Sprouts, sprouts, sprouts, Muuuhhhaaahhaaahaaa

I started a bunch of annual seeds and I already have sprouts. I'm soooo excited. Spring mania has begun.

I had a terrible mishap, though. I bought cheap ($2) clear plastic tubs to hold the peat pellets. When I picked one of the full tubs up to move it to the window, the handle broke off and all my newly planted peat blobs ended up on the floor upside down. I picked them up and put them back hoping that they would be fine. I have some sprouts in that tub, so all is well. Of course, the blobs got all mixed up and I'll have to wait until them bloom to see which plant will have which color of flowers.

The sprout are singing to my soul. I haven't been able to wintersow yet. The weather has been too warm. Perhaps next week will work. Growing from seed really helps me to get through the winter.

Katie--

forgive this (stupid) question from a newbie seed starter--

but do you start your annuals in January and then grow your them along in the tray or pots until after first frost planting time?

Or do you risk it and put them in the ground in early April---

What I'm trying to say, I guess, is 'don't they get pretty big (under lights, I'm guessing?) started this early?"


thanks. t.

Thanks tabasco, you just asked the (not stupid) question I was going to ask. I'm afraid to begin my seeds too early. I wouldn't know what to do with them if I were successful and my house isn't very big. What DO you do KatieLovesDogs?

You guys beat me to the same question.

Best to follow the suggested indoor planting times. The plants can live if you plant them early, but you're right that they may get so big that you feel like you have a jungle in the house. Then you have to transplant them and some don't like to be transplanted at all, much less when they are that big.

I plant some annuals early because I want to have blooms early. I sow those in January inside. When they start to outgrow their pellets, I transplant them into disposible cups that have slits in the bottom. My perennials and some annuals, I wintersow.