Will you be Winter-Sowing this year?

Allison, that shot above is stunning!

Thank you Sue.... and I see rosey dawn has a few more trailers this year... my trailing strawberry cuttings didn't make it.. but that's the only one I lost so far... but oh so many more... I know where my money is going this year

http://www.rosydawngardens.com/coleus_catalog_S_Z.htm

(But she didn't save seeds, or they didn't make any - I already asked!!) x, c

Oh darn!

you have to buy them from that website. I didn't. x, C

Onewish1,

I think I will try the portulaca! Thanks for the info.

Teri

Candyce - at the start of the thread, you mentioned

Has anyone tried WSing shrubs or trees? I would like to hear feedback on this as I have access to numerous rare/hard to find
shrubs and trees via the field trips in my landscape design course. I wondered if Michael Dirr is familiar with this process
in another thread. His propagation instructions are so long-range
that it must scare other gardeners away from trying.

Can dwarf dahlia's be winter sown??

Dawn, I will be interested in hearing this. I sowed them under lights last year, and they did well.

Yup, I believe so, if you mean the kind that are generally sold as "annual" dahlias.
x, C

Yes the ones from seed.

I don't think you can winter sow dahlias - these are tropical plants. I understand that the seeds should be started about 4 weeks before they are planted out. Apparently they grow VERY BIG VERY FAST!!!! So I will be starting mine inside - under lights.

I also checked the wintersowing website and dahlias are not listed as possible plants for wintersowing

Did anyone see my post on the CG Forum in response to Critter's article? If not, she said that containers should NOT be in a place where they can get "cooked". Mine are on the south side of the house in full sun. Should I move them?

Well I am not sure anything is going to cook right now . . . but as the days get warmer, I would relocate them some place where they might get afternoon shade.

Thanks! Maybe I'll do it this week anyway - while it's warm enough that they're not frozen in place.

Sue, I had mine on the south side of the house last year. they did get some late afternoon shade. I had no problems and never moved them. it's probably less of a problem in your zone than in the higher zones because the sun's not as high and hot. but if you want to be on the safe side...

I've successfully w/s dahlia's in 2006. I sowed them in Feb, they germinated in March and did very well.

Yes, that's what I've heard too. x, Carrie

okay . . . I will try some . . . but not all my dahlia seeds :-)

Anita, I'm going to give it a try, too. When did they bloom? I'm sure it depends on the variety, too. Of course, I had tubers that didn't bloom until Sept. thanks for the info.

That was two years ago, but I think I had mid summer blooms all the way through the fall.

I'm waiting for the rain to stop and the temps to go down so I can put out a few more jugs. But it looks like the rain is hanging around for a few more days.

Cold enough for you, Sue? brrrr, Carrie

Actually, I'm enjoying the 'heat wave' this past week!

brrrrrr. Had to go out today - A LOT! It's a day to stay inside and eat split pea soup and food like that by a roaring fire. In my opinion. ... x, Carrie

That's funny Carrie - my sister and I were just reminiscing two days ago about childhood foods: pea soup, liver and onions, smelts. I didn't like my mom's pea soup - too bland. But I like it now.

Love Spam! Anyone else?

We should probably start a different discussion for the spam question. YUCK!

As the Self Appointed Temporary Moderator of this Thread (SATMT), I declare it should stay more or less focussed on winter sowing. You Spam types can go start your own thread! I need more, more, more containers. . . will have to start poking the darn holes myself with a steak knife, today.

x, Carrie

Okay, Miss Milton Moderator! Just be careful you don't start poking the darn holes IN yourself!

Yes Ma'am! I contented myself with making an excel spreadsheet that included the 11 containers done so far and the next 10 or so - what's supposed to go in them, where the seed came from, what it supposed to look like, etc. I figured out (sorry, me, for being so dumb last year) that you don't need to know ahead of time how big the spreadsheet has to be and format the cells to be correctly justified and all that stuff if you're not computing the change in overseas employees' salaries when the dollar changes with respect to their local currency and your boss needs the report yesterday, it's just a list of plants and it can stay on my computer until I figure out how to change the ink in the printer! (I was trained to do that in Lotus (RIP) and I feel like I am underutilizing my education. . . well, BU's investment in me in 1989. Oh well. Too bad for BU.)

xx, Carrie

Well, I have saved every plastic pot that came with a plant I bought - and I have lots! I am winter sowing in those, then enclosing them in plastic ziplock bags. I have 23 different types of plants winter-sown so far. :-)

I have extra spam containers!

Computer spam?

Carrie, you can always use your spreadsheets to absorb excess moisture under your plants!!!

But I didn't print them, Sue!

Oh, I think I need to get my butt off the computer chair and go do some more WSing (and housework)! See ya!

Have any of you noticed this on the WinterSown.org site? Winter Sowing in a Baggie:

http://wintersown.org/wseo1/Winter_Sowing_in_a_Baggie.html

The instructions say:
1. Get zipper baggie
2. Fold middle
3. Cut
4. Fill 2/3 with soil
5 Water(?) and let drain
6. Sprinkle seeds
7. tamp seeds down
8. Open slightly with laundry pin
Done!

Yes, I am trying it with some seeds this year. I will post and let you know how it goes.

Sue, I usually stay away from wintersown.org as I believe Trudi supported the ACLU in the 1930s LOL LOL no, but have you seen Jan's thread where she bought 1,000 polyethylene bags so she could W/S 30 of them? I'm exaggerating, but I'll go find it, it's on the Winter Sowing Forum. x, Carrie