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

Perennially: Hope you get a good night's rest and dream of lovely gardens, all in your yard!

Someone asked about how many seeds to sow per container. I just let my eye guide me. If the seeds are tiny, I hand sprinkle, knowing I will have a chia pet for HOSing. If the seeds are large enough to handle individually, I space out and sow, oh, ten to fifteen per milk jug. Just depends.

Hope this helps someone.

My first time to WS.

18 Jan:
Indian Blanket
Mixed Hosta (from seed swap)
English Iris from seed swap
Tacoma Stan from seed swap
Bishop Weed from seed swap
Mixed perennial flowers (from seed swap)

2/3 Feb:
Purple Coneflower
Red Torch
Rasberry Torch
Purple Torch
Passionate pink Hollyhock

Mixed Perennial flowers germinated 2 Feb. Surprised me!
Lots of fun and not much work.
So ready for Spring!

lovely to read about all these gardens-in-waiting....... ;-)

I have a container of some kind of poppy sprouting (the seeds were mislabeled as Cosmos -- I think they are poppies) and anyway, you know how tiny poppy seeds are, well, apparently I got kinda carried away, LOTS of little sprouts in there....... HOS material for certain sure. ;-) Vhanna, it is my first year doing this also. Fun stuff!

Kyla

Well, still here. Had to check on my indoor sprouting and non-sprouting guys and gals before anything else. Thanks for the wishes, Hemophobe. Now I'm off. Goodnight.

Thanks for all the help. Yesterday, I winter-sowed:

DELPHINIUM MAGIC FOUNTAINS DARK BLUE from Park Seed
DELPHINIUM MAGIC FTNS SKY BLUE W/WHITE from Park Seed
DELPHINIUM MAGIC FTNS CHERRY BLOSSOM W/W from Park Seed
Burpee Pacific Giant Delphiniums (left over from 2008 and kept in freezer)
Delphiniums Gift Genuine Mix from Dowdswell
Delphiniums Royal Aspirations (mix of blues) from Dowdswell
Delphiniums Sunny Skies (light blue/white bees) from Dowdswell
BLACK-EYED SUSAN VINE SUNRISE SURPRISE from Park Seed
LOBELIA FOUNTAIN BLUE from Park Seed
SHASTA DAISY CRAZY DAISY from Park Seed
COSMOS BIPINNATUS GAZEBO RED from Park Seed

Wish me luck with the Delphiniums! I tried starting them from seed last year, and had such poor success that I have now dug in my heels and decided that I will win this battle and have extras to give to friends.

Should I put little baggies over each of those cups?

No need for baggies... you're created your "covered vented container" by putting your cups inside that storage box. I used some similar boxes last year, and it worked out well.

sandstreet -- wow... looks great!! and no - i don't think you need bags over the cups. I think they will do fine.

ya figure... out in nature, when a seed falls, there's no bag over it .... one of the thoughts behind WS, it to sorta let mom nature do her thing with the seeds... but it keeps the critters and some weather out of the picture.... sudden rain storms will wash seeds away, and the critters eat them... so the containers take them out of the equation.

HTH

Terese

ahhhh, Jill beat me to it again........

Hey, 2 reassurances are better than 1!

:-)

Hey sandstreet - you have storage containers just like mine! I have three I bought at Costco last fall in anticipation of wintersowing. Well, mine are all full and outside now - and I still want to start more plants!

Someone . . . . please . . . . help me with this obsession!

That bin recently became empty when I gave all my old maternity clothes to my sister. I probably bought it at Home Depot 5 years ago. I'm tempted to run out and buy more ... Costco, hmmmm?

If this works out, I am doing it next year with the kids. They will be so thrilled when they get little plants.

GreenerBeaner, 25 Shastas per container sounds about right to me. Germination percentage hasn't been so great for me with Shastas, probably about 50%. I planted them out when they had about 6 true leaves; still small but they took off and grew well.

sandstreet, I WS'd a couple of species of Delphinium last year and they did very well. Beware after you cut the tops off your containers that bugs love the tender young leaves. I never saw the culprit, but looked one morning to find cotyledons and the 2 or 3 true leaves each seedling had the night before had been eaten off (it looked like damage from some kind of caterpillar). Thankfully the growth bud was still present and they slowly recovered. Same thing happened with my Painted Daisies.

I received some shasta daisy seeds (snowcap) from someone last year - I started them inside and was very impressed by the germination. I have some shasta daisy seeds now . . . maybe I will try wintersowing and see what I get . . .

