flower garden novice needs help (flowers, growing, fertilizer, cat)

[SunnyKayak]

I have the plants shown below and few of the flowers are looking weak but Im scared to cut the flower and kill the plant.

Here is tennessee rocky top cone flower as you see it has a long stem where do I cut this off and can the top be planted ? is there seeds in that top?



next I have is these zinnias I have no clue where to cut the flower off on this plant either

[jkmewright]

Here's an article that mentions both flowers you asked about. As far as the cone flower head, yes that does contain seeds. Dead head the top and place it inside in a safe, cat free zone When it dries out, remove the seeds and plant the next spring.

Dead Heading Plants

[Sunnydee]

If you want to cut the flowers to put in a vase, cut the stem wherever you wish, it won't kill the plant.

If you want the seeds, wait until the flowers dry up, cut off or pull off the dead flowers, pull the dead flower apart to get all of the seeds, and plant the seeds. I often deadhead my zinnias and just poke the seeds in the ground around the original plant. That way when I water I get the plant and the seeds. Right now I have a lot of new zinnia plants coming up next to the original plant because I did this. I hope this helps you.

[KwaK]

here is a trick to collect the seeds
take those cheap knee his and cover the flower head with them this will keep the seeds in the knee hi. I use this on milkweed

[patricia pettit]

Im looking for imformation on useing banana peel for flower fertlizing can you help/

[7gkids]

I have used them...just cut them up and put them in your flower beds. I have heard that they are really good for your roses.

How to Use Bananas as Fertilizer | eHow.com

[sissy77]

I belong to a garden forum on the net and really am enjoying learning about plants new and old kinds and even some i never heard of

[7gkids]

The purple cone flower grows wild in MO. It really does well in dry, rocky ground. I have seen these sold in some of the big box home improvement stores. Not sure why anyone would buy this plant when it is growing wild. When you dig it and seperate the root, it will just grow more.

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by 7gkids

The purple cone flower grows wild in MO. It really does well in dry, rocky ground. I have seen these sold in some of the big box home improvement stores. Not sure why anyone would buy this plant when it is growing wild. When you dig it and seperate the root, it will just grow more.

Are you in the Southern 1/3rd of the state? I've not seen wild coneflower in MO up N. of I-70.

[7gkids]

I am not too far south from 1-70. About 30 miles. There is a lot of coneflower here. Beautiful.