Planting zinnias

18 May '06 9:34 pm

I don't know how you set your plants out but I will show you how I do it.
I first seed the plants and when they have 2 sets of leaves I move the plantlets from their beginning cell into a plastic coffee cup. I plant them in a special "seeding soil" which has nutricion and sand with compost. When the danger of frost has past, I set them out in the garden.
I make the ground soft and loose, then I use a tulip bulb planter to make a hole (the size is almost the same as the size of the plastic cup). I fill the hole with canal water, then drop the plant with it's root system and soil clod intact, hoping to avoid the usual 2-week setback that one can get with transplanting. I then cover with soil, press-in and re-water...and then, they're on their own!

19 May '06 3:26 pm

Simple tutorial, yet charming with pics showing a lovely apparatus, so suitable for your tasks, especially in a large garden! Love the colours of its handle, adding 'sunshine' as you go about your gardening! Smile

I'd normally just use an ordinary garden spade and fork in my small garden.
Thanks for sharing, Sjoerd.

19 May '06 9:42 pm

Hi Jaqueline,
Yes,I use the normal garden trowel(hand-spade) for most all other planting of plants that I buy or ones that are in bigger pots too. So, this little technique is only for planting the annual flowers and things like beans,papricas and toms-- you know...things that I do at home on the windowsill. It's handy and quick if you have lots of transplaning to do.

Planting zinnias

Planting zinnias

Planting!