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Help transplanting zinnias, sunflowers from egg carton
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mblabe
Just Arrived
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:22 pm Post subject: Help transplanting zinnias, sunflowers from egg carton |
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Hi --
My toddler planted sunflower and zinnia seeds in plastic egg cups inside an egg carton at daycare last week, and they are sprouting like mad, but the egg carton won't contain them long. Several are already towering over their little egg cups on the kitchen table by almost four inches.
I know nothing about gardening.
I can't just bury the egg cups since they're plastic, not biodegradable (also we are under water restrictions in my area and aren't allowed to plant anything in the ground). I've looked up transplanting zinnias but haven't seen much on how big a pot they would need (I don't know how big the zinnias are intended to grow -- I'll try to remember to ask her daycare teacher) or how far apart to space them in a pot. I have some really big pots that don't have anything but potting soil in them, but I don't know if they're appropriate.
Can anyone instruct me on moving these to a pot -- how big should the pot be, do I need special soil, can I put more than one seedling in each pot, etc.?
Thank you!
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
 Moderator
Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 5492
PlantStew: 521 |
| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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Hi,
I bet your little one is anxious to see those zinnias bloom. Depending on the variety zinnias can be anywhere from 8" to 3' tall. If the teacher read the back of the package, she probably chose the zinnias that will be 12" to 18" tall. Those can be spaced about 6 inches apart in the containers.
Large pots filled with zinnias will be very pretty. The regular potting soil will be fine as long as it hasn't been sitting there since last year, if it has you will need to dump it and start with new.
Yep, it is time to get them planted and out in the sun before they get any leggier.
_________________
"Blossom by blossom the spring begins."
Algernon Swinburne (1837-1909)
"A little Madness in the spring, is wholesome even for the King."
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
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dooley
Official Garden Turtle
Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Location: Arizona, U.S.A (Map)
Posts: 3469
PlantStew: 2 |
| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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I use my potting soil over again. I just dump it and stir it up and add some plant food to it. It should be fine for annual plants. dooley
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bailey
On The Way Up
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Location: south east texas
Posts: 94
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| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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I have toddlers also who love to help me garden. It is so fun to watch them get so excited over the plants they grow. I love it!! 
I agree with Toni about the Zinnas being planted in a big pot. The group of Zinnas will be beautiful. Just like Dooley I also reuse my potting soil.
As for the sunflowers I would plant one in a big pot because they can grow really big!
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gardengater
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 30 May 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 817
PlantStew: 26 |
| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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They've said it all. If you have a nursery nearby, you can find some granules to add to the soil that retain water so they remain consistently moist.
Gardengater
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calinromania
On The Way Up
Joined: 06 Sep 2006
Location: Oradea, Romania (Map)
Posts: 145
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| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:36 am Post subject: |
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hmmm... i am sorry to hear you are under such restrictions... you mean you can't plant anything because then you would need to water the plants?
that is SAD! i remember we also had a really drought-y summer 2-3 years ago and my poor parents had to water the entire garden with a hose... and still we had poor crops...
it's been raining here for 3 days now! i keep reminding my parents to tilt the pots so the water should pour out of some pots that have no holes.
i think potted zinnias are a good idea... i will go to my parents' garden and steal one and pot it up! and have it in my apartment. much better than always cutting the flowers and changing them after a few days!
LOL
CALIN
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Garden-shmarden, Flower-bower... the showyer, the bigger, the exoticker, the better! 
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