I'm about the same as Neal.... mid summer, i took all my remaining Shasta seeds, which was a lot, and sprinkled htem into one of those 5qt ice cream buckets.... I got about 17 seedlings... at least that rings a bell. i searched hi-and-low and i cant find an image.

if they come back in the spring... i'll take a photo.

I tried starting Shastas in pots outside in May. Had great success with Silver Princess (a dwarf variety) and little/no success with Crazy Daisy. Could have been a bad seed packet.

Hi there!
i have a question for sandstreet.............
Did you put holes in the lid of your container too? How will the air circulate?

I was rushed yesterday and only drilled 2 very small holes. I read (from a Grampapa post) that the seeds did not need air, just the sprouts needed air. That being said, the cover is not super tight.

I planned to drill some small holes this week-end, and then as soon as I saw sprouts, drill bigger holes, or start gradually removing the cover. Do you think I need medium-sized holes now?

Thanks guys. I'm going to try to spread the Dahlia's "Bishop's Children" over a few more jugs and leave the Shasta "Crazy Daisies" as they are.

I think I only have enough time to run out and put a little more soil over the seeds I sprinkled on Monday before the Mini-Beaner wakes up, but hopefully I can get some more seeds sown tonight or tomorrow. Fun!

-GB

I've sowed 'Crazy Daisy' the last couple of years. The seed came from Parks, and the first year I sowed indoors under lights. That time I only had 3 germinate, and only one made it to the ground, but it did produce a nice clump last summer. Last year I wintersowed them and had much better germination (with seed left over from the previous year). 8 or 10 made it into the garden.

I winter sow some Yvonne's Red Salvia the other day and they came up quick! I wondered if it's because of the container that I used. I put a lid on it.

Lili -- what's your weather been like that your Yvonne's came up already??

I haven't done mine yet ... but it's a plant i'm VERY excited about.

It's been freezing cold here, but we are going to get some warm weather this weekend. However, I put my seeds in one of those Tupperware-like container that you get from buying cold cuts. But I also put the lid on it. I meant to take it and put them outside, but it was just freezing cold on Tuesday and Wednesday - in the single digit with wind chill factor, so I just forgot about it on my DR table. I looked at it 3 days later and there were little green stuff sprouting up. Also, I started the blue shrimp in the same container and I think they sprouted too! I went ahead and removed the blue shrimp and planted them in a seperate container.

I wondered if the lids helped these seeds germinated so fast. I'm going to try this with another type of seeds and see.

Does Salvia usually sprout up so fast? This is my very first winter doing winter sowing, so I'm inexperience with this.

This message was edited Feb 6, 2009 9:34 AM

>>Does Salvia usually sprout up so fast?

I dont know. This is my first year with Yvonnes. I know i did hummingbird sage last year. I'll have to check my notes.
but they were the only salvias i've done.

This is my 3rd year at this... and i still sometimes feel like a noobie.

I've only sown them outside, in spring. They do germinate fast in warmer temps, like most annuals under those conditions.

Karen

Today I sowed these:


Thymus vulgaris (will go in container on deck and also in ground)
Chamaemelum nobile (Roman Chamomile) (ditto)
Lettuce pot blend from Territorial (container only)
Asclepius incarnata (red Milkweed) (ground)
Salvia officinalis (plain old eatin sage) (container and ground)
CA wildflower mix from Territorial (ground)
5 color silverbeet chard (container only)
Maximillian sunflowers (ground)
Sunflower variety mix from seedsavers (ground)
Marigolds (container and ground)
Antheum graveolens (Grandma Eink's dill) (ground -- have a short variety for deck container)
Early scarlet globe radish (container)

(the above sown in milkjugs -- well, actually waterjugs but the same thing)

May Queen butter lettuce a few seeds left in a small pot (for container only -- some previously wintersown already) (this from Wintersown.org)
Morning Glory:
Kniola's black and
President Tyler (both for containers and for ground)
Hyacinth bean (ditto)
Foxgloves:
spanish peaks
foxy
giraffe (containers only )
Salvia miltiorrhiza (red sage) (containers only)

(the above sewn in small pots and then in ziplock bags, also wintersown outside)

I will also sow the remaining few red sage indoors as insurance, as there were only a very few seeds. But wanted to try this too.

This is what I have sown so far.

