Winter Sowing - 2010 - things rolling right a long #3

1 wish, did you plant these outside? WS? Do you still have snow?

Now, see, Onewish1 did just what i've been needing to do -- started a file of what all the plants LOOK like so I'd know A from Z!

Linda, check the Dollar Store or Dollar Tree or Big Lots for those Sterlite containers at reasonable prices. They have them at Target & Wally's but they're more expensive.

Thanks, Girl. I was just headed out the door to Target!

pretty close Stephanie... I picked those up at dollar general.. can't remember the price.. but my guess is they are 36 x 12.. maybe.. don't know where Randy hid the tape measure.. if you need a container that the clips lock tight.. I would not get those.. they are loosey goosey clips on the sides

Jnette.. yes I put them outside.. we shoveled the deck off for the dogs .. but there is still a ton of snow on the lawn.. maybe it will be gone by June.. LOL

oh and Gymgirl I am obsessed with my journal... I keep thinking of how to organize things better.. this years... I put the seed packs in whatever category when they came in.. empty packs get moved to the sowed category .... and ones that I have seeds left over are still in the categories I first put them in... made a clone and put that in the sowed one.... so next winter it will be easy to see what seeds are left.. and I don't order something I already have.. AGAIN

:)

Onewish1,
Please expound on your seed organization system. It sounds like something I could use to keep me organized. Now I know what to do with the empty seed packets!

Thanks!

might be easier to go look around my journal

http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/sj/onewish1/4920/

but I know a lot of it only makes sense to me.... I made a sowed date category ... and if the pack was empty I just moved it from say the petunia category.. to the sowed date... if I had seeds left over I kept a copy in the petunia category and a copy in the sowed date one.. once they germinate I make another copy in the germinated one... so I can see if there were any duds easier... so if you look under Sowed / Feb 10... there were 8 types in that one and 5 already germinated

and sssshhhh don't tell my honey about the plants I bought category... LOL

Gymgirl: I have several sizes of sterilite containers. Some are big enough to accomodate milk jugs

Karen

The underbed storage size works for my 6 oz. yogurt cups or 8 oz. styrofoam cups. It's not tall enough for 16 oz. cups.

Karen

that is the same under bed box... that I use to fill my flats.. keeps the room clean

(sigh) I couldn't refrain any longer....I prepared 20 1/2 gal juice jugs today to WS flower seeds. In spite of the higher temps this coming week, I know we still have several weeks of winter. Anxiuos to see how this works for me.

it wasn't too soon... but you might be very surprised how well it works

Can I ask why you guys are putting your WS things in the boxes?

so they don't fall over... and acts like a tiny greenhouse

So, you don't put the lids on? Or do you? Mine are so wet. And we really have not had that much rain. It still is freezing some nights. Any suggestions?

I have the lids on.. but drill some holes in them so the water can get through

Yes, it was the top half of a dog crate. Big enough to hold a cow, or about 25 jugs.

My area is very windy, and 2 liters and half gallon jugs get blown over. The sterilite boxes, or dog crate, prevent that. Also, makes it easier to haul them around.

For the cups in the underbed box, the lid forms the roof over the cups. The cups have no other cover.

Usually I don't use the lid on the boxes of jugs, but sometimes I do for extra frost protection for seedlings, or to protect from monsoon rains.

Karen

here is the batch I did today

http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/vbc/onewish1/85245/

Pretty good. Have any of you had any sprout yet?

Question: What do you do if your WS containers do germinate, then the weather turns cold again? Do you just bring them inside? Or chance leaving them outside?

Good question. I would like to know also. Thanks.

Hey guys, when you were talking about the "big" bags of MG potting mix, how big are they and how much at Sam's? Dollar General has them on sale this weekend-8 quarts for $5-but I'm not sure if that's a good deal or not. I've been using up my left over container mix and I think I'll be out after tomorrow.

My post on Feb 27 shows snow and the south facing wall of our house. Here's a picture, taken March 6, of the window ledge.

Click the image for an enlarged view.

I bought potting mix at big lots once.. never again.. there were a lot of rocks & sticks in it.. and some balled up looking mold... threw it out in the woods..

if you have them in a jug or some container they will be fine if it gets cold again... have to think mini greenhouse.. but then again I don't do anything that will be effected by the cold like tomatoes.. maybe someone with more expertise will chime in.. this is only my 3rd year doing this as well

Hey All,

I'm sure I asked this question before, but in zone 5, when do you put out annuals or veggies?

