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

I found germination in a couple more jugs yesterday, Basket of Gold Alyssum and Clasping Coneflower. That's 6 out of 115 up so far.

Jnette, the freezing and heating up is a good thing! A lot of the things I ws require that to germinate. As long as there is good drainage, being wet won't hurt them- mine look soggy like that when they have been freezing at night. I'm in zone 6, and just the first of the cool temp lovers are up so far, but many won't show themselves till sometime next month or even later. Depends of the specific seeds sown, but I believe you'll be seeing sprouts in the next few weeks.

Jnette: Don't toss those jugs yet! There's still plenty of time for you. Some of mine haven't sprouted yet either, but they will. You'll be so excited when you see your first sprouts. Just be patient.

Whew! I'll hold off on my jug - I - tis until next month. LoL

Remember that we're mimicking what happens in nature. Seeds freeze at night (months on end, too), heat up during the day, and germinate at various times. I had some seeds that I planted last March that didn't germinate until July! As long as you know you planted viable seeds, let them do their thing and don't fret about it.

Good answer, Steph...

Jnette, I'm with everybody else--don't toss those jugs yet! WS seeds don't mind freezing and thawing. Though I understand how impatient you might feel. I've got about 50 jugs out so far and only 2 have sprouts (Alyssum and Calendula). Now that the rain has finally stopped and we're supposed to be in a warming trend, I expect to see some more coming. . . but Mother Nature will take her own sweet time.

Agreed -- looking over this thread it seems that everyone up to Z7 is starting to see sprouts, but above that we're still waiting. I'm in Z5, and we're in the middle of about 5 days of near freezing nighttimes and sunny 50-something daytimes. So I expect something to happen soon, maybe next week if things progress the way they have been. Have faith!

Meanwhile, toss some seeds into a Jiffy tray with those peat disks. I used those over the weekend and had sprouts of convolvulus in less than 24 hours! That keeps me from fretting over my jugs. Almost. :-)

Also remember that your early bloomers will germinate first and then the later bloomers will germinate later on. Calendula and alyssum both love the cooler temps, so that's why those have already germinated for CapeCod. So, sit back and chill out. (Doesn't stop you from being anxious and watching those jugs everyday, though! LOL)

I'm zone5a and it has just warmed up here.... being about 60° and sunny. Tomorrow should be near 70 with 40's for the weekend.

BUT -- out of 70 some containers, i have 4 with seedlings.

** I did start a thread with a bunch of photos of my "bed preparation"
I hope to keep adding images thru-out the summer with plants and blooms.
here is the thread... http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1081756/

Lynn

you go girl, what are you doing with all of your extras? I'm going to give some to my garden clubs plant sale, then of course some for my garden and the rest for plant sales so I can bring in a some extra money....

Going at lunch time to pick up more coil soil.... I really love working with that stuff as long as it is wet, cause it doesn't seem to be bothering my sinuses, which is a good thing....LOL

so is ice plant something that I can ws? I just got some seeds from the seed robin that is going on and I've never heard of this plant let alone grow it.

Janet

Hey TCS, what dod you have that sprouted? I'm curious

Uggggg ..l need to print my WS spreadsheet.

so far.... #6, #12, #13, #32, #46...

I've got to look those up....

Monarda Lemon Mint
NoID Monarda [form Ansonfan]
Monarda Marshalls Delight
Snow-in-Summer 'Carastium'
Wild Lupine

Looks like Monarda's are early germinaters.

So, tcs, it looks like the Monaqrdas sprout first. I will have to see which jug mine is in and watch that one. LOL

I only planted about 35 or 40 jugs Lynn. I put a lot of my good Rudbeckia seeds in there and all of a sudden I thought, "What if this doesn't work? I have lost all of my seeds". That is when I decided enough. If I lose them I will be sick.

So, since I have never done this before I stopped. I am now planting my tomatoes, petunias, verbenas etc. in the house where I would have anyway. I need to control those
'cause they need to be up-potted etc. in the next 6 or so weeks.

No, actually, I really did not want my plants in the jugs to come up until now or later. They would have probably been pot bound by the time I got to planting them if they had.

Jeanette

Jeanette... I usually have good luck with Ruds... many times i just toss seeds out in the beds. I had TONS last year.

Are the Ruds just that easy? I'm in zone 5 too. And I have wondered how much success I would have with throwing some seeds out. Its amazing how plants that self seed spread so eaily without any assistance from anyone but Mother Nature. LoL I'm still picking morning glories out of my beds. I have plucked hundreds of them out of my flowers beds and grass.

I don't know what the ice plant is, either! I got them from Star. Here is a picture from the internet. Mesembryanthemum is the proper name.

I will give plants to my mom, SIL, DIL, and neighbors. I am also going to donate some plants for a fundraiser next month. I will just plant out hunks and let them fight it out.
I am having the best germination in my unheated GH. I spend hours in there everyday, so it is easy to play with them in there.
Whoops, DH is calling me to go help him. We have to take his bike into the shop today and he needs a ride home. That bike is a pain in the hiney, even the Harley dealer hasn't been able to fix it.

