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

I haven't started my tender things yet.

Yes, the idea behind wintersowing is to let the jug function as a mini greenhouse to protect the seedlings. I truly believed that when I first started and I lost quite a few to late freezes. It usually works well but, lets face it, every plant has a limit and then the plant croaks. I think our official last frost date is in April but everyone who gardens here knows that we get hard freezes sometimes in late May. I generally wait until April to sow most tender things. And like Emily, I throw a sheet or blanket over the tender ones for really cold nights.

I just find it a lot easier to sow them later and not worry about it. After 4 years of this, I just don't want to do it any more. I only plant those things this early if I have lots of seeds to spare and know I can replant if necessary.

Karen

This may not be anything ya'll don't already know, but I've observed something interesting with my WS experiment. I never sealed all of my jugs shut with tape after I slit them because I didn't have the wind, etc. that would blow them open. And, they just stayed closed. Some of them were taped.

Every now and then when I thought it was a nice day, I bent the "lids" back on the jugs that weren't taped to give the seedlings some sun, and to take a nice close peep. I didn't bother untaping any jugs that were already taped, and contented myself with peeping through the spout.

I observed that, although they've all done well, the seedlings in the jugs I propped open matured at a much slower rate than the ones in the jugs that stayed taped shut. I also observed there was a natural "humidity?" that was always present in the taped jugs. Consequently, these jugs seemed to hold more even moisture than the ones I was opening and closing.

I believe Karen is very right about leaving them be once they're situated. I imagine I'm disrupting the greenhouse effect by opening and closing them.

Based on this observation, next year once I tape them shut, I won't open them until it's time for plant out.

Thanks, Karen! This has been a very rewarding and very satisfying endeavor for me!

Hugs and Crosses!

Linda

I've got mine tapped as the squirrels won't leave them along. I've got DH on watch over the 16 I set out yesterday. Until the squirrels realize these jugs aren't for them, we will have to be good about watching that they don't get into and eat my seeds...LOL

Janet

Fortunately, my jugs are in the same side of the yard as the dogs. The squirrels stay away.

I do have sprouting lettuce and kale--I hope they're not too early...

Thanks all! Very useful information.

Hey CapeCodGardener!

The only reason I really noticed this at all is because when it got cold and I thought the containers would blow open, I re-taped some shut, and left them shut. After they were taped again and I wasn't opening them they outdistanced the others (of the same type) in the containers that I kept opening.

I think I set up the hothouse effect again when I re-taped them shut!

My first sprouts showed themselves yesterday! I finally feel like spring is on the way. As I expected, English Wallflowers were first to germinate. We had 3 days in a row of sun and mild temps, although some clouds are moving in, the temps look like they're going to stay mild for the next week, so I expect to see other sprouts showing up this week. I love the daily routine of checking the WS containers and most days finding some new sprout- so happy the time has finally arrived!

Neal, how many have you done this year?

Karen

So are you all telling me that I should be expecting sprouts any day?

diamond.......


now hold on there as you know we are still in the throes of winter, even if we are having 57 degree weather today....... hurray.................................................

Janet

I know Janet! I'm trying to keep it together but it's hard! LoL I have had a few days of sunshine and nice weather. I ready to get out in the yard and make some things grow! I see some of you have sprouts and I'm outside looking down on my jugs doing the "sprout dance". LoL I'm going to wait patiently, until my sprout pop up. I know it's early. LoL

Yes that sun sure can make you think positive and want to believe that we are through with winter, but I don't think so.....LOL

How many things did you ws?

Janet

I have close to 25 containers. I haven't put out any annuals yet. I'm sure I will have to make more gardens. I'm going to do the feather work now while we have nice weather. And when my sons come home for the weekend, mysteriously, two truck loads of compost will appear that needs to be laid down. LoL

I have WS some ruds, foxglove, coral bells, delphs, hollyhocks, butterfly bushes, butterfly weed, coneflowers and gaillardias. I cannot remember the others. I think I may have even WS an annual that I thought was a perennial for our area, salvia. I have some more seeds that attract hummingbirds and butterflies, that I need to put out as well.

Is it too late to still put out perennials for WS? Would the concept work even though it's not winter?

Diamond

I'm just now getting started with ws my perennials, so for you which we are able the same, I would say most certainly go ahead.

