Carrie, the site itself doesn't appeal to me that much. I was just looking up a certain seed to see if it could be wintersown.
Yes, Jan's thread sounds very interesting!
Will you be Winter-Sowing this year?
Not accusing you of cavorting with the enemy, Sue, please don't take it wrongly, I was just being my usual sarcastic, bitter, what's wrong with this world self.
xxxxx, Carrie
I think I know you well enough by now, Carrie!
Thanks, Sue. (every once in a while somebody takes offense, and I go back over what I said, but there was never any offense intended . . . .) And you're coming to my birthday party at Michaela's, right? (SSSHHHH, don't tell Michaela, it's a surprise party!)
Now that strikes me as terrifically funny, but you have to live in my brain with its short circuits and Monty Python reruns going on, and be on exactly all the threads I'm watching and thinking what I'm thinkthing - it's way too complex to try to be me!
xxx, Carrie
Hi, Sue. This is Jan herself speaking (talking behind my back, huh?). I used zipper baggies last year...works great! didn't have any clothespins, so I just pinched the sides so they would stay open...anything that will keep them from closing all the way.
I have this elaborate scheme this year. looks nice, but I can't say yet if it will work or not. only time will tell LOL
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/809636/
ps I try not to speak thru Carrie because of all those short circuits.
how come I didn't get invited to the party? is it a surprise for me, too, for your b'day, Carrie?
You can definitely have a birthday party at my place, Carrie - except that May 25 we will still be on the West Coast. 2nd problem is house sitter won't know you. 3rd problem is - not sure how you will negociate the stairs . . . other than that, I don't see any problem :-)
Gosh, Michaela if you know, then where's the surprise? Oooh, you know who will never look on this winter sowing thread? Kassia! Let's have my surprise party at Kassia's - won't she be surprised!!
DH might be surprised too - I think he thinks we're going away for the weekend.
This is all so ridiculous! Ha ha ha ha ha. xxx, Carrie
So - is everyone done winter sowing? I started my indoor sowing this week.
Good grief - I will be winter sowing every week until April
Gee, maybe I'll throw a few more out, if you're still doing it!
I'm with Michaela - winter sowing is not a means to an end, it's a journey, it's a process! I winter sow until it's spring and then I spring sow and then I even did a little summer sowing last summer for things I hadn't found in time! ♫♫ Carrie
Oh, I'm with you guys. Definitely not done yet. I'm sowing in the house and still working on the w/s.
ditto
I just got the jugs ready, all cut, filled with soil and ready for seeds.
Now I am debating rather to put them out today or wait until the next storm is over. (Sat)
pix, go ahead and put them out. there's no time like today LOL. the storm won't hurt them.
The storm may be all rain (hoping) but that means flooding. If it goes out to sea just a little it could be a huge snowstorm. Still think I should??
This message was edited Mar 6, 2008 9:05 AM
sure, why not? if you had put them out in February they'd be out there now. go ahead.
Interesting tidbit - I washed out a 64-oz. (Heinz) ketchup bottle to use. When I started cutting the holes in the bottom I discovered the bottle is made out of three layers of plastic! That made for awkward cutting. I wonder why not just one thick layer?
maybe less of a chance of cracking with all the squeezing?
Kids are pretty tough on ketchup bottles - at least around here LOL I would hate to see a ketchup mishap in this house LOL
Ok , yesterday I WS these:
Columbine: Nora Barlow & Tequlia Sunrise
Lupine Russel prize Mix
Nemophila Maculata~Five Spot
Nemophila Menziesii~ Baby Blue Eyes
Meconopsis betonicifolia ~ Poppy Himalayan Blue
Gilia Tricolor ~ Birds Eye
Zinnia Giant Dahlia ~ Lt Purple & Dark Purple
Nigella
Larkspur~ Giant Imperial Mix
Gazania ~ Sunshine Mix
Pardancanda ~ Candy Lily Mix Colors
Snapdragon ~ Snappy Day & Night
Cosmos ~ Orange (low growing)
Tithonia Torch ~ Mexican Sunflower
Anyone have any luck with any of these in the past?
my list.... started these on the 5th... think it might be too late for the Penstemon but trying it anyway
http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/vbc/onewish1/59029/
Pixie, I did really well with the columines last year, including Nora Barlowe. and the candy lilies...I wound up with 6 good sized plants (can't remember how many seeds I planted). some luck with the lupines (including a couple of the reds that you sent me). I only got 1 zinnia, but it was beautiful :-) my snaps were a failure so I'm doing them inside this year, but I know other people w/s them with success. I didn't try and of the rest.
