What Have You Wintersown So Far??

Oberon, I have along the lines of eleventy million seeds, so if you plant some and they die, it won't be much of a loss, lol. I don't think they will, though. It says it's a Zone 5 plant, but that lists -20 degrees, which it just about never is here. PLMK if you want seed, I'll check the pods on the plants.

speedibean I have seen butterfly bushes get a few blooms the first year but much more the second year.with wintersowing..The containers I have sprouted all went out on the wintersolstice in Dec.We as probably everyone have had a real mild winter
Kiseta if you have condensation in your containers when they aren't frozen then they don't need watering.In all my years of wintersowing I have never had to water the containers till mid april,by then the tops have been removed on the containers that have sprouted because of our warm temperatures

this is really dumb, but--- you cut off the tops when they are mostly germinated? Or after you see the first few little green things coming up? It never occurred to me to just cut the tops off...maybe I shouldn't admit that. :(

Oberon, not a silly question. I think the containers are cut in half for ease of filling and venting. My 2liters are cut in two. Once the weather warms and my sprouts are getting big, I remove the top half of the container. If my sprouts are touching the lid then it definitely time to remove the lid.

Gotcha. I cut my milk jugs about 90% through only leaving where the handle is. Then I use the handle and my thumb in the hole to 'pry' the 'lid' up to plant. So it would take nothing to cut off the lids when the plants are say 2-3" tall

That's usually how I do it. Makes it easy!

I can hardly wait to see how this year turns out. I did such a really bad job last year and still got some plants. So this year I should have plants out the wazoo!!

LoL the first time I heard of wintersowing I was so sure people were making it sound much easier than it was. I had questions and doubt each step of the way. I was so sure I was going to mess everything up...until I planted my first sprouts, that's when I git hooked. LoL My wintersown babies convinced me to expand my existing bed and create more. I probably have over 10 flower beds now. There's no way I can allow my new sprout to be homeless. Now that I have 3 years of wsing under my belt I don't want to start seeds any other way.

Amen diamond,what you thought was a hard to germinate seed,wintersowing makes it so easy that even me!! can grow from seed

I set out more seeds. I can hardly wait until spring!!!

POPPY DRAMA QUEEN
PAPVER SOMINFERUM DOUBLE
EUPHORBIA POLYCHROMA
EUPHORBIA MARGINATA SNOW TOP

HARDY YELLOW HIBISCUS
CELOSIA FLAMINGO FEATHER
CHRYSANTHEMUM RAINBOW MIX
CENTAURA BLACK BALL
SEDUM EMPEROR’S WAVE
RUDBECKIA CAPPUCINO
SALVIA BLACK/BLUE
RUDBECKIA MIX
GAILLARDIA YELLOW
GAILLARDIA BURGUNDY
CELOSIA RED VELVET
CROCOSMIA
CROCOSMIA MASONGRENDEN
PURPLE CORAL BELL
JOE PYE
GAILLARDIA Apricot ArizonA
BLUE FESCUE
MALVA ALBA
MALVA SYLVERTRIS
BALLOON Flower Fairy Snow
COLUMBINE dbl WHITE
CRANESBILL JOHNSON BLUE
LAVENDER
CORAL BELL MIX
PRETTY POLLY AND PLUM PUDDING
PEONY POPPY
PINK AND RED
HOSTA NOID
BUTTERFLY WEED
SCABIOSA BURGUNDY AND VANILLA
ECHIE SUNRISE
BUTTERFLY BUSH BICOLOR
ECHIE POW WOW

Holy cow. That is amazing.

Oberon, I'm not done. LoL My list is nothing. Some of the other folks would have 100 containers out. LoL I may have 50 by the time I'm done. I have flowers beds all around my home. Last year I made a bed around my shed. I have to fill on some of the holes. LoL

In 2009 I started making beds. I have some bfore and after pictures. The first pictures are after the beds were made and the winter sown plants were initially planted. The second pictures are of the same bed (maybe different angles) a couple of months later.

