Let's talk containers...2009

Karen,
When I said, "Where would I put the seeds?"
I meant when I have them all bunched together like the Chia Pets and not separate them. what kind of arrangement would I use to show them off in the garden when they are all bunched together ... like for instance in ... (1) a strawberry jar? (2) a very shallow container? I can't imagine how nice or splendid they would ever become because the roots have no where to grow.8-(

Karin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They end up like this

And this

Another

Well, I've done it. After reading on here about winter sowing. I started 5 sets of seeds yesterday, poppies, delphiniums, columbine, digitalis and coneflower. I usually start them all in the basement under grow lights. But after all of the info from you guys, I did it. And just in time too, we have 2 inches of snow today and expect 3 more tonight. Thanks for the information.

Yay, Lexx! You did it. Welcome to the club. I haven't checked my jugs lately (I usually don't get home from work before dark), so I only know that I have mixed gaillardia seedlings which have sprouted.

I still have some annuals I want to get WS'd, so I gotta get busy on those.

Angie

Karen, beautiful photos; gorgeous flowers, so healthy and full.

greenthumb
The flower that I really enjoyed doing hos was allysum and it was grown in a shallow pan (planted kind of late as it is an annual) and I just cut it into small brownies. I had the best alyssum I have ever had. Usually I would buy a flat and plant them individually and then come summer they would just kind of die out. With hos they grew perfectly and I had alyssum borders all over the place. lol
Another good thing about ws is you can plant them so much earlier and they will still live. I don't quite understand why they do but they do. Much smaller plants to put out and most will make it.

Yikes, I better jump back in the club! Although i think I have a little more time than those in NC. I agree with the Other Karen about not using flats. I've gotten over confident/lazy and used flats with the plastic cover. Yep, they sprout, but you can't ignore them for a minute. They'll dry out.

GreenThumb Karin ..

Those pics that Karen posted... that is how mine look too.

Karen, DH loved that first picture. Did you plan it out by height or how? I haven't started my WSing yet..and we're in an ice storm now. So I hope next weekend, although I find myself worrying that I'm starting too soon for my zone. What do y'all think? Would it be too early?

I want the area for my mom's memory garden to be like that..filled with all kinds of flowers surrounding a rocking chair and the two praying kids that I found at a garage sale (they weren't for sale until I explained what I wanted them for and the very nice man sold them to me for $5 for both..these normally are around $20-30 each!)

When I have it all done, I'll post pics later this summer :)

Chris

Clan: I'm in your same zone and I already have 29 WS'd jugs and a few more to go, so jump on in here. Some seeds, like poppies, like the cooler temps.

I've realized what is the main advantage to me of this method. I do not have the option, really, of starting lots of seeds indoors, not having the space. I live in a studio -- a nice one, but still. It does have a huge deck. I can start all the seeds my greedy little heart desires! and plunk them down outside! This is just so delightful to me.

I did my first sowing on December 19, the second on January 9, and I plan a third for February 6 -- and a few successive ones as well, in both Feb and March. I'll for sure be sowing some seeds in little pots inside too, for insurance, or reassurance, but this will really give me the head start I want -- if it works as well as I think it will. ;-)

ClanCampbell: It's not too early for you to start. Wintersowing season starts on the winter solstace. Go for it.

I have to say that I'm not real good at garden design. I'm more the "plunk and run" type. I have so many plants to get into the ground in spring, I cut them into chunks and go for it. Sometimes it works out great, other times not so hot. I have ended up with huge tall plants in front of a bed, in front of 4 inch ones. I end up moving things several times before they get a permanent home. Of course I only take pictures of garden spots that look good. My flower beds are always a work in progress. That's part of the fun.

Again, I can't stress enough, if anyone hasn't worked their way through Trudi's site, which I linked above, you really should. She covers every contingency.

Karen

Thanks Karen :)

I've looked at Trudi's site and it's amazing.. but it's just so much easier to get someone to answer specific questions on DG! LOL

I really had gotten the idea that some zones started theirs earlier than the other zones, so that's where my confusion started :) I'll get them going this week then.

I'm not doing too many this year, but I've got the jugs and I'll get them ready today. I really want to go outside when the temp is higher than 20 degrees ( I know, I'm a wimp)

Have a great day

Got a bunch of reading to do today! Will be back later!!

Karin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am a total weather wimp! So far I did all my WS indoors and then quickly stuck the containers out there...... only visiting them when the weather permits a pleasant experience! LOL! ~ Kyla

That's the plan. Do em inside then stick em outside then wait.

Yeah stick em outside and wait. I finished my perennials yesterday just in the nick of time. We had our first big snow last night around 6 inches. My 11 wsown jugs are tucked tightly in the snow. I'm really glad I got it done before the snow. Now they can just rest until spring.

Mine are nicely resting. I just checked. LOL!

