What have you tried?

Jnette, I do hope you got some Petunias in the Summerhill coop...

I have one of those patio greenhouses, I'm going to use it to sow stuff outside in spring that I want to do in cow pots (ornamental corn and millet--better direct sowed but the chips and squirrels find them too delicious). I guess that would be very late winter sowing. Plus to harden off coleus and pels.

make sure the cow pots don't get too wet.. I tried doing some cuttings in them last year and I guess it was too moist in the tray with the dome on.. they started growing some funky mold on the outside of them... was spraying h2o2 to get rid of it.. but all ended well

Ew. I'll water with h2o2 just in case. They should be ok, I'm gonna put them in a flat in the mini greenhouse, which I can leave partly unzipped. They just need to be in there until they're big enough the chipzilla won't bother them. Maybe I can leave the sunflowers in there long enough they won't be as attractive to the bunnies. They seem to prefer them young and tender.

I have resorted to leaving my sunflowers in containers on my deck... tired of those critters eating them.. must be enough yorkie smell to keep them away from there.. my honey would love the 12 footers but not going to happen unless we get some big containers

Karen, are those sowed direct? Surely you didn't plant each one individually!! I don't know if they should be out in our elements all winter. When we get snow it turns to ice and then it snows again on top of that and that turns to ice, etc. keeps that up all winter.

I hadn't planned on putting them in the framework right off. But, don't know about leaving them out all winter. Maybe they would get too hot in the plastic tho.; It would be in the sun. Our sun is not like yours. Especially this time of year.

Our winter goes thru March. However, this winter it is so mild, unbelievable. I have never seen one like it. The midwest is getting all of our snow.

One wish, if it is that warm I wouldn't think they would need heat mats.

Yes, gg, I did get petunias from the coop.

Jnette: Most of those were sown in milk jugs. Initially I started the larkspur that way too, but now they volunteer reliably. Those seeds usually sprout in fall, then winter over as tiny seedlings in my flower beds with no protection. They are hardy annuals and take winter weather just fine. My flower beds had a solid blanket of them , an inch or two tall, as winter set in. We've had snow on the ground and single digit temps for weeks so I can't see anything but white now.

Milk jugs won't overheat if they have good ventilation. Don't use the screw-on lids. Those flowers get there start in life here, naturally. It's easy if you let it be.

Karen

I was so sure that all the Ruds were perennials, that I WSed a couple different varieties. I was just checking the Parks seeds catalog. A couple of the types are listed as annuals. I WSed all my beloved Cherry Brandy seeds! DG has them listed as annuals but says they can be sown in the fall? Is this the same deal with morning glory (annuals but self-seed like weeds)?

Diamond - most that would be annuals are probably heavy reseeders, so they would reseed themselves and you'd have them every year.

IIRC, the info on the little Toto's I planted said they may or may not come back for a second year. They were still looking good when they got covered with snow, so i believe it.

TC, you WSed Cherry Brandy didn't you? We are in the same zone, so if they worked out okay for you, then they should work out for me.

I think that was Karen... I dont have Cherry Brandy. or she bought it... i recall she wasn't pleased early on... I'll find the thread.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1008949/

yes, it does seem she WS'ed hers.

I'm sorry! Karne is in a different zone but she's very close, just a little south of me. I'm praying WSing cherry Brandy works here. I wanted the seeds for so long but didn't even think to make sure they were perennials that could be WS here. I was so sure they were.

Hi Diamond...Cherry Brandy should work well for you, we're 5b, and they grew very well.

Whew! Thank you Celene!

Yes, mine were wintersowed. In fact, my cherry brandy were my first sprouts of the year. Be prepared, they're pretty darned ugly when they first open. As each blossom matures, it turns a pretty burgundy.

Rud hirta is a perfect candidate for wintersowing. Most of mine last 2 years. I have to take a walk around the yard (when it dries out some- It's a swamp now from snow melt). By late Jan or early Feb I can tell which are going to make it through winter and know how many to sow. If not killed off they stay green in winter.

Karen

Thank you so much, you all are life savers! Could you feel the panic through the net? I'm really trying to plan my garden out while I'm WSing. While looking at the Parks catalog, I want to order more seeds (annuals) to have some color this year. I know most of my WSers won't bloom the this year.

I want to order more seeds 'cause...well...no good reason, really...

I agree, I wanna order more seeds for the same reason. LoL I'm sure I will find a place for the plants or maybe it will be a reason to make room!

LOL, it's a disease gg. I bought quite a few from Summerhill. I bought grass seeds from 2 others last fall. And I still want to buy more seeds. A sickness for sure.

