What Have You Wintersown So Far??

I have a question for 5 zoners: When do you place your annuals out to ws? And do you plan to cover only when freezing temps approach? Last year I only wsed herbs but I didn't start them until danger of frost was past. I'm wondering about Amaranthus, zinnias, petunias and lantana specifically. I want to get them planted earlier enough to have plenty of bloom.

Oberon, I am going to google your question. I have a question for you. Why are plants considered annuals if their seeds survive through the winter?

My lettuce leaf red poppies are already coming up from seed dropped last spring. I usually break open a few of the pods and spread them around. Then when the blooms are through, cut them down and plant summer flowers in the same wooden container. I then do the same thing with them. That way I have plants in the container from spring through summer!

Crit. What a neat idea. What is your temp now?
Diamond. I will answer first then dive to the google machine. My guess is that they are considered annuals because the plant itself doesn't survive the winter, and in some cases neither does the seed. In other cases, the original plant dies but the seed doesn't, hence my question. Why do some seeds survive winter and others don't. Or is it just that I deadhead so assidously that the poor plant never has a chance to perpetuate itself. I don't think that's right, but ....all seeds are not created equal???

We are having unusually warm weather for this time of year. Days run in the high 50's to upper 60's with down around freezing at night. It is such confusing weather for our seeds. I have not put out any ws'ing yet because I don't want them to start growing then get hit by 'real winter' and them die off. Our normal temp for this time of year is the 40's. I may go ahead and do some since the nights are colder. I could always bring them in if winter decides to hit.

I use 2 ltr pop bottles set up in bottle holders like you get from the store, or the round trays that pots come in from the gardening centers. It keeps them from being knocked over by critters or the wind and I like to be able to monitor them without having to open the lid or pear through a tiny opening like with milk jugs. I used both last year and the milk jugs did not do as well as the clear pop jugs. Even if you don't drink pop, I'm sure you could find someone like me that does!

If anyone is interested in swaps, I am having a St. Patricks Day swap with sign ups open now. You can go here to read about it and sign up if you like.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1243603/

Have a wonderful and blessed day everyone. Think I need to get around and start doing something that requires me to get out of this chair! LOL

I have finnaly seen some green in my jars, mosltly larkspur. Thank you Huggergirl (by the way, how you been) I can just picture all that blue in my yard. thanks again. Etelka

Oberon, I found the answer to your question. The answer is too long to post here, just a page or so to read but very interesting. Here's the link: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8704.html

Celene, you are much smarter than the average bear! =)

Diamond, I've got a big fat list of seeds/plants that do well Winter Sown, regardless of the zone you're in. Would you like me to D-mail it to you? From my understanding, it doesn't matter what zone you're in, in regards to when you Winter Sowing, it's all a matter of whether or not the seed can take, or needs, the freeze-thaw cycles to stratify. (not "startify", heeheehee) The big fat list I've got is a good starting point, and I'll be glad to share it if you like. =)

Speedie, I would love to have your list! You are so nice to offer. That is pretty interesting. I always thought wintersowing was based on your zone and what seeds could survive the low temperatures in your area.

I found a book that was written in the 90s about what seeds need to germinate. This entire book is posted on the USDA website as a PDF file. It has interesting information to offer. Here's the link: http://ddr.nal.usda.gov/dspace/handle/10113/41278?mode=full&submit_simple=Show+full+item+record

Oh, thanks for the reading material. I read the shorter on and am now going to the usda site. thanks again

Anita ..... that is an interesting page indeed. I usually soak my seed in boiling water and larger ones like for canna I gently tap with a hammer. Be careful or they will "shoot across the room" ! ^_^

speedi ... I found a sight I had printed off seeds from when I was cleaning my seed bin the other day. It has even more listed! lol www.wintersown.org Check it out.

Such great info that everyone shares! Thanks so much!