Janet

I've never done this before, and I certainly hope they do not sprout now. I am zone 5 also. I don't trust this weather. It was 54 yesterday. All I can think is that if I lose these seeds by doing this, I am going to be sick. I hope I didn't make a mistake by planting my good seeds.

Please don't do your sprout dance loud enough to reach my seeds!!!!

you will be surprised how tough they are

Karen, I have exactly 100 jugs sown now, and that's mostly perennials and biennials. I haven't even counted the annuals still to do, but I'll probably get a start on those in the next couple of weeks.

Anita, this is the 2nd, or maybe even the 3rd time I've wintersown English Wallflowers, and they have been the first up each time. This year I'm documenting better than previously, but I'm thinking the Wallflowers were 1-2 weeks ahead of anything else last time. It seems Dianthus and Hollyhocks were the next up. If you've still got perennials to sow, by all means go ahead- they'll still get lots of cooling and warming to soften those seed coats.

too late for me to start hollyhocks??... I have some I could put out

onewish... the way i see HH's are.... they wont bloom until the second year, so to me, it does not matter when i start them.

Though... i have to admit.. i did have ONE that bloomed last year, i happened to give the plant to my neighbor, since i had so many plants.... my luck, her's bloomed.

Just sow them when you get a chance... dont think they will germinate for a while... weather depending.

-------

Our weather has not really warmed up at all. They say mid-upper 50's for tomorrow -- but rain.

No seedlings yet.

I've got to get my butt in gear and start sowing again.

ok thanks.. never grew them before.. but I did throw some out in the garden last fall.. just have to try to remember they aren't weeds

one nice thing about HH. they have a very distinct looking leaf... so you wont mistake them with weeds.

if anyone has a seedling photo.. that would be great... never had them before no clue .. but that is good to know when I get in my weeding frenzy .. snapdragons, datura, cockscomb, and strawflowers are all easy for me to spot.. others.. YANK.. when i get nuts weeding you never know what I am going to pull.. last year I yanked a pumpkin.. LOL... OOPS

I planted the most beautiful foxgloves one year. They were the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen (blooms didn't last long). With them I planted some Chinese Lanterns. I decided to revamp that garden once the floxgolves had bllomed. I am still getting some freaky looking leaves that sprout up. I let them grow for a while because I was so sure it was something I had planted but forgot about. I got nervous when I started growing too fast. I thought it was going to crowd the other plants so I dug it up. I hope I didn't kill any desirables.

glad I planted the Chinese lantern seeds in a container.. the first year there were 5 plants in it... the next 20 or more... just went HOLY COW glad I didn't plant them in the garden.. I actually took them out of the container and put the root ball in on the driveway.. when I decided to get rid of them.. that thing lived out of a container for the rest of the season.. scary plant

okay so maybe it was the Chinese Lantern that went crazy!

here is last years HH

milk jug full from 2007

oohh thank you TCS... that is a great help.. they remind me of pansies.. that means life is good.. they might make it!!!

That is what I think I will like the most about ws. I don't have to worry when weeding that i might be pulling flowers instead of weeds.... I pulled too many out last year to only later find they were flowers..... OMGoodness.......

Hay I just checked my shasta daises and they have sprouted. Those are planted inside on a heat mat and I can't believe it. Just a 5 days to pop..... I was too sick the first of the year to get them started and they really need to be started in January for any hopes of me having blooms by Mothers day weekend. But here's to hoping they will...LOL

Janet

when I don't plant it... just put a seed down.. unless I recognize it right away it gets yanked.. the WS does help me because if I am digging a nice hole & putting a plant in it has a way better chance than a direct sow

I hear you loud and clear onewish.... that is my thinking too.

Janet

same here. i have an area out back where i just tossed wild flower seeds. I bet i ended up pulling many of the plants thinking they were weeds. I'm trying NOT to do that again... and if i direct sow, i will mark it.

that poor pumpkin was marked.. saw it right after I pulled it.. if it's new.. it's on it's own!!

:)

I found my 2nd container to germinate today! Sweet William, Newport Pink are emerging this morning. Now there's no way to stop myself from checking them every day, LOL.

gemini is going to have jug eye, jug eye.......LOL

Janet

eeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeee!!! Jug eye, jug eye!

jug eye!! Is it catching???

Jug eye is WORSE than cooties!!!!

LOL, Jug eye for sure!