Alyssum (White Perennial)
AMarantus (Red)
Aster (Purple, New York)
Balloon Flower (Blue)
Bettony (Violet/ Lavender)
Celosia(Red, Yellow, Pink Plumosia, Pink Flamingo Feather, Mixed Colors)
Cleome (Pink, Rose, Burgundy, Violet Queen)
Cockscomb (Red, Yellow)
Columbine (Blue, Blue Fan, Double Blue, Pink, Bootandall, Rose Barlow)
Confederate Rose (Lt Pink to Dk Pink)
Cosmos (Sulphureus, Klondike)
Dianthus (Arctic Fire)
Daisy (Shasta, Gloriosa)
Datura (Triple Purple, Double Purple, Triple Yellow)
Flax (Blue)
Forget Me Not (Chinese)
Four O’Clocks (Heirloom, Tri-Color)
Larkspur (Sweet Rocket, Unk)
Liatris (Purple)
Lobelia (Red)
Kalmia Latifolia
Mexican Sunflower
Moss Rose
Nigella (Miss Jekyll, Chocolate Sundae)
Pennisetum (Rubrum)
Phlox (Drumondi, Dwarf)
Poppies (Shirley, Calif/ Extra Golden, Calif Mission Bells, Old Unk)
Rhodo Catawba (Pink)
Rose of Sharon (Double)
Rudbeckia (Chim Chiminee, Green Eyes)
Salvia (Red, Blue)
Scarlett Milkweed
Shrub Rose
Snapdragon (Purple/ Pink Tinged)
Sweet William (Reg, Tall/ Mixed Colors)
Thunbergia (Spanish Eyes)
Tithonia (Red)

I used Milk jugs, 2-liter bottles, 16oz clear Starbucks cups with dome lids, 4"pots inside gallon Zip Lock bags (used strategically placed staples to keep open in center) We found more containers we had bagged up in the storage building today so I will be back at it Monday!

Edited to add that I like to use paint pens from Walmart in crafts dept. My tags are cut up venetian blinds. I get the cheapest ones from Wal-Mart (about $5 I think) and that makes hundreds of lables.



This message was edited Feb 6, 2009 8:50 PM

Too bad that I have tried to purchase paint pens here in Ontario. The Walmart in Peterborough, ON has no idea what a paint pen is. Grrrr.

I will be doing some more WSing this weekend using containers this time and not plastic bags. I want to compare result. Will be back with a list after this weekend.

Happy Gardening
Elaine and Otis

Elaine,

Did you check the craft dept? If they don't have them there, what about craft stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby, or do you have those there... Garden Ridge? Maybe Home Depot or Lowes? Hmmm. They are the best as long as you don't let them dry out. You do have to put the cap back on even if you will just be leaving it a minute or two. But it is worth it to me. Surely they have them SOMEWHERE in Ontario???? I know! I can send you some! I will get them here and mail them! What do you think?

Elaine: Here is a link to an on-line source of paint pens at a reasonable price:

http://www.markingpendepot.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=12

I've ordered from them. Maybe they'll ship to Canada.

Angie

Elaine,

They do ship to Canada, but I don't know how much shipping is. I can still get you some at WM if you let me know...

Carol

Aww - Thanks to all for the offers. I have a doctor's appt. in Peterborough on Thursday and I am going to check out Micheal's. I never even thought of Micheal's when I was in Peterborough the last time. I have only been there once but they were really overpriced. I don't mind paying the money though for something that I can't seem to locate anywhere else and I think I will get two.

The last time I was in Peterborough I drove out of my way to go to a Craft Store that I love and they were closed on Mondays. Grrrr.

If I can't find one on Thursday, then I may take someone up on their offer. It seems illogical to me that they are so hard to find.

BTW - In case I haven't told you lately, you guys and gals are awesome. I am so glad that I found this site. I feel like I have so much support and knowledgeable people that will answer all my questions. And to top it off, Neal has offered to send me some seeds, nudge, nudge. LOL I don't think that I would have taken the plunge and done WSing if I didn't have so much support from all of you. A BIG THANKS to all for your help.