Jeanette

And everyone's coming out with their new for 2010 seeds. Since I have no will power, I guess it's better than being addicted to baking or something.

I just got my seed swap box in the mail yesterday... sorted and cataloged seeds all evening. Got a lot of good ones. Should do some sowing ... ooooh, tomorrow it out, have plans... maybe Sunday -- if not, monday.

kqcrna Karen - Thank you for saying the Cherry Brandy Rud. is kind of ugly when it starts to bloom! I thought that myself, almost pulled them out. I didn't think they were all that special when they did bloom. I like the bigger bloom - red and yellow Ruds I get from volunteer seeds. And your right about the Ruds being a perfect WS seed. I get tons of volunteers in the garden each year, dig them up and give they to friends.
Here is a picture of one of my fav. volunteer Ruds.

OOh, very pretty.

Karen

TooFew,

That is a beautiful flower! When you say "volunteer" does that mean this flower just came up on its own? What other ruds do you have planted close by?

So, let me ask you all, my last frost date is the end of May. I normally start my seeds inside in March. So to winter sow I am assuming I have to start them earlier than I would for inside, but how much earlier?

yes -- that is what volunteer means. with annuals, it's from fallen seeds.


I'm hoping to get a lot of Rud volunteers this year. Many of the seed heads I just crumbled around the existing plants.. hoping to get a lot more this year. we shall see.

I think maybe what diamond is getting at is cross pollination to get that flower that was posted.

Jnette: Perennials and hardy annuals (like poppies, bachelor buttons, larkspur) sow in winter. Just best to wait for tender annuals and tender perennials (things that won't tolerate frost) closer to spring. For me, that's late March or April. I would guess for you the timing should be about the same. I watch the weather forecast and if it's too stay above freezing for the foreseeable future, day and night, I'll sow the tenders.

The problem is that those tender ones can sprout in an early warm spell, then freeze and bolt when the cold weather returns. If that's going to be the case for me I just give those extra protection overnight for the frost, like throw a sheet or towel over those jugs.

Karen

Diamond, I've planted a variety of Ruds in that area. Usually plant a couple of named ones each year ... ie. Cherry Brandy last year, and just let some of the volunteers grow. I've grown Irish Eyes, Indian Summer, Cherokee Sunset, Autumn, Toto, and Prairie Sun, all in that area. I saved seeds from the pictured volunteer and it's babies didn't have any of the red, they were brown and yellow and were taller. That voluteer was very short, about 1 ft in ht. I actually start a couple of my named Rudbeckia seeds inside each year cause it is only a couple of seeds for me, I don't WS them.

I've fallen in love with the Ruds. According to what I've read the Ruds are short lived perennials but if they self seed, it seems they would always reproduce???

diamond... do you have seeds??

I know i have a ton [OK small baggies of them] they are NoID's but they are all from my garden.

Yes I have some Rud seeds. I really like the Cherry Brandy. I have some of the Irish Eyes, Tiger Eyes, Cappucino and the Black Eyed. Would you like some of the varieties I have? I may have a couple of others I will have to check my stash to be sure. What kind/colors do you have TC?

Ok, be careful what you wish for.....Zone 9a needs to get in gear!

BTW, all these are Veggie Seeds. Will start the flower seeds tomorrow....

mine were these... and the yellow ones....

and these... but i do not have the seeds separated... I just collected heads and they all went in the same baggie.

Those look like the Cappucino and the Irish Eyes. Those are beautiful! Did they bloom the first year? I think the Cherry Brandy are supposed to bloom the first year and stay under 2 ft don't they? How tall are those Ruds?

Um, those Rudbeckias are waaaaaaaaaaaaay cool. TCS, if you're offering the mixed up seeds, I'd sure be willing to receive some for my tropical plant patio. Since I grow in containers, it'd be easy for me to separate the seeds after the plants bloom.

Now, ya'll say these don't bloom the 1st year? I have to wait until NEXT spring before I get these lovely flowers?

Ok.

according to my spreadsheet.... one is "Indian Summer" and "Black Eyed Susan"

I dont think it's Cappuccino, as last year i attempted to ID it, and there was such a variety in the coloring.... it was hard to pin down.

All of mine bloomed first year. I think they are short lived Perennials. and most were tall... 24-30"
I had a small clump that was along my chain link fence... it was short... 9-12" maybe. it was really pretty though [i'll look for an image on the other computer] but i did not collect seeds... just crunched the seed heads onto the ground.

you got it Linda. you wouldnt happen to have any Larkspur, would you??

This message was edited Jan 17, 2010 6:33 PM