May 22, 2017 | #286 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
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Fantastic you sold out but no surprise. They are gorgeous. As you know, i had three
varieties growing all Winter. I did three plantings two weeks apart to try and hit a target date. This was a trial year. Next year i plan to start a tray once a week for three weeks in mid October for the holidays, then again once a week for three weeks in late Feb. Basically the same quantity, just maybe a better bloom target. They sprout and grow very fast, but bloom takes eons. Many people like to watch them bloom. But a blooming one needs to be on the table for show. My dwarf Sunspot is from Holmes Seed. http://www.holmesseed.com/sunflowers/ My others are from Johnny's. |
May 22, 2017 | #287 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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Thank you both. Next year, in addition to adding the dwarf zinnias that Van suggested, I will probably try a few red sunflower dwarfs also.
Teddy Bear is certainly a funny looking sunflower: It's not that appealing to me, but I could probably sell a few of them. The other thing I need to work on is ant control. For some reason, ants love my sunflowers. I don't know that they do any damage, but they're annoying. |
May 22, 2017 | #288 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Santa Maria California
Posts: 1,014
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Quote:
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May 22, 2017 | #289 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
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TeddyBear was one of my three. Not my favorite but good indoors. Smaller than the others and,
for me anyway, a two week later bloom so keep that in mind. I tested all three, three in a pot together. TBear worked well in three's. I started mine in peat pellets to test for kids. (they love watching the pellets puff up)...and for transplanting they could easily carry them to the plot. |
May 22, 2017 | #290 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Posts: 3,099
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Cole peppermint oil will likely keep the ants off of them. Just dilute it in warm water and spray it all over the pots.
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May 22, 2017 | #291 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Posts: 3,099
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Just found this site with a really pretty red variety. Going to order some now before I forget. http://www.sunflowerselections.com/p.../little-becka/
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May 23, 2017 | #292 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
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Cole I have tried to post here three times and every time I do the site goes down.
With the containers soil and so on how much profit can you make from a planter of sunflowers? If you don't mind me asking. Worth |
May 23, 2017 | #293 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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The costs are low. I don't heat my greenhouse. If I did, that would quickly rack up a bigger bill than the material costs. Those containers are "trade size" gallon pots, which are about 85% of a gallon. They were cheap in bulk, 5-10 cents or so. The pro mix is about another 40 cents to fill that pot, with a few cents of Osmocote as fertilizer. Priced at $5, they are almost 90 percent profit.
There's obviously a lot of labor involved, but I am getting better at being more efficient. I am definitely going to build some flood and drain tables next year, so I can water a table of plants without having to move them around. |
May 23, 2017 | #294 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
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So they are the thin vacuum made containers not the more expensive extruded containers?
Worth |
May 23, 2017 | #295 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
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Quote:
that's cool. I can easily pic 3 new ones from the list. Thanks for the link. |
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May 23, 2017 | #296 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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Oh yeah, they're thin and cheap. I've seen thinner and cheaper, though. These don't rip when I grab them to move around. I still get multiple years of use out of the ones I don't sell, but they are not thick plastic like nursery pots.
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May 23, 2017 | #297 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
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Worth pots bought by the case are super cheap. Selling plants is much more profitable than selling produce. I actually am leaning more towards going the nursery route with a side business of heirloom tomatoes.
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May 23, 2017 | #298 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
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Can't remember from where but I have bought cases of the small 4 inch ones.
Worth |
May 23, 2017 | #299 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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Short Stuff zinnia looks promising : https://www.harrisseeds.com/products...t-stuff-mix-f1
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May 24, 2017 | #300 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: CA
Posts: 494
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Cole, what a great thread, your plants look so healthy, like they could handle a little weather and not come out for the worst.
Can you tell me what the microdwarf is in the lower front corner? It's really striking. Last edited by Dak; May 24, 2017 at 01:29 AM. |
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