I suddenly remembered I had some cheap aluminum bread pans like you buy in the store with plastic lids. Usually three to a pack. I built up a supply at Christmas. Now I am going to plant seeds in them. Works great as I have run out of the other containers

Speedie, thanks for the list. I went to the site and was soooo surprised to find Amaranthus could be wintersown. Does anyone here have any experience wsing any of the Amaranthus? The Love Lies Bleeding is the variety mentioned as a tender that could ne wintersown in late wintwr, which would be now for me. I have been hoping to have the LLB, Elephant Head and the Summer Poinsettas. Those are the seeds that I plan to ws as soon as possible.

Diamond, WOW, what a large and tasty chunk of reading (from the NAL), thank you a trillion tons!! I have never WS'n Amaranthus but of course I will have to try... there are just so darned many plants that I have not worked with yet, because most of my experiences are with things I can get from work, and that selection is limited. We only sell what, A: is hardy in our area/zone, and B: What popularly gets sold. I am constantly seeing names of plants on here that I've never even heard of (Alsobia, for example), but are positively gorgeous, and for that I have to thank all of you more than I ever could! =)

Crit, shooting seeds across the room with a hammer sounds like good fun to me! heeheeheeee. I am very familiar with wintersown.org however, but I wasn't sure how "kosher" it would be to share it on the site here. Trudi is my hero! =) So, now the list is even longer?? Oh dear, it's been a while since I've perused the site to see what all is on the list, so I see that now is the time to do that again, >>sigh>>. A gardener's work is never done! =)

OK, now, how do y'all get those cute little images on here? I love smilies! < =D

Thanks to Diamond, I have learned that it wouldn't be considered out-of-place or rude of me to link another site which is wonderful with Winter Sowing info. (it's how I got started!)
...So, without further ado, I give you... Wintersown.org. More specifically, the page that links you to all the different types of seeds that are good for WS'ing.
http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/Seed_Lists.html

That page is chock full o' information when deciding what you want to Winter Sow. =)

This is the site that has databases of plants that have been WS and the results for each zone. Even one just for Alaska. I was able to copy zones 1-5 into excel and make a searchable spreadsheet out of it. I sorted by Latin name, common name, then zone. As I added each zone to the spreadsheet I added a column (only one) and put the zone for that list next to it. That way when all the items are in one list I can select by the zone that is of interest, or compare results between zones. Has been very helpful in identifying potential WS seeds.

Thanks Speedie

Mary

That is such a good idea. I just book marked the site, but I think your way will make it easier to search.

Today, I finished up my perennials. Not sure if I want to start my nicotiana next month or perhaps in April. I will try some of the impatiens seed I have in April

This is what I did today:

Hollyhocks:
Tricolor
Pink Doubles and Ruffles
Single Cream with Raspberry Throat
Spring Celebrities
Maroon/Burgundy
Alba Emma
Shades of Pink
Very Pale Pink
Nagrita
Dark Double Pink
Dwarf (Sideleca?)
Double Red and White
Double Pink

Balloon Flowers:
White
Fuji Blue
Fairy Snow
Mother of Pearl

Campanula Frost

Lupine - red
Tricyrtis Shihrotosiso
Anchusa Azurea
Jacob's Ladder
Helenium Red
Primula Elatior

Japanese Anemones:
Japanese Anemone Prince Henry
Japanese Anemone Tomentosa Robustissima
Japanese Kriemhilde

Burgundy Gallardia
Yellow Gallardia

Ecinacea Paradoxa

Eryngium Rattlesnake Master
Penstemon Red Riding Hood
Astrantia Moulin Rouge
Stokesia Purple Pixie

Helenium Mix
Red Cardinal Flower
Shasta Daisy Crazy Daisy

This time I used 6 packs from annuals and put my gallon zip lock baggie over the entire 6 pack. We will see how these work.