Allison, it might be too late for a flower this year, but it's never too late! x, Carrie
do columbines not bloom till the 2nd year? what about hollyhocks?
My columbine did terrific last year - but no blooms. I should have lots of blooms this year! I also winter sowed snapdragons last year and they did very well. this year I am following illoquin's advice and started the snaps inside. She advises that as soon as they germinate to put them outside. :-)
I would like to try wintersowing some snapdragons....how do you start them inside first? Do you leave them in the jugs indoors and then place them outside after the germinate?
Likewise - I followed Celeste's link (from the what have you bought thread?) and bought all kinds of beautiful snapdragon seeds! Do I winter sow them inside then move them outside???? xx, Carrie
Today the "stuff" is coming in the house. I am going to start flowers by seed. Every year I start on March 10th but it has alway's been veggies.
Now I have a GH my goal is to provide "ME" with flowers to plant in "MY" yard (actually ours DH and myself) But I have to do the ground work from the top down or is that from the bottom up? Anyway's -
I have seeds in cold storage from last year. I have to dig them out and see what is there! oh boy. I know I have 2 elephant ears tucked away. I think I will pot them up :-) The saga will continue.
I'm confused, Sherrie, what's coming in the house, what's going in the GH, whaahhh?
xx, Carrie
Regarding snapdragons . . . I received some from Illoquin - who loves snaps - and her advice is to germinate them inside - then as soon as they germinate, put them outside, regardless of the weather.
However, if you let them remain inside, then you have to keep them inside and go through the whole hardening off process.
I guess there is this little window of opportunity where you can get a head start with the snaps, then place them outside.
Mine are sown in little propogator trays - you know, plastic trays with plastic covers . . . as soon as they germinate, they will go into the mini-green houses I will set up outside. Then as soon as they have a couple of sets of leaves, I will pot them up. OMG, if they all germinate, I will have snaps coming out my ears!
You'lll have to take a pic of that Michaela. Do you have to tip your head to one side when watering?
As for the mini-greenhouses...what kind of setup do you have? Do you then have to watch and water them when they are out there?
Regarding the mini greenhouses - I have no idea - I never had them before, but I picked them up at Lowes for $12 each, so not a huge investment. They are basically just five shelves with a fitted plastic cover. They are probably not very strong, and expect are primarily useful in early spring. I will definitely have to watch things and water them - but I have only two sets of shelves downstairs - only four shelves with lights, and of those, only two shelves have heat pads.
Seeds start on the heat-pad shelves, then after the seedlings are a certain size, they move to the no-heat shelves.
Currently, I have potted up vinca, african daisy (you know, the one that whose name begins with "o" that I can never remember) violas (these go outside during the day now), gernaiiums, and some petunias. I figure I have another 150 petunias to pot up, and sooo much more to start! stuff like salvia, dahlias, zinnias (OMG, what have I done to myself - this doesn't even include the 120 different seeds I have winter sowed - so far! - still have campanula seeds to start, etc.)
Is there a medical term for this illness????
The stuff coming in the house is:
A long and wide board.
Saw horses to hold the board.
Plastic trays with covers.
Potting soil, peat & plastic pots.
This will all be for flowers, as a lot of flowers take a long time from seed.
The GH will start in early April around the 15th. I will move the flowers or any thing I plant out of the house, to the GH and start more flowers and tons of veggies. That way I will only have 1 propane fill up that will cost around 500 bucks, verses 2 fill ups.
If I had to spend a grand to keep the GH warm for 2 months, It's a hard decision to buy plants or grow them? Don't forget this is only the 2nd year for the GH and I am still learning. Last year I murdered as many plants, that survived.
Michaela, osteospermum? Sherrie, if you can grow different and more wonderful things than you can buy, than isn't it worth it to grow them?
Every time I read the title of this thread "Will you be winter-sowing this year?" I think "Of course, what, are you kidding?"
xxx, Carrie
Michaela, osteospermum! Yep, that's the one!
But you know what I mean about the title Candyce gave the thread? Will I? Are you on crack? Of course, is the pope Catholic? xx, Carrie
Getting long. Go here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/826810/
Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Has any one started Hardy Hibiscus from seed? I had a few seed pods one my plant that I saved during clean up this weekend. And I'd like to see if I could start them indoors. right now I just stuck them in seed starter mix.