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Jun 28, 2016 11:14 PM CST
Name: ZenMan
Kansas (Zone 5b)
Kansas 5b
Annuals Enjoys or suffers cold winters Region: United States of America Seed Starter Keeper of Poultry Hybridizer
Hummingbirder Dragonflies Garden Photography Butterflies Zinnias Garden Ideas: Level 2
John_fender said:What about soil preparation before planting out ? Do you add fertilizer and compost etc ? What do you find works best for you ?
It's getting a bit late for me to start outdoors but I can at least prepare for next year.

Hi John,
I do as much, or as little, soil preparation as I have time for. Here in our growing season I hope to have my outdoor zinnias planted as soon as I can, but will continue succession planting up to no later than the second week in July. In the past I have planted as late as mid August, and those bloom and do well before Frost, but those late planted zinnias don't have time for a good seed set.

So I don't have time for any elaborate soil preparation this year. In recent weeks I have planted several beds with no soil preparation at all. I hoe down the weeds, rake them up for a compost pile. Just draw a furrow, drop the seeds in, cover them, and sprinkle daily until the seedlings emerge.

I am building a couple of compost piles, so next year I will probably have compost ready for some effective soil amendment. This year I just sprinkle my beds with a light application of 13-13-13 fertilizer before planting and that gets watered in when I am sprinkling the seeds to get them to germinate. I will make up for skipping soil preparation by foliar feeding the zinnias. I will sand mulch some of my selected breeders. I hope to do better next year.
John_fender said:Also I have attached the seed packet pic for fun. That's definitely not button box and more like persian carpet perhaps.

Yes, they put the wrong picture on the seed packet. I agree with you, those look like Persian Carpets.

ZM

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