Winter sowing - 2010 - what's sprouting? It's time for some of those jugeye photos of your sprouts, sparse or chia pets!
We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1078909/
This message was edited Mar 23, 2010 8:10 PM
No photos yet, but got another sprouter. Nasturtium this time. And I decided that next year I need a better class of flowers. LOL!
I opened the one bin and said.. "WOW" there were a bunch that germinated today.. didn't have time before dark to write em down.. but will tomorrow.. I don't know about the little bins my WS things are in.. but my unheated greenhouse .. I have one of those high / low thermometers and since the weekend.. the low was 47 in there... not bad
I have more calendulas, dianthus, silene, and sweet peas now...
I don't have anything sprouting??? What have I done wrong? Do you think my jugs need to be in a full sun location? I have them on the north side of the house...is that enough sun? I only have one little Malva that sprouted. LoL
don't panic yet. give it some more time
Anita... mine do get quite a bit of sun... but that also means, i need to water some of them almost daily... shade is just fine.
Anita, your problem is that you live in the north. Just give it time. Mine were under snow until a couple of weeks ago. I always keep mine on the north side of my house, too, and with good results.
Your time is coming soon.
Karen
Ok, I feel like I'm pregnant for the first time with my due date nearing. LoL waiting with great anticipation!!! ;-)
Anita, LOL!
Mine are on the north side of my house in the shade. As they sprout, I move them out to get a little sun.
almost everything i put out inthe jugs are sprouting hosta, purple cone flower, marigolds,and many many more
hey diamond just hang in there i worried all winter
This message was edited Mar 23, 2010 11:56 PM
Karen, you're right! I am further north than some of you having sprouts already.
Sissy and I are in the same state and Terese and I are in the same zone, but Terese is a little north of me. I find it interesting that all the different variables changes the sprouting dates. that gives me time to get my new beds together. LoL
Anita -- i is possible that i got less snow than you did too. [we really didnt get a lot this year] and temps too. maybe you were colder.
every year is different. and just like you mentioned... many variables.
Does the snow slow down or speed up germination?
that may depend on the seed. The snow will protect/insulate the contains... there are seeds that will germinate while 'wrapped' in a blanket of snow, I've had a few over the yrs [but can't recall which ones] ... but i think most need a warmer soil temp.
We have had some 60 degree temperature but we are still dropping pretty close to freezing each night. The clematis and black berry seems it would neeed the freezing and thawing.
Anita, I'm in your zone and I admit I'm getting a bit anxious too, seeing others in our zone having sprouts already. I have to keep reminding myself that it still gets down to the mid-30s at night, and one morning recently was 24.
Taps foot ....
Crabgrass, yes I started looking at the maps after Karen's post. I am further north than some who are getting sprouts. And others, it may be the different conditions i.e. full sun location. It makes sense once you think about it. The sun warms the bottles and creates the tempurature the seeds need to germinate, hence, faster germination. It's quite a bit cooler and my north side doesn't not get near as much sunlight as my southside. My southside is so hot at times that it burns to touch the storm door. LoL
I placed a few bottles out front just to see what happens. Hopefully my neighbors won't notice. I'm sure someone is going to come along and want to know what's in the box next to my front door. LoL
mine also sit on a paver patio... that heats up with the sun, so they are warmer. but for me, it's really the only location i have for them, anything else is outside the fence -- where the neighbors dog can get at them. [he's not leashed]
LoL it's funny you should say that. Mine are inside the fence on the back but exposed on the front. I'm praying nothing and no one bothers my babies. I did place them in a box. I don't get many visitors, so hopefully, they will be okay. We have cats that are always on the loose but they are usually after the moles and rabbits.
Anita, I prefer a north or eastern exposure for my containers- that way they don't warm up and start sprouting till spring has really arrived. Sometimes when they're in a southern exposure, they warm up quite early and start sprouting, while there is still danger of temps in the teens or below.
