to cut. As we all know, the cutting garden is not the prettiest garden due to having all the pretties cut from them. I have no idea if this is correct thinking but I am willing to give it a try this year as I could use all the extra sales I can get. I also sell veggie starts at my stand and they provide some much needed early money. I noticed that the local Grange Co-Op's are fully loaded with early starts this year, including enormous tomato plants, which I think is daft unless the folks have some place protective to put the babies for at least a month. I suppose people blame themselves when the plants fail or freeze and just go out and buy some more. Hopefully, they will come and buy them from me next time :)

Back to Queen Lime, the seedlings are doing a little better but still not even close to the Benarys. I am afraid that I am having doubts about this plant already. It seems that it might be one of those fluke hybrids that cannot withstand it's own geneology and reverts right back to its original, probably single, dark red. We shall see, but I am not prepared, just like the rest of you to give it too much space. I keep you informed. Kat

Wow, my Benary Zinnias, which I sowed about five days ago, have almost all germinated already. I sowed my QRLs today, so maybe in a few days I'll have something to report.

I sowed a bunch of bedding plants (things that are a bit more unusual than what you see in the box stores) because our market manager was talking about opening around Memorial Day (we usually open in July) so I thought I'd try to sell some plants. Well, after I sowed them all, I found out we are not going to open that early. Oh well, hopefully there are a lot of procrastinators out there who didn't buy their bedding plants in May who will still need some later in the season, lol.

:)
Dee

Dee, sorry to hear that you are going to get stuck with your plants. Can you sell from your property? Stick a sign out on your street or anything?

Another strange issue with these QRL seedlings, most of them have one split dicot leaf so they look like little rabbits. Some of these have come up in a yellow color, strong plants but with no chlorophyll (sp). I am really interested in what yours look like Dee.
Kat

Kat, I don't think I can sell regularly from my property, on an on-going basis, but I can have a one-day plant sale, like a tag sale type thing. I've also sold some plants through classified ad type things as well as word-of-mouth and customers, etc. I'll move the plants somehow... or have some really nice beds at my house this year, lol!

I'll let you know how my seedlings do, as soon as I have some!

:)
Dee

I haven't started mine yet, but read about germination issues w/ trepidation. What about soaking the seeds in a fertilizer solution to aid in germination? Does anyone here do that?
Martha

Oops, forgot to report the other day (April 7th?? April 8th??) that the first of my QRLs germinated. I haven't peeked back at them since, so I'll take a look this weekend to see how they are faring.

:)
Dee
P.S. Martha, for what it's worth, I did not soak my seeds.

Martha, I find that zinnias are so willing to germinate that I wouldnt waste the fertilizer solution on them. They usually come on within a couple of days of sowing and are for the most part, quite good at being direct sown.

My QRL's are doing quite well. Will report when it is time to transplant. Kat

I just planted my zinnias on Thursday and they already sprouted today (Sunday). I seems like most my QRL's came up pretty well. I think that they have come up just as well as my other zinnias did. I do not really notice a difference in germination. Now I just can't wait to see what the flowers will look like. Very curious, it should be interesting.

I've found that my zinnias germinate best if I plant them on a warming trend so that the nite time temps arn't so cool.
Our temps in mid MO bounce back and forth this time of year.
We'll get warm temps from the southwest then warm air up from the gulf the get cold air from the north.

l james,

I couldn't agree with you more about zinnias in MO. I planted mine April 29 and that was too early!

Teresa

Do any of you that live near by me have white or red zinnias that would be blooming before July 3rd. Please contact me.
Thank you