One more inside the fence

Most of the plants were wintersown

What a lot of work. You really have a wonderful variety of flowers. Are they both perennial and annuals? Do you sow several containers of one flower, or pretty much one type in one container assuming you will get enough of that kind to fill your need. I ran out of milk jugs so I guess I have to start buying salads so I have some of those flat containers. Not really very deep though. And we don't get anything in the 1 liter jugs. How much, like 1/4 tsp of seeds, do you put in each jug? i mixed my poppy seeds and some of the tinier seeds with a fine sand to to get more spread. I read that somewhere.

I usually only sow one type of seed in each container but I will sow several containers of the same variety of seed. Most of my seeds are perennials, some of the plants may be annuals. I have4 the same annuals every year, lantana, zinnia, marigolds and petunias, usually. I also try to sow some herbs every year.

The amount of seeds I add to each container depends on how many seeds I have and the size of the container. The gallon milk jugs of gaaillardia, hosta, rudbeckia and coneflower may be sowed pretty thick.

I know you all put the tops of your ws jugs back on and they are attached with a thin strip of uncut plastic on the jug - I typically just cut the entire top off and then use a zip lock gallon bag with slits cut into it. This has always worked better for me.

I have not tried this yet, but I was thinking if I could use the side of the milk jug and make a divider in my milk jug going diagonally from corner to corner. Then I could and use the soil on both sides of the divider for 2 different types of seeds. This way I could get 2 different types of seed into each jug - thoughts?

I am going to try this in my next batch.....

Sounds like it would work Carolyn. What seeds are you putting in the same container?

that really is a good idea Carolyn - completely cutting off the top and using a zip lock as a 'tent'. Would surely make it easier to sow and to check on condiitons. I am out of milk jugs and will have to use some of my flats to sow the last of my seeds. Although every time I read here the more I want to go buy more new seeds from the ideas presented.

Anita,nice list and great before and after pics,your garden beds are beautiful..

Anita

Not sure yet - I still have some perennials to sow and also some of the hardier annuals.

I am going to try this - I would think it would work and I will be able to get twice the mileage out of my contaners.

Carolyn, I think it sounds like a great idea, there's no reason at it for it not to work. As long as there's transpiration, drainage, and sunlight, it's a win/win/win! =)

Your beds sure are looking gorgeous and filling out so nicely!! I absolutely LOVE the placement of your bird bath, too!! =)

Well, I just finished WSing the last of my poppies as well as some nasturtiums Wasn't sure you could WS nasties, but figured I would give it a try. I have really tried to be careful this year. Even planted flats with holes in the bottom, spread the soil and tamped it down, used a ruler to make little rows for the seed, then labeled each row. they are out in cold storage (cold frame) sitting on top of milk jugs as I have little room. The milk jugs just got a good snow fall so they have moisture. Not sure if I am jumping the gun up here. I have at least another month of snow. I can always bring them into the garage but that sort of flies in the face of the who WS idea.

Oberon, I agree with your last statement "...that sort of flies in the face of the whole WS idea". Think of it this way: In nature, when do the seeds naturally fall off the plants and land in the soil? Probably something like August-September-October? And then they will sit there, utterly exposed to all the elements all that time until they germinate in the Spring. If they can survive that, out in the wild (and, they CAN survive it, they were made to!), then they can survive your loving care too! =)

I guess I am thinking that there are some things that will do that 'outside' but don't do it here. viz, you can sow the seeds but you won't get flowers. For instance, nasturtiums. I am sure that of all my nasties from last year some must have dumped seeds that I didn't clean up, but I won't ever have volunteers from those seeds that sat out all winter. Same with bachelor buttons. Anyhoooo. This year will decide that for me. The containers are out there for better or worse. Plus I have different types of containers so I can also tell which ones seem to do better here.

Oh goodness, bachellor buttons should do GREAT winter sown!! My first attempt at gardening was winter sowing, ...hmmm, I think 3 years ago, and one thing I had the most success with was Bachellor Buttons Blue Boys. That was the year thta we (in my neck of the woods) had hugemongous snows from Mid-December, feet and feet and feet worth. All my babies were utterly burried for months and months. They grew up super happy though!

