2009 - What have you sown so far... #2

Well you people make me feel very lazy, but I have a small yard, so I'm happy to say I'm almost done with my wintersowing at 22 so far. The ones I haven't listed yet:

tricyrtis latifolia
tricyrtis maculata
tricyrtis miyazaki (my own, may have crossed)
lilium michiganese
gaillardia "arizona sun"
gaillardia "oranges & lemons"
pardancanda norrisii (red-orange w/ spots)
echinacea "sundown" or cross
echinacea "harvest moon" or cross

Some will also be planted indoors to increase my chances of success - and to get a few earlier hopefully.

I use my glue gun without the glue stick and just melt the plastic. Last year I did cut some but I believe this was better for me. Makes a good sized hole.

Veronica -- just remember to be in a ventilated area... there was a lot of chatter last year about the fumes begin toxic.

I used the soldering pen, and the fumes were icky. But it was quick and easy. I was in the garage with the door open.

NBGuard: I would love to have some of the seeds of your coreopsis `Limerock Dream' this fall. Do you save and exchange seeds?

Angie

How exciting to start already. We are in another cold snap with highs of -23C or -9F and forecasted lows are about -28C or -18F. I'm curious how long your days are? We are less than 9 hours of daylight right now, but in about a month we will be at 10-1/2 hours. I think I will start ws stuff at the end of Feb. Depending on the weather trends at that time, I may hold off until March. I will start stuff indoors in Feb though, so not all gloom.

Lynn, what a great idea with the soldering pen for drain holes.

>>I'm curious how long your days are?

we are currently 9.5hrs... well, more like 9 hrs 45 min to be exact.... though it does seem like it is staying light longer ... well, it really is. Even though it says the sun sets at 5pm, it is still light a bit longer than that.... more like 5:30pm

Joanna, if you've got perennials to start (that are hardy in your zone), I don't think it would hurt to start now. Although I certainly don't blame you for not going outside at all with those temps! Stay warm :-)

Every year I plan to be so good and keep good records, and then...just don't. Its supposed to be in the 50s today, so I'm going to get everything listed. I did at least think to date my tags. I've got about 50 containers sown, and a bunch more to go, so I've got to get a handle on it, LOL.

I think it's a bit early. We get a lot of fluctuating temperatures with Chinooks, so I don't want seeds to start sprouting and then we dip down to -30. In about a month will be better and we will have more daylight hours then.

Hemo, yes I do save and trade seeds. Please make a note to yourself to check back with me in the fall. If I have any seeds, I'll be gald to share.

I'm really not sure how long our days are, but we are in a warm snap right now. It's currently 61F and expecting a high of 82F today. Sure feels like spring, but I know what it's going to be saying to me soon "Psyche!"

I am sitting here reading this thread and can't figure out why I am terrified to start WS?

I guess I am afraid, living in Zone 5a, that I will lose lots of my seeds. I read that you can WS tomatoes but nowhere does it mention anything about Zones. Is there a place to look that will tell me what is safe to WS in my Zone? I think that is what scares me.

How pathetic to be afraid of losing my seeds to the cold but I put so much hope into each and every seed and really want to give this WSing a fair shot. This weekend is my goal. Can anyone direct me to a site that explains what can be sewn in Zone 5a?.

I would really appreciate any help I can get with this process.

With thanks and hugs

Elaine and Otis

E&O: This is my first time WSing and yes, I had apprehensions, but I held back some seed to direct sow this spring/summer if my WS'd seeds don't sprout. But, guess what? I already have mixed gaillardia seedlings! I also had plenty of delphinium seeds purchased in years past and figured what the heck. So I've sown 2 jugs of delphs and may even sow more in a couple of weeks. Just check out the WSing thread and the sticky at the top of the thread. It contains lots of info. Good luck.

Angie

Elaine and Otis, any plant you know to be hardy or reseed on its own there, you can be pretty sure it will wintersow well. Anything you're unsure of, just wait till March or so to sow. For annuals that are frost sensitive, like Zinnias and Sunflowers, I sow later. A lot of perennials and biennials benefit from the freezes and thaws. Jump in and have some fun, you'll be soooo glad you did come spring!