Well, I have the jugs ready..now I'm waiting for the potting soil to UNfreeze! DH had the bag out under the car port..not a good idea evidently!

He kept trying to butt in with "helpful" ideas until I finally growled at him "this is MY project..go play with your own" ROFL!!!!! He then pouted and left me alone :)

Before anyone gets the wrong idea.. I'm KIDDING.. he's great with coming up with ideas and I never mind his input. When the jugs are done, I'll show you one that I actually listened to LOL!!

Chris

I've had the frozen potting soil problem before. Right now I am just urging everyone to drink more soda and milk!

I'm going to try WSing for the first time this year. Reading all your posts and Trudi's site has definitely motivated me. I don't have any jugs yet but I thought I would ask my neighbors if I could raid their recycle bins for theirs. I have lots of seeds and soil so all I need are the jugs. Thanks for all the good ideas and suggestions.

Welcome, Froggy.

Karen

Glad to have you join us Froggy and you are so polite. DH just goes out and hits all the recycle bins on the day they are out. He's making another run for me today. I've sown 96 containers and still need 25 or so. You can tell it's my first year, can't you?

Froggy I especially like those plastic produce containers. Holes already drilled and good to go. Eat lots of grapes and strawberries.....

Veronica... what sort of 'depth' is there to those? do you get at least 4" of soil?
i try to get 4", but mostly it's probably about 3"... any less, i find the seedlings do not do as well.

I am going to Sams today... may check out the grapes.

Terese
Just checked some containers and one was not deep enough. The rest especially the large ones from Sams that grapes come in are right at 4 inches. That should be enough. Especially the way mine were last year. They did not get very big until it was time to plant. I will save these for later sowing.
Here is a pic of my winter wonderland yesterday We kept our power as we did not get the ice they got in Louisville and S Indiana.
Tried to send this a few minutes ago but lost it in cyber space I guess
Veronica

Indy, Mark that picture for the DG photo contest 2009. Very nice!

Veronica... glad to hear you faired well. I was thinking of you yesterday wondering how you did.
DH has a good friend SW of Louisville, out in the hills [sticks] and they are without, and not expecting power for 7-10 days!!

thanks for checking your containers for depth.... i will check some out today... though i did find about 6 odd containers, and already cut/hole punched - prepared in the basement.

Two years previously I used one gallon milk jugs, but we are milking and drinking goats milk now, so no more milk jugs (unless I ask friends again). This year I seem to have an abundance of one gallon vinegar jugs, so I'll use those.

We got that ice sandwich stom here, too. About 6" of snow>a day of sleet and freezing rain>another day of snow, 6 inches. So far we've been lucky but thousands are still without power in 20 degree weather. Roads are still treacherous. Trees and power lines are thick with ice. Pretty but not so great for power supply. Everything is thick with ice- roads, sidewalks, even lawns.

Karen

Hey Jody -- good to see you.

I too use a lot of vinegar.... and since we do not consume a lot of milk, i'm down to half gals... though my kid will bring them home from work for me.

Gack, I can't believe January is almost over, and I haven't WS a single container! Last year was my first year, and I only did a dozen or so containers, but those plants were so much bigger and healthier than the ones I started inside, I'm a BELIEVER!

I did pull out my seed box and update my spreadsheet, so at least I know what I have and will remember that I have WAY too many seeds, so won't sow multiple containers of each one. I need to go scrounge in the garage and find out if DH recycled all my jugs, or if they are still there. I've been avoiding doing anything in our frosty garage!

I keep threatening my kids that I'm going to empty their turtle sandbox and make it a giant WSing container. They are 7 and 10, and are currently much more interested in the monkey bars and wooden playset than the little sandbox. They'd never miss it, right???

For all the newbies, I did find that the bigger milk jugs did much better than the smaller containers, like individual water bottles. They were a lot easier to get the plants out of, too. I could lift whole sections of seedlings from the milk jugs, where I had to cut down the sides of the water bottles to get the plants out when I was ready to plant them. The bigger jugs also stayed put more, while the water bottles wanted to blow around, and the tops had to be taped shut or they'd yawn wide open. I kept trying to corral them in boxes and containers, while the jugs were easy to just plant and leave alone.

I'm home with a sick boy today, so maybe I'll get motivated and get a bunch of WSing done this afternoon. As long as I can stay inside and not face the snow and wind, I'll be happy! ;o)

Angie

Hey, Terese! Good to see you too! When will you be wandering up this way?

Park reopens for the season on Apr 15 .... probably mid-may i should be back as full time as i can get.

I went recyle bin scavenging last night. Found 15 milk jugs,3 gallon juice jugs and 2 large produce containers. Yeah! (My DH thinks I'm nuts.) Not bad for first try. I figure a couple more forays and I'll be all set.

WOW Froggy.... nice score!!