To help figure out what does well with Winter Sowing, look for clues in the names. Names with words that indicate their climate of origin, like Siberian, Mountain, Brook, Canyon, should do very well. Also, tips on seed packets will include stuff like:
Reseeds or reseeding
Wildflower
Will Colonize
Self Sows
Hardy Seeds
Can be direct sown early
Seedlings can withstand frost
Sow outdoors in early Autumn
Sow outdoors in late Autumn or early Winter
Sow outdoors in early Spring while nights are still cool
Sow outdoors in early Spring while frosts may still occur
Weed (such as butterfly weed, joe pye weed, jewel weed)
Needs Pre-chilling (freeze seeds, refrigerate seeds, stratify for x amount of days or weeks)
Needs Stratification
Those are all very clear clues that they'll do well WS'n.

If you'd like a (long) list of seeds that do well Winter Sown, pop me a D-mail. =)

speedi, I have gotten seeds in exchanges that only have the name of the seed on them and no planting instructions. Hence, I never know if I can WS them or not. Could you copy and past the list to a dmail to me too.

My best reseeding flowers are the zinnia's and bachelor buttons-blue. I had very little planting area at my other house, but I always knew I would have those!

Watch out. It's a lonnnnggggg list. lol

LOL. I hope it has common names and not botanical. I'm not that good of a gardener! lol

common names. I just bought (not all on list)
Cardinal Climber vine
columbine dragonfly mix
purple coneflower
cosmos
lobelia cyrstal palace (Ferry~Morse shows it as blue on one envelope and purple on another
Salvia Blue bedder
stock giant imperial mixed

The envelopes don't give much info so will try to find them in the plant database

I also bought (in the crafts dept at Walmart) sticks, like popsicles come on to label the containers, esp those with mixed seeds

Carolyn22 asked if containers can be divided with plastic to permit sowing different seeds. Most definitely. Any piece of plastic or even thick cardboard can be used. The cardboard helps to retain moisture. For several seasons, I've recycled those landscape pieces used to create borders for this purpose. Works great.

You know, I wonder why seeds (all kinds of seeds) won't survive the winter in some places -- like here where winter is longer and perhaps colder. I mean lots of things self sow -- columbine for instance. It makes it through. What is it about some seeds that that won't work. For instance, we can sow half-hardy seeds but not tender ones.

PC - so apparently you have tried it. Makes sense to me that this would work and go a long way towards getting more mileage from the containers.

Oberon I'm not sure what the answer is for the seeds, hopefully someone can explain that. I was surprised that some plants are annuals but the seeds survive the winter to produce new plants every year. Those are good seeds to wintersow in my zone ie poppies and cockscomb.

I wish someone from Alaska, preferably the central or anchorage area (including girdwood, Kenai) would post here. I think I could look up posts from ChocoMoose and see if she ever discussed it. I am pretty much putting all my seeds in one container (uh, eggs in one basket) this year.

Well, that is a given. but he usually has a rational to the plan --- so like, what is the plan?? Oh boy, that should being them out of the woodwork. Cancel that question. Back to the original. Why do some seeds make it through the winter and others don't.

Heeheeheeeheee, you're funny!! One thing I can think of is outter shells and their thicknesses. Some might need more freeze/thaw cycles to stratify than others....maybe?
Oh dear, you've made me think and now my head is on fire. Pardon me while I go put it out. =)

Hmmm. Good idea. also the word I was reaching for was 'rationale' not 'rational.' However, poppies, one of the hardiest of flowers, has tiny little seeds and they need the cold to grow. So the cold does something to the seed. Maybe lets it know that winter has passed and it is time to grow again. You're right. This is giving me a headache. Phooey on it. Let's just enjoy the flowers .

It seems to me that the answer is probably more science-y than my little brain cell can handle, so I'm with you, let's just enjoy! =)

I am not sure about seeds, but for actual plants, cold-hardy plants genetically carry a trait that thickens the cell walls so that they don't burst when frozen. Tropical plants, which are not exposed to freezing, develop no such genetic trait and therefore die.