Winter Sowing 2010 What's Sprouting #2

How do I do that? They have been winter sowed in jugs for 2 months. What do you mean to mature? I must be missing something here. Help!!!!

sorry I missed that you sowed them already... if given the right temperature some seeds can take 60 days to germinate... but I don't know how long they take to flower after that... I know my cuttings take forever to flower... but not sure about seeds

This message was edited Apr 14, 2010 11:01 PM

I don't think it's a good idea to bring WSown containers in the house. I think your best best is to just wait it out. When the temp outside climbs, they should sprout.

My tomatoes are sprouting now. Out of 12 cups, I think 7 have sprouted in the past few days with daily highs in the 70s. They were just sown about 10 days ago. Tomatoes are like weeds, they will surely sprout. They just need very warm temps. Petunias usually sprout at fairly low temps, grow slowly as tiny seedlings, then take off. I've never WSown geraniums, but I know others who have, and they did well. They just need more heat.

My sea holly just recently put up 3 seedlings. They've been out there since last summer, July I think. Just give it time.

As far as your mini greenhouse goes, I think the seeds/seedlings benefit from exposure to the elements- alternating warmth and cool temps, rain and snow, winds, etc. As far as I'm concerned, those mini greenhouses defeat the purpose of wintersowing.

Karen

What about the people who winter sowed their seeds in their greenhouses, in jugs, right from the beginning? I remember having this conversation back at the beginning along about Feb. and I said the same thing but was told it was ok.

Sorry, I just want these darned things to sprout so I will be able to plant them out n a month or so. I don't even care if they bloom this year as long as they are plants I can use eventually.

it is ok to do... just preference ... if you start them in a greenhouse there is still some hardening off needed to be done... most people WS because it takes that factor away

Kqcrna, thanks for the sea holly info. I knew they took a looong time, so I'll just keep them in the jug forever. LOL.

Last night was the first night I didn't put covers back on my WS containers and everybody looks just fine. Hooray!

After talking to me our local pub owner decided to WS her hot peppers. She missed part of the concept and just put them in a container and packed snow on top of them! I saw her a couple days ago and she has about 90% germination and is thrilled. Plus is telling lots of people I told you so. Even with the big ooops, it worked!

Well the Sweet Woodruff has been the ground just little over 1 week. I went to see how it was doing yesterday morning and it already has 5 new leaves and looks very happy. FOV and Jnette, I will let you know invasive it gets. I have a hair appointment early today and a nail appointment at 1:30pm so I will try to get a photo later in the day to show you how happy it is in the desert.

Sharon it doesn't become invasive until the 2nd or 3rd year when it starts leapin'.

Jnette, it's not that you CAN'T wintersow in a greenhouse or your tiered greenhouse, I just think that those out in the elements get some help from Mother Nature outside and they don't get that in the greenhouse. I think the rain and snow and swings in temperature often help the seeds to overcome their dormancy, and the seedlings are maybe a little tougher, too.

Karen

Well, I'm afraid if I wait for the elements these things are never going to sprout.

43 germinated 15 left to go

here is my germinated list

http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/vbc/onewish1/85184/

and to my shock 2 out of 3 types of primrose seeds started... didn't think it would happen... and they were a few years old

Thanks for the report, Sharon. Like Jnette said, it'll be interesting to see how your Sweet Woodruff grows in the desert and not if but when it decides to take off!

Out of 25 jugs, about half mine spouted and I've been busy transplanting the ones that are large enough. Not too shabby for my first attempt at W/S'ing. I doubt the other seeds were viable, so I tossed their contents in my Wildflower garden yesterday and threw away the jugs. It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, eventually comes up there. With our warmer days, I've started more veggies, herbs, and annuals.


This message was edited Apr 15, 2010 9:07 PM

http://davesgarden.com/tools/journal/viewbystatus.php?status=24084

Here's my germinated list from my journal. I still have about 120 left to germinate, so don't give up Jeanette.

Jeanette, if you want some of my little babies, let me know. I can send you some seedlings when the weather is right for you.

Lynn to post the link to your journal click on my info -- Read your journal -- then whatever category... if you copy the link from under my tools and journal it won't open yours... it opens mine

http://davesgarden.com/tools/journal/viewbystatus.php?status=24084
OneWish, I am so sorry! Let's see if this works correctly.

nope... under my info first

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Susan,

Did you take any pictures of the size of your transplants? I have some that I'm wondering if I need to leave the lids off of. It got pretty warm today while and of course, I was working. The lids are still on my jugs and I'm hoping it didn't get too warm inside the containers. At what point did you remove your lids? I think I'm about about 6 weeks behind you in weather, maybe??? I'm thinking if I open?remove my lids I will get quite a bit more growth.

That is really sweet of you Lynn. Thanks, but I guess if they don't germinate I will just have that many fewer to plant. I certainly will not be idle. LOL

Been thinking of you and Ginger Lynn. Wondering how she is doing???

When I was in Maui last August I saw this absolutely beautiful ground cover with a very small orchid looking flower. I was so interested, I went to a nursery to find out its name. I was going to find it when I returned to Nevada. The individual at the nursery game the name but did not say anything else. Then about two days I was walking a different way to the ocean and there was a team of about 10 men tearing it out as best as they could but were not getting it all. I stopped and spoke with the leader. He stated it was just a nuisance and hated this plant. I do not remember the name because that got my attention.