Hugs
Elaine and Otis

I got a few more done the other day. I find it is going quicker now that I know what I am doing. I ran out of potting soil though. So my 1 bag of MG potting soil did approximately 30 containers. Some of them are quite large - the pretzel and animal cookie containers. So, if I want to do about 100 I will need two more bags of soil to get them seeded. :)

Organic Spinach
Alyssum -Sweet Alyssum
Erysimum hieraciifolium- Siberian Wallflower
Celosia argentea v. spicata Flamingo Feather, Wheat Straw Celosia
Monarda Fistulosa-Wild Bergamot
Malva moschata-Musk Mallow
Liatrus Spicata-Florestan White
Campanula medium-Canterbury Bells
Monarda Didyma-Bee Balm, scarlet Bee Balm
Dietes Iridioides-White Wild Iris
Lupine Polyphyllus-Lupine
Agastache rupestris-Licorice Mint
Asclepias Curassavica-Scarlet Milkweed
Amaranthus-Purple
Cleome hassleriana-Cleome Pink Queen
Echinaccea purpurea-Eastern Purple Coneflower
Agastache Cana-Hummingbird Mint
Cleome hasslerana-Cleome White
Antirrhinum majus-Ribbon Lavender
Papaver -Poppy Red
Achillea ptarmica-The Pearl
Achillea millefolium -Paprika
Papaver Rhoes-Shirley Poppy
Linum Grandiflorum-Scarlet Flax
Poppy- Single lavendar with dark eye
Linum Perenne-Blue Flax
Aquilegia-Giant Columbine Mix

Shrib, when you mentioned TX and bbq, it reminded me of the best bbq place I've ever been to, which is in Llano, TX. It's called Cooper's Old Time Pit Barbeque http://www.coopersbbq.com/ , and I have never had anything as good as that. Man, oh, man! I am going to TX Feb. 25th to March 7th to visit my sister in Killeen, and you better believe I will be going to Cooper's!!!!!! Oh, and nbgard, I just noticed they opened one now in New Braunfels. If you haven't tried it yet, you must!

Sandstreet, about the clear plastic containers with the white tops, they should be fine, I would think. I'm a newbie myself, and I bought those containers myself. The white lids should actually reflect the sunlight that is coming in from the sides and bounce the light around in there. I'm planning to put my seeds in medium to large plastic pots, which I have plenty of, and put them in the clear plastic storage bins. I made four 2" holes in the bottom, in the corners, and four same size holes on top, also in the corners. Don't know if I should have more holes in the top, or if that will be sufficient. What did you pay for your storage bins, btw? I bought mine at Walmart for $7 each. Wondering if I could get cheaper ones somewhere else. Possibly if I look for a sale.

Hemophobic, I went ahead and ordered about 8 of those Sharpie paint pen markers. Can't have too many of those. Thanks for the link.

Karen

If you want to talk Texas and Bar-be-que! Just Southeast of San Antonio towards LaVernia TX, there is a little house by the side of the road. It is called "Home of Da Smoke". We made it our mission last year on vacation to try every possible BBQ place we could. This by far was the best ever. I have even considered having them ship some here for my husbands birthday it was soooooo good. The locals down there say it isn't like any other BBQ place down there!

all this BBQ talk is making me hungry. I hope they have peach cobler too...

Hmmmmm...... I don't know if I will make it that far down, LissaD. My sister lives about 2 hours north of San Antonio, so going further south will be a long drive. Llano is closer to her place.

Karen

NutsforDaylily/Karen: I bought that container years ago. If you look closely, it is labeled "Maternity Clothes". I recently gave them all to my sister (she is due with a 3rd girl in May) so now I can winter-sow.

Hey, since you are "nuts for daylilies", I was wondering what your thoughts would be in the "Reblooming Daylily Collection" for sale at SpringHillNurseries online. I am so tempted to buy 2 collections ... with a coupon, I could get 20 daylillies for about $42. I've never bought plants online before. But I have been so happy with the Stella d'Oro's that bloomed and bloomed ALL SUMMER, that I am tempted to buy some more rebloomers. Any thoughts?

heres the addition to my WS list....

Delphinium x elatum
Agastache rupertsis - sunset hyssop
Var. Fountain Grass
Salvia, Coral Nymph
Petrorhagia saxifraga - Tunic Flower [LOVE this lil plant!!]
Gaillardia - Burgundy
Alyssum montanum, Basket of Gold
NY Aster; Symphy.novi-belgii
Fever Few
Salvia Lyrata "Purple Knockout"
Red Hot Poker
Scabiosa Colombaria "Butterfly Blue"
Impatiens balsamina "Magenta"

41 containers completed

I just added four to my list, because the seeds just arrived in the mail today, so I sowed:

lemon cucumber
Centranthus ruber (Jupiter's beard)
Alyssum "Oriental Nights"
French Blend Marigolds

;-)

Sandstreet: You might want to check out the rating here on DG for Spring Hill and any other mail order source before ordering. It's helpful to know what other DGers have experienced.