How is your Winter sowing going???

Congratulations, Robin

Karen

Oh that's so exciting Robing - Congrats!!! I wish a happy and healthy baby!

Sounds exciting Robin, Congratulations!

Prairiegirl-- just put a few seeds in a container/baggie and try Wintersowing. It's no big deal (unless you make it one like I do!) (-:

The covers are to keep out too much weather, the birds, etc. In the plastic baggie method many almost completely seal them up and then gradually unzip them as needed for air circulation and moisture, etc.

It should be perfect for your area. Good luck!

Okay, tabasco....I'll be brave and start some this weekend. Where should I go to find out which seeds are okay for me to do this in my area?
:) Donna

PG-- Almost any flower garden seed would work.

If you check Wintersown.org they have lists of recommended seeds or check northern zone WS gardeners lists here.

You can start biennials like digitalis, campanulas--all those sorts now, for bloom in year 2, or try some annuals now (usually WSers start them in March/April) if you like them.

Also perennials are favorites, and I would definitely try some, but I am not sure if you will get any bloom from them this summer with your growing season...

You can try Wintersowing and regular seed sowing and see which suits your 'style' the best.

Checked my seeds this a.m. and I may have a problem. The bachelor's buttons' roots have reached the bottom of 6 full inches of potting mix and are coming out the bottom. Should I pot them on?

I'm far from an expert, but if they have a few leaves, they say they should do OK planted out. 'Only the strong will survive' if there's a nasty freeze, but that's the point of it, I guess.

Maybe someone with more experience can advise?

If the lid is still on their container, I'd harden them off gradually over this next week (widen ventillation holes, then remove lid during day, then remove lid at night but keep in sheltered spot, then move out from sheltered spot...), then transplant clumps right out to the garden as tabasco suggested. If you don't have a place "out there" for them yet, then you could also pot them on by putting clumps of seedlings into containers that have some room for their roots to grow.

Okie, dokie....I'll have to decide quick than which seeds I want to start. Right now there is sure alot of big white flowers coming down...lol.
:) Donna

Well... not my first grandbaby, the third... But my daughter's first! You know how women are always scared about the first one. I wished my mother was threre for me.. she was in California at the time.

~* Robin

LOL....sort of a disjointed conversation here but everyone seems very busy with something!

Good luck with the baby, the seedlings and the seeds, everyone! Have a great weekend! t.

DISCOVERY (for me, at least):

Lobelia cardinalis seedlings are really really really tiny.

This is a funny thread. The one I am typing is the 212th entry. At this rate it's going to go into eternity!

Why doesn't anybody ever start a new thread around here?

Karen

I sowed more seeds:

WINTER SOWED 3-9-06

Centrosema Virginiana Vine
Aristolochia Gigantea Pipevine
Aristolochia Elegans Pipevine
Jack Sword Bean Vine
Stock Giant Imperial
Velvet Bean Vine
Passiflora Alata

Me too... http://lakehousecreations.com/Seed_Sown.htm For those of you that have viewed this page before, you might need to refresh it once you open it.

My winter sowing as of yesterday 3/13/06
80 containers and I am done

and today it wasn't too late to plant a few yesterday.
They are under there.

I checked mine today and I have sprouts on about six jugs now. :-)

I checked mine yesterday (70 degrees and lots of rain), and I have a few sprouts, too.

Lots of waterlogged containers, though, so I made more drainage slits and helped the water drain. Hope I didn't drain away the seeds! Clear, sunny and 40 degrees today so maybe some of the water will evaporate. I am now afraid my seeds will rot. )-:

Tabasco: I was worried about that too which is why I moved them under cover on Saturday. They're still outside but not getting any sun because they're under roof. So tonight I hope my husband will move them back to the open patio. Poor guy. No easy task since I have 75 containers out there.

So now that we don't have to worry about wet and rot it's wind. We have 27-37 mph wind with gusts over 45 mph. We only have to worry about them blowing away.

Karen

LOL-- well, k, now I am worried because my seeds are on the north side of the house and rarely get sun at all...

DoI have to move them to a sunny spot before they sprout? I thought they would just require sun after they were germinated?...

Windy out there today, that's for sure!

I keep mine on the south side of the house on my stone patio. It seems to be working fine now. I'm sure once the sun gets stronger, I will have to move them - unless they are full sun plants. Keep in mind that this is a learning experience for me too as it it my first year w/sing.

Mine are normally on the north east back patio so they get only a few hours of morning sun. On the seemingly rare occasions that we have sun that is...

Karen

Mine are on a rock bed on the east side of a small building.

From my photo above you can see that mine are on a patio. It has direct exposure from the North, East and South. When they start to grow I will move the ones that need protection from the sun into a part shade area.

Tabasco, being out of the sun will only make a difference because the seeds won't get as much warmth and might be a little slower to germinate.

I've got lovely sprouts on 8 of my 9 poppy containers! Wheeee! No sign of any of the columbines, but I've got sprouts of Bronze Fennel, Anise, Linarea 'Fairly Lights', Cleome, Bachelor Buttons, Gaillardia, Thrift, Dianthus, Dwarf Hollyhock (but not the tall ones yet), Malva sylvestris, Corn Cockle, Cypress Vine, and Purple Hyacinth Bean Vin.

:-D

critter, well that was my thinking, too, but I suppose they could be more susceptible to rotting, too, in the shade.

And congrats on all your sprouts! I want to be around when you do your plant trading! And see pics of your garden! Wow!

Still sowing here. Put out 11 more last night. For a total of 27 containers. Sowing about 11 more today.
This is so addicting- I love it!!!

I've only seen 1 sprout so far- and i think it may have froze. It seems like my fellow zone 6ers are already getting sprouts- perhaps i'm not doing something right.

Waiting with baited breathe and reserved optimism.
Ness ;-)

Here's a picture of one of my containers with sprouts.

Canterbury Bells:

way to go Nessie...

Cute babies KB!!

what cute babies. They are soo much fun to look at aren't they??

Susan

Congratulations! Your Canterbury Bells look great!

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/584872/

If any of you want any messenger, I've got a co-op going on it.

Susan

I've got sprouts!!!!!!!!!
Woo Hoo!!!!!!!
NESS ;-)

Way to go girl!!!

Congrats Nessiegirl!

Michelle

Thanks!
I just sowed 10 more for a total of 37?
hehe, i just cant stop.
Ness ;-)

I transplanted my wintersown silene out into the garden several days ago, and last night it was in the 20's. They look fine this morning. This is encouraging considering that:
-they were sown too thickly and I had to rip the little things apart when I transplanted
-because the soil in the container was too shallow, they were too small when I transplanted them.

In other words, the seedlings have survived my ineptitude.
Long live plants!

Missgarney: you make me jealous. Mine are all too small to transplant. This a.m. our temp was 15 with a wind chill of 6. So I envy your flowers as well as your weather!

Karen

This message was edited Mar 22, 2006 11:00 AM

My babies :)

Susan