Thanks Angie for the post.
edited to say a big thanks to gemini. We crossposted.

I guess I just have to let go of my inhibitions and go for it. Wow. I have been doing a lot of reading about techniques used by other people. Will go back and read through the sticky that will have lots of info for a newbie like myself.

Thanks again. I will keep others posted of my successes.

Smiles and Hugs

Elaine and Otis

This message was edited Jan 23, 2009 7:07 PM

Good luck! And you can always save half your seeds to sow more conventionally if you feel uncertain. Sounds like you care a lot, that is wonderful. I personally believe that is one of the best fertilizers, caring. ;-)

Kyla

Proc.- Try visiting the www.Wintersown.org site. They have zones where people document what seeds have and have not worked, including the months the seeds were tested.

Thanks to all for answering this newbie's questions. I have just finished reading through the sticky and my head is reeling. That site sounds like what I am looking for.

Why do I love DG? Because of great people like you^_^

Thanks again

Elaine and Otis

E&O

Have you seen Lorraines thread in the seed trading forum about seeds for Newbies?

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/932800/

Send her an envelope with postage and she has seeds that others have sent her and she will send you out a nice selection. If you mention that you are interested in Wintersowing, I am sure she will send you some great ones to get started with. With almost free seeds, how can you go wrong!

Welcome to DG. It is very addicting. ;) and I haven't even grown any plants yet! Hahahahaha. (I am a newbie to all of this as well)

Lissa - Can't go wrong there. Awesome. I found the list of what I was looking for on the link I was directed to. I am definitely going to check out the free seeds. That makes me feel like doing cartwheels but it wouldn't be pretty -LOL

Thanks for your help

smiles and hugs

Elaine and Otis

We are in the same zone. and i have grown some really great plants.
I have yet to try tomatoes but will this year.

I miss a few days and I can't keep up. Was sick a couple of days with a stomach virus.

LiliMerci, sorry I couldn't answer your question earlier. I hope you got the info you needed to WS your poppies. I'm going to do some direct sowing and WS on those and see which works best for me.

1lisac, you mentioned foxglove being poisonous. You may already know this, but if not, then you wouldn't believe how many plants in our gardens are poisonous. There are daffodils, monkshood, datura (angel's trumpet), larkspur, rhubarb leaves, Lily-of-the-Valley, etc., etc. Here's a link to a list of poisonous plants, and I'm sure you could come up with more if you Google "poisonous plants". http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publications/poison/poison.html

Sonoita, I think zinnias would be great for the kids to grow, too. They seem to be nice and kid-friendly to me, and easy to grow. Marigolds, too, would be neat. I happen to love the smell of marigolds. Not everyone likes that smell. I love just about any plant with an aromatic smell.

Nbgard, that story of your daughter saying only older people like to garden reminded me of something. I work with special needs adults, and one of they young ladies I work with used to live with a home provider who was an avid gardener. When it was suggested to this young lady (in her early 20's) that she might get into gardening, she said that only older people did that. I had to laugh! Too funny!!! Her mind, like many of them, is at the level of a teen's, and she is into movies, video games, watching TV, and anything that can generate some fun. To her, gardening is dullsville.

Good luck, Elaine and Otis! This will be my first year WSing, too, and I'm diving right in. I have gotten 3 shipments of seeds in. Now to get my containers and planting medium and get started. I have made it my goal to start the first week of February, regardless of how good the weather is.

Karen

Nexy Friday is when I will be WS with the kids. I have dwarf snapdragons, marigolds, rainbow chard, & carrots. I have a gazillion zinnia seeds, but they are the giant varriety, and may not bloom before school is out. There are 14 kids, and we are going to try to do 1 jug/kid, if they gather enough jugs. I'm being selfish, I'm not taking any of mine that I have horded through out the year!

Okey dokey, here are a few more ws's yesterday. Hope to get a bunch more done today to "Can you say over-kill!"