Anita look at the chart for the frost date in your area, I think it is on the home screen on the right hand side of the screen. Just remember to keep an eye on your weather reports for a while and if it sounds like it is going to get low, throw something over them. Nothing is exact.

Anita look at the chart for the frost date in your area, it is on the "Guides and Information" screen on the bottom of the right hand side of the screen. Just remember to keep an eye on your weather reports for a while and if it sounds like it is going to get low, throw something over them. Nothing is exact.

My frost date is usually the middle of May to the first of June. However, I was wondering if you put those anuuals and veggies out before the last frost date if you are WSing? I know I can throw those annual seeds in the ground on that date but when can I put them in containers? Six to eight weeks before the last frost date inside but what about WSing?

I went to the frost dates and based on the info there I can probably put out my annuals a month (approximately) earlier than I would direct sow?

I don't know. The ground is colder. wintersowing is in containers like milk jugs so they have a cover over them. That would keep the frost off of them. If they came up that early. I think you would be ahead by planting inside if you have enough lights etc. and then put them out as long as you didn't put them out when the ground was too cold.

That is the mistake a lot of people make in the spring. The stores stock the veggies etc. early and the ground is too cold so the poor little plants just sit there with their feet pulled up and rot. It is too cold for them to even try to root down. Then they have to go back and buy new plants. The stores aren't too stupid are they?

I think I understand

I don't do anything. That's the whole point of wintersowing, to let the seedlings harden off naturally. Granted, we don't usually have the hard winters that you do up North, but this has been a strange year for us. More snow than usual and some prolonged truly cold weather. Still, I have Gazanias and Gaillardias that have sprouted already and they're just sitting out there taking their chances. I'm a lazy gardener and that's one reason I love WSing! Last year (my first WSing year), I fretted when the weather turned cold again after seeds had sprouted, but they made it and I did nothing!

My tomato seeds are (hopefully) going to be sprouting soon indoors where they will live under lights until big enough and warm enough outside for transplanting.

Thanks.

Anita, my last frost date is sometime in mid to late April, so I wintersow tender annuals in March. I'm thinking about the first of April would work in your zone. The seedlings get enough protection from light frosts in the jugs, but if temps dip into the 20's covering them is a good idea.

Hi, WS junkies!

Just checking in after much lurking on the WS Forum (and minimal posting to speak of this year). Love all your pics and helpful tips.

And OneWish, I love your Journal and all the data you keep! You must have quite a garden with all those varieties!

Here's what I've WSed so far: I WSed 51 small containers with a wide variety of perennial seeds (Feb 15). First bought Miracle Gro Mix in quite big bags at Costco for $11 to use. Then bought large styrofoam cups (sorry to say not very 'green' but they were cheap) at Gordon Food Service, drilled drainage holes and filled with the moistened potting mix. Put the large cups into the large sterlite containers (with holes drilled top and bottom), covered them, and set them outside. I expect to just let them 'simmer' out there for a few more weeks with no 'bother' to me. That's what I like about WSing~~no obsessing needed!

I expect to do another batch of annual seeds in a few weeks. I have wintersowed tomato seeds with some good results, but I also start them under lights just for insurance.

I'm trying to enter my progress into my DG diary but I seem to be very disorganized doing that (unlike Onewish)! Mostly I am trying to start native wildflowers, butterfly loving seeds, and hummingbird loving seeds.

Off topic but still want to share: I just returned from the Philly Flower Show Wednesday. What a treat that was! So beautiful! Met my sister from Wash. D.C. and had a wonderful day out with the her. She is a brilliant 'seed starter' (another scientist, Karen) so I got a lot of good tips from her. I hooked her on WSing too, although she's not a member of DG.

Also spent the weekend at 'The Amish Birding Symposium' in Adams County Ohio. Very picturesque and fun. All the talk about birds made we want to start more seeds for my 'bird garden'. And lots of seeds for the Hummingbirds, especially. I'll have to post a few pics in my diary later.

It's supposed to be 56 degrees today, so spring is just around the corner. Still a bit of snow to melt, though.

Happy WSing to all! t.

thank you tabasco.. garden is always a work in progress... but getting there