I have been opening my lids during the day... and closing them back up at night if it was dropping down in temp.. we had frost warnings yesterday & the night before

Ginger is doing better. I want to plant some cat grass for her, but I cannot find the thread where people were talking about it.

OneWish, I was doing the same thing. Of course today it probably close to 80 degees while I was at work with my lids closed. In the next couple of days, it supposed to get down to the high 30s. LoL Still too early to remove the lids. I will just have to do the open/close shuffle. It's a small price to pay for all the new flowers I will have. LoL

yes it is... I will be doing the shuffle for a while yet

:)

And it's WAY TO EARLY to be giving up on your seeds. Jeanette, in zone 5a, I'd just be expecting things to sprout now. Yours is a cold zone, colder than mine. I still have about 8 jugs unsprouted out of only about 20 that I sowed. Am I worried about them? Heavens, no, it's only mid-April.

I haven't even finished sowing yet!!!

Karen

Lynn, let me check, I may have some more catnip. I planted some just yesterday. Will let you know.

It was hard giving up but they were mostly Marigolds, Zinnias, and dud Cosmos. I thought if the seeds were viable they should have been up by now and well on their way.

Anita, two weeks ago I opened the lids when it was so hot and only closed them a couple times when our low's were in the 30's and 40's. Our highs are more in line now for this time of year in the 60's and 70's. I'll take a few pics of my transplants. Most have 2 or 3 sets of true leaves but others like Hollyhocks have more.

Lynn, am sending you what catnip I have left. Sorry I didn't have more. Hope Ginger likes it. LOL we need something to wake her up. huh?

Want some fresh Catnip? I've never planted or sown any, but I think my friend who lived here before I did must have. It has seeded itself every where! I've grown it other places and never had it happen to this extent. Hmmm.....the cats may be doing it, LOL...I have 5! So if you want plants or fresh or dried clippings let me know.

Gemini, what is the hardiness zone? I see you are zone 6. I wonder if it would do that here in zone 5?? That would be good. The plants don't come back huh? they reseed? I planted mine in a 3 1/2 inch pot. Should I cut them when they come up? I guess I am thinking they will multiply if I mow them like a lawn.??

I think its hardy to zone 3, so it should be fine there. They're perennial and reseed here. They get 2-3' tall, so mowing would do them in eventually. Dead heading may be a good idea though. Mine have had a growth spurt with these warm days, so there's enough vegetation to harvest some from the big clumps, but the seedlings are small now. It would be later this summer before I could harvest from them.

I didn't mean to keep mowing. I mean in my little pot. To multiply it, cut it.

We are supposed to get down to the low 30's tonight. Should I cover my jugs that have sprouts?

Am I wrong thinking Catnip and Catmint are related? I'd love to know the difference between these two plants. My hobo Siamese cat isn't attracted at all to a pot of Catmint I bought for her and she's never exhibited an "ah-ha" euphorbic reaction. Am I growing the wrong plant? And would Catnip be a better attractant?

I would cover them...

I tried the catmint.. it didn't return for me.. and I think they are related

Cover them if you want. I never did and they have frozen every week since I planted them. Several nights a week. Maybe that is why they are taking so long to sprout. I think 2 more are finally doing something today. It was up to 76 degrees. Like Hawaii to us. I opened that mini greenhouse and it was like a steambath in there. So I probably killed them with the heat. LOL

Can I cover them with sheets and towels? It doesn't seem as though a sheet would be heavy enough to make a difference but its all I have.

If they had not sprouted I wouldn't worry about covering them but I wasn't sure if the seedlings would adapt to the freeze and survive. I hope the sheets a towels would keep them warm enough.

Mine are mostly still chia'ing in their jugs so I cover them when it gets low. I noticed my cosmos are slow wakers. Seems like we have 3-5 new ones popping up ever week, so are just leaving them alone. I figured anything that is frost-tender may take longer to germinate. Just my thoughts.............I do have over 100 heirloom tomato seedling coming up, and I make sure to cover those at night when it gets low.

Well, Anita, you have a lot more sprouted than I do, but the one thing I did have sprout is a tough bugger. I have never covered them and it is growing like crazy. An ornamental grass, Large Quaking Grass. It looks so good. I have not even taken the tape off to take the top of the bottle off. It looks great. About 4 inches tall. That is all the cover they have had until I moved them into the mini greenhouse yesterday. And I did that thinking they might get more heat during the day.

LOL, which it did. I'll bet it was over a hundred in there today and the humidity was probably over that. Maybe I cooked them, but I put my dahlias in there today too. They are all sprouted so I want to get them growing and will pinch them.

Jnette, I would love to see pictures of your sprouts. I started dahluas inside. I'm surprised at how fast they all sprouted. I started some dalias earlier but only a few sprouted. I'm ready to pinch that one. I'm a little vervous baout snipping it. I think we only have 6 more weeks before zone 5 can plant outside. Here's a picture of my sprouts inside. I hope I didn't post this before.