WSed 1/23:
Hollyhocks:
"The Watchman"
Two different pink singles
Pink/rose/peach single mix
Stokros mix
Sgl white/puple
Creme de cassis
Miniature hh: ‘party girl’
Blue dwarf delphinium
Mixed foxglove
Echinacea:
Greenenvy
Merlot
Twilight
White swan
Gaillardia ‘burgandy’
Papver sominiferum purple like ‘lauren’s grape’
Cinquefoil ‘monarch’s velvet’
Salvia lyrata ‘purple knockout’
Red/white bi-color salvia

Have a blast WSing with the kids, Sonoita!

Nbgard, that sounds like a nice list of flowers you have going there. I have just about everything there on your list.

Karen

My advice on the WSing and trying to get started!

STOP reading........get your supplies together, plan time with the dirt, put some music on or whatever and JUST DO IT!! I was over thinking, over planning and worrying about stuff that was designed by nature to work by itself.

That is all I got..........but really just doing it is all there is.

Lissa - Just to clarify. I am a newbie to WSing but have been with DG since Sept 2006.

I realized my remark was deceptive sounding and I did not mean to mislead you. There is so much to know and the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.

I did check out the free seed site but it only applies to people who have been in DG for 8 months or less :( I wish I knew about it when that time frame applied to me.

I am so happy to have found this thread though. There is no better way to learn about WSing. Nothing better than talking with others who have done or are doing it for the first time. Especially ones that are in the same Zone. We are in a deep freeze this weekend so may have to put off my ambitions until it doesn't hurt to go outside. At least I can do the prep work inside.

I apologize for any confusion that I caused by saying I was a newbie.I guess I still think of myself that way in DG because there is so much to learn. Thanks to all for your help. DG sure has amazing people!

Smiles and Hugs

Elaine and Otis

OH, well! I just think it is so neat what Lorraine is doing for all the new gardeners. I like to share the news with people. I am wintersowing some of the seeds she sent me.

So even though you know your way around a bit, you can still be a newbie at wintersowing in here with us. We can all rejoice together at the thought of growing our own chia pet milk jugs. :)

Elaine and Otis ...

don't forget to check out the Seed Trading Forum... there is always someone giving seeds for postage.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/trading/all/


Terese

You are all awesome and your generosity of spirit and help is so appreciated. Great to know that I am in such good company and we can all cheer each other on with our anticipated good results!

A big hearty thank you from the frozen land - LOL

Smiles and Hugs

Elaine and Otis

Thanks Karen. They are ll new to me, so I am looking forward to adding to my entourage!

E&O, dmail me if you'd like some seed for SASBE. I just participated in the "Piggy Seed Swap", and Oh, what a hog I was, LOL. Already had a ton of seed in my own stash (and still do), now there are all these from the swap. My fellow piggies were very generous with seed amounts, so most things I'll only be using a fraction of the seed. Most of them I know to wintersow very well too :-)
Neal

Thanks Neal

I am going to do just that. Oh. This is exciting!

Thanks so much!

Hugs Elaine and Otis

well - finally had time to go through my winter sowing list for last year!

Here is what I discovered - I planted 161 containers. Of those, 68 containers produced plants that made it to the gardens. An additional 21 containers germinated, but I was so overwhelmed by plants, and some germinated just when I had too much to do, so those plants didn't make it.

Only one variety of hardy hibiscus seeds (out of the 8 I attempted) germinated.

Some seeds did not germinate until early summer.

In most cases, I only wintersowed some of the seeds - so I still have lots left. I store my seeds in the refrigerator, so they should be still viable.

This year I bought three large clear containers. I am trying to limit myself to the number of smaller containers I can put in the larger ones. I managed 42 varieties wintersowed so far. some are longshots, but mostly I am sticking to things I expect will work.

Here is my list so far . . .

http://davesgarden.com/tools/journal/viewbycat.php?cat=72302

Here is the list of plants that I successfully wintersowed last year and that made it into the gardens:

http://davesgarden.com/tools/journal/viewbystatus.php?statussort=name3&status=14352