I have a question (several) about growing Dayliies from seed. Has anyone here done it and how hard is it to do. I've read a couple of 'how-to's' and it sounds pretty easy. Guess first thing I need to do is get them in the fridge so I can get them started in 3 weeks. Any helpful idea's?

speedi, i make my smily by ^ _ ^ but no spaces between. If you are on a regular computer and not a laptop, you can make a whole bunch of different ones, but I'll have to find that. I use my laptop more than anything.

I would not use aluminum pans, I believe that the aluminum cations are toxic to plants.

Oh shoot. I never thought of that. Has anyone else heard of that? I am sort of committed with the four I have just done. I can't take the seed out without inadvertently mixing it too deep in other soil. So you think that they won't grow. None are vegies, just flowers.

I had not thought about aluminum causing any problems. Everything I used is plastic though.

You must be exhausted. And you must have containers EVERYWHERE!!!

Oberon, you may get germination, but the more acidic the soil, the more likely you'll have problems. I'd get the seedlings out of there as quickly as you can after they germinate.

Okay. Will do. I surely appreciate the heads up.

Crit, thank you for the ^_^ help (let's see if it works), and I've got daylily seeds Winter Sown right now as we speak, so I'll keep you posted on how they come along. I used to be in another forum (which has now shut down :( ), and one person in there grew *nothing* but daylilies. He was from upstate New York and he Winter Sowed them with GREAT success. However, he used only milk jugs (as I recall), and I have mine in milk jugs as well.

I think I'm the only WS'er who uses flats. I like the little cells, they appeal to my OCD nature. I line them up so that the Jiffy on the top of the plastic faces all the same way, and they are hinged on the left side with clear packing tape. hee hee. I'm one of "those" people.

I use some flats also. I use a ruler to make nice straight rows just like the nursery here does. And I mix the finest seeds with a fine sand toget better distribution.

Celene, you have OCD, and I've got AOTR... All Over The Road. ^_^ I've got my milk jugs in one area, (but the handles all face the same direction!), .... and then I've got a few elsewhere... then a few flats of assorted shapes and sizes... At least they're all on the deck! =)

LoL I want to invite all of the OCDers to my home. You all would be busy for months.

Speedie, I winter sowed daylily seeds with no problems. That was a lot easier than putting them in the fridge.

Okay. Let's see a show of hands! Who straightens out brochures on a counter while waiting in line... ROTFL

I straiten peoples pictures and trow rugs, thos that counts??? I also mispell things.

LoL

very very close....I bet you pick dead flowers off of other people's african violets.

Oberon, you caught me!! >>blush>> I straighten out the tubes of biscuits and cookie dough etc in the dairy case 'til DH pulls me away. =)

LOL. Ah, I knew I could count on you speedie. But all your plants are not planted in a row are they?

HECK NO! < =D One bed is planted in "drift" style.... not that you'd know it now, mind you. The other is sorta random-like, since it's oddly shaped and scalloped.

What is drift style?

I am assuming it is drifts of the same type and color of plant....

I found this on drift planting. I was wondering the same thing. LoL

Drift planting" is a term I use to describe a more relaxed and naturalistic approach to the arrangement of plants. The implications of this system, however, affect more than just the planting layout. Plant choice, quantities and even the overall layout and design of the garden are subtly altered by this approach.


It sounds like it's exactly what Carolyn described, natural looking swatches of colors and plants.

This message was edited Feb 27, 2012 5:27 PM

Wellllll Carolyn... heh heh, ummm, no, I'm not nearly as organized as that. There was a smattering of anything from Purple Coneflowers to Black Eyed Susans, Blue Boy Bachellor Buttons, Becky Shasta Daisies... Oh yeah, Blue Flax, and I don't remember what all else. I know there were some Cosmos in there too. =) I'm a mess; a mess I tell ya, a MESS! =)

Drift planting looks sorta like the pic I'm attaching. You alternate and stagger your plant types like this.

I understand. Will try to adapt some of that. Mine are much too regimented. But what can you expect from a bean counter.