Those look almost like Livingstone Daisys. Can't tell how tall they are tho. LDs are short I believe.

I am going to hover over my jugs any more but I did notice that I have irises starting the sprout that I planted last year! I was hoping they would make it this year. Spring is coming!

I found an old image of my Ice Plant.

I had purchased some from Springhill Nursery, not realizing they are NOT hardy to my zone. I was crushed when they didn't come back. They were like a carpet of purple flowers.

Hey, I know I said I would not jugeye any more but I couldn't help myself. I have one sprout! My malva jug has one that is green with two leaves! I couldn't believe it! Ok, so now I leave the lid on the jug until I get more sprouts? When do I open the jug? My HH look like they may be next. I didn't see any green in the jug but I did notice that some looks different. It looks like something stringy may be growing but it's not green. Any ideas?

Here's my first WS sprout, Uno Malva!

First root, maybe?

Yes, leave the hinged top on the jugs, as the weather warms up you can cut vents into the top, and finally cut the top off altogether. I usually skip the vent cutting part, and just wait till danger of frost is nearly passed and cut the top off.

once my seedlings get larger, a few inches... I will hinge it back, but do not cut it completely off until there is no chance of frost. i've never cut additional vents in the top portion.

Thanks that's helpful. It's a solitary seedling right now. Hopefully more will follow inside that container but if not, I will be happy with the one Malva. LoL I didn't realize the Malva Sylveris is in the Hollyhock family.

Wait a minute!!! She said she has the lids on her jugs? I don't, am I suppose to? I don't think she is talking about the hinged top of the jug, are you Anita?

What do you mean by the "lid"?

Maybe that is why mine are so wet.

Jeanette

The screw on caps should be left off from the beginning.

We're expecting a freeze this weekend. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! I will have to cart in my jugs o' seedlings! I was going to plant my sweet peas yesterday, but with the freeze coming, I've decided to wait.

Can someone please take this wacky weather away???

Steph -- when you look at temps... it's coldest before the dawn....

how low is it expecting to get? It's not like it's going to be 28° or so for a long time, just a short few hrs maybe .... just cover the containers with a blanket or so.... or put them in a more protected area.. garage maybe...

My first year sowing, 2007, we had a very warm February... I had a lot of seeds germinate - many tender annuals too... in April, when we had a cold snap... nights in the 20's for 4 days... i'd cover them with old flannel sheets. did the trick for me.

No I don't have the screw on tops of my jugs. I am speaking of the hinged top portion of the jug.

yesterday... when it was still 60-ish out... i WS'ed a few more containers i found on top of my frig.... only 4.... finally got my Milkweeds going...

I also began to prepare my sterilite box... I was able to get 28 'nursery pots' in there ... the sun went down before i was finished, and it was getting quite cold.... but i had the soil in and watered it... all was left to do was finding seeds.

I did 15 containers of Salvias. I think i'm going to have more "red" than i know what to do with this year.

Got my first sprout up today. Ornamental grass. Wadda ya think? LOL

Yeah! Post a picture of your new baby.

LOL, I moved all of my jugs under the table on the deck today so they wouldn't get knocked over in the wind. I have no idea where it is. Or I would.

Hopefully I will have a whole bunch up soon then I can find it and I will take the picture.

I had a jug of snapdragons sprout yesterday and radicle emergence on a couple of forget-me-nots. So now I have sprouts in 6 of my 15 jugs.

Karen

Anyone know anything about purple fountain grass? I'm not finding alot of information about it. According to what i have found, it's a sterile plant and doesn't grow true from seed. Anyone is zone 5 ever get it to come back from one season to the next?

Diamond

I'm in the same zone as you and never had it come back here. what a shame as I love it for planters. I even tried to bring it in one year in the garage but the collies wanted to pea on it all the time so it didn't make it, and that is the last time I brought any container in. LOL

Sorry I couldn't help you, but if you have a place that would stay above freezing and you plant it in a container then I would think you could get it to come back...

Found a great buy at HD during lunch today for 20.00. a small hand held drill that fits my hand so now I'll be drilling drainage holes in my new supply of milk jugs this weekend. My garden club members brought me another 89 jugs to our meeting this week. I love them....LOL


Janet

I've just been skimming to catch up & I have a couple quick answers to some hardiness questions. Purple fountain grass is, unfortunately, NOT hardy to zone 5, It's sold as an annual here. I have also heard the seed is sterile.

There are lots of hardy iceplants (also called delosperma) in all knds of colors. Tcs, your picture looks like Delosperma Cooperi and it's defintely hardy to your zone. They don't like to be wet though, you could give it another try if you have a sunny spot that won't get soggy in the winter. I don't know about winter sowing them, I would think it would work but I have never had mine re-seed voluntarily.

ahhhh -- that explains why i've never gotten seeds to germinate.
I should look to see who sent them to me and ask their experience with the seeds.

ah.... got it from LeBug. I'll run on over to the Cottage Garden forum and ask her.

thanks lisabees.... i'll take a better look into them. I did love them, but it's possible the bed it 'wet' as it is just off my front porch, so the snow gets piled there.