Msrobin, I meant to mention to you, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on your Zinnia seedlings. They tend to be frost sensitive, which just means you may want to cover them if temps get in the 20s or below.
Yesterday while checking my containers, I found another dozen had germinated! I think that makes 54 sprouted so far, which is by far the most I've ever had this early. I think that's simply because I sowed a lot of cool season germinators like Digitalis, Dianthus, Penstemons, etc.
Thanks, will watch out for falling temps and cover if need be. :)
I love WInter Sowing!
Thanks Neal! I think I can relax now, I wish I would have started some of seeds eaerlier.
Last night I started:
Clematis Nelly Moser
Clematis (???)
Blackberry and Candy Lily
Clyclops Poppies
Double Mix Poppies
White Hibiscus...and some other I can't remember irght now. LoL
OK, all this good news got me off my duff and outside into the howling winds of March. SUCCESS! Here's what's sprouted so far:
Xerochrysum bracteatum /strawflower (2 jugs)
Aquilegia vulgaris "William Guiness" / European Columbine (1 jug)
Dianthus chinensis Telstar Picotee / China Pinks (2 jugs)
Dianthus barbatus / Sweet William "Heart Attack" (3 jugs)
Nepeta subsessilis / Catmint (2 jugs)
Wheeeee! Already I'm getting better percentage than last year (my first trying WS). Now I just have to nurse them along ... last year I lost quite a few to the unseasonable cold of May & June.
This message was edited Mar 24, 2010 12:34 PM
The chipmonks have found my jugs as there is a bird feeder not far from them.... oh my, I caught one jumping from one jug to another over the weekend.... they are so cute but so destructive....
So we can plant out Poppies? I've never grown them and I've been trying to figure out a way to WS them and not have to worry so much about transplanting them since they don't like it.
How are the rest of you doing it?
Janet
Good question??? Can we WS poppies? I hope so! I assumed that since poppies were periennials and self sows that they were good for WS.
I hope so, Anita. I sowed 3 jugs of Papaver Somniferum "Lauren's Grape" a couple of weeks ago. The info I included in my spreadsheet (which I think I got from the DG WS database) says germination hapens in about 20 days after temps reach 70 degrees.
Poppies easily WS and you can plant them out early.
I recall Karen gets hers out early too, but i can't recall what she said for when
but i'd think in zone6 you are getting there. they are cold hardy enough, and transplanted when small - they dont seem to mind.
I'll probably plant mine out in a month... hang on... i'll check my spreadsheet for what i've done in the past....
last year i did 3 gallon jugs.... all germinated within the same week [mid-March] and all were planted out on April 23rd.
they were about 5-6 weeks old when planted out.
One of my sweet peas is trying to escape its jug!
I am so happy to announce that I am the proud mother of Delphinium Blue Pacific Mix sprouts! I got jugitius and decided to go out to check them out. Sure enough, I saw green! I have a couple of containers that have a couple of sprouts but the names have come off. Luckily, I did make record of what I've planted so I will be able to figure out what it is.
that's great Anita!!
15 down... 43 to go http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/vbc/onewish1/85184/
I WS poppies last & this year... I transplanted them just fine last year... but this year I WS'ed them in cow pots
Thanks Teresa! It's amazing from last night to today I've had babies pop through the soil.
See how exciting it is when they start to sprout? It's like Christmas all over again.
I am excited!!! I don't even care that some of the names disappeared off of the containers. LoL I figure I can figure that out when I need to. I'm just happy to have some babies. Most of the items I planted were flowers I really, really wanted, it's a win, win for me.!
WSing is addictive! I've already started saving jugs for next year! LOL
I have radicle emergence on my penstemon smallii, I'm happy about that one. I wasn't even sure my seeds were mature until today.
Karen
I am trying to be patient, but it is HARD when I have to listen to all you people crowing about your sprouts ;-]! Maybe I should've started earlier - I WS'd onions & peas (as well as flowers) but those are seeds I'll be wanting to plant in the ground soon!
Hang in there Lisa, you still have a few more weeks. :)
