What have you wintersowed so far -part three.

Lynn, I sent you a D-Mail about my RU thread with a link. Any questions you have just D-Mail me back. I'm happy to help. This will be the first one I'm hosting. I've been to two.

I do not have a spreadsheet for what I've WSed. I was trying to make one, but I'm totally hopeless at it. I don't have an instruction book, so it makes it harder. I just can't get it to do what I want. Maybe it doesn't work the way I want it to. If anyone here could help me out, please D-Mail me. I would really appreciate it.

Lynn, you sound like you're really organized with your stuff there. That's great, and I don't think it's overkill or too much work. Like I said, I've been wanting to do spreadsheets with mine, but I don't know how to do them properly. I tried the DG journal, but was having trouble with that as well. It's really time-consuming to learn these things. I felt like I spent a lot of time getting nearly nowhere. I learned a little, but without detailed instructions, I could only get so far. I do best with hands-on learning. Just reading about it doesn't cut it.

Karen

Found my first WS sprouts today!! Wallflowers, and it looks like nearly every seed germinated. They were my first last year too, and weathered any cold temps without extra protection.

Lynn, I have done some of the same things and wondered if it was overkill. I made print outs of the PlantFile pages for all of the seeds I received in the piggy swap, even before the seeds came in. I also got an excel spreadsheet from Terese that was amazing, so I kept her entries that matched any seeds I had and added all the ones I had that were not on the spreadsheet. That spreadsheet also has a column for links to the DG PlantFile pages or any other pages if it couldn't be found there. See what I mean about overkill? I guess the one thi9ng I didn't do was number containers because I figured the numbering on my spread sheet would change as I entered items in alphabetical order.

Karen , I can e-mail my spread sheet to you and work with you in d-mail on it if you have any trouble. Just having the colums and rows set up saved lots of time and I have had extensive training on excel. D-mail me if you'd like me to send it to you or even just to answer specific excel questions.

Tonya

Yeah Neal! Spring is creeping further north!

Angie, I'm very happy with the paintpens you sent me. Hope to trade a few again this year. I will have a lot of new seeds. I didn't forget about the seeds of the Aquilegia Red Hobbit, as soon they are ripe I will send them to you.
Gemini, how is it possible that you already have sprouts? Your in zone 6a, I'm in 6b. Has the snow gone where you live?

Jonna, we don't get much snow as of the last 10 years or so. After the ice storm and snow we had a couple of weeks ago the temps have been mild, in the 50-60F range on several days. It brought the crocus blooms out too! Wallflowers seem to be very hardy; last year they endured temps in the low 20's with no protection.

Since middle November we had no temperatures above 41F, but next week 48-50F is expected. This is my first year WSowing. I hope it really works, because I have winter sown 304 species.

Wow Jonna! 304 species! How exciting! I bet they will do great.

Just thought I'd give y'all a taste of things to come for you.... These are a few of my containers that have germinated so far this year, mostly hollyhocks, container and basket sweet peas, soy beans, purple and white hyacinth beans, MG Scarlett O'Hara, pincushion flowers, borage and poppies. I have a bunch more that have germinated but are still quite small. Thought you'd enjoy...

Hope I'll ever see my containers this way.
I'm a bit afraid WS doesn't work for me.
On the other hand, I trust all who told me it will work.
It's not that I'm impatient, I'm just worried.

Ha ha Jonna, I have a feeling you will be one of the strongest converts to this method!

nbgard, I hope you are right. If so, I'll let everyone know! And I will share my experiences on these 304 seed species.
I made a spreadsheat, not the usual one in Microsoft, but in Lotus. I'll try to find a way to submit it.

Jonna, I'm so excited for you to get your first sprouts! I think you'll be most pleasantly surprised.

I just about fell out of my chair when I saw that Elmer's paint pen might not be durable.

That is what mine is. But it does say permanent and streak free.

Baby is watching Baby Einstein right now and he is in the zone. Totally mesmerized by it. Gotta love it. Gives me a wee bit of puter time.

Congrats to all who have germination. Can't wait to see some. And I am still watching the mail to see what Neal the Magic Elf sent to me. I'm gonna step things up soon and will actually provide you with a list of what I have WSed so far.

My dog got into two of my containers :( It did not put me in my happy place. He sure had fun with them though since he had the contents scattered across the back yard.

Looked like he threw them up in the air several times. Digitalis and Snapdragons. Sometimes life just stinks. I scooped up what I could, gave a little prayer to be able to salvage something from them and put as much as I could in one container.

We still have snow here although it did melt some this past week.

Happy Sprouting!

Elaine and Otis

Well, I got some more seeds started today. Thirteen in all. Here is what I sowed today:

Tidy Tips (a daisy-like California native wildflower)
Achillea 'Summer Pastels'
Penstemon 'Esprit Mix'
Plains Coreopsis
Cupid's Dart
Aquilegia 'Winky Mix'
Aquilegia 'Clementine Mix'
'Coral Reef' poppy
'Crazy Daisy' Shasta
Hollyhock 'Indian Spring Mix'
Delphinium 'Magic Fountains Mix' (2 pots of that one)

Nice bunch of seedlings you have there, nbgard! I can't wait to see mine looking like that!!!! BTW, thanks for the offer to help me with spreadsheets. I sent you a D-Mail.

Oh, Elaine, I would have been so mad at my dog if she did that!

Karen

Jonna: Glad to know the pens are working well for you and I wasn't worried about the Aquilegia! I know you'll be delightfully surprised by the results of your WSing, too. Please let us know what germinates and when.

Angie

This is my "final" list of wintersowing: (by final, I mean I think I am through!)

Alyssum, White Perennial
Amaranthus, Red
Aster, Purple
Aster, ‘New York’
Balloon Flower, Blue
Bettony, Violet/ Lavender
Celosia, Red
Celosia, Yellow
Celosia, Pink Plumosia
Celosia, ‘Pink Flamingo Feather’
Celosia, Mixed Colors
Christmas Senna
Cleome, Pink
Cleome, Rose
Cleome, Burgundy
Cleome, Violet Queen
Cockscomb, Red
Cockscomb, Yellow
Columbine, Blue
Columbine, ‘Blue Fan’
Columbine, ‘Bootandall’
Columbine, Double Blue
Columbine, Pink
Columbine, ‘Rose Barlow’
Coneflower, Eastern Purple
Confederate Rose, Lt Pink/ Dk Pink
Coreopsis, ‘Grandiflora’
Cosmos, ‘Klondike’
Cosmos ‘Sulphureus’
Cosmos, Pink
Cosmos, White
Cosmos, Peach
Cosmos, Mix
Cypress Vine, Red
Dianthus, ‘Arctic Fire’
Daisy, ‘Shasta’
Daisy, ‘Gloriosa’
Datura, ‘Triple Purple’
Datura, ‘Double Purple’
Datura, ‘Triple Yellow’
Flax, Blue
Forget Me Not, Chinese
Four O’Clocks, Heirloom
Four O’Clocks, ‘Tri-Color’
Four O’Clocks, ‘Broken Colors’
Holly Hocks, ‘Country Romance’
Holly Hocks, Med Pink
Holly Hocks, Dark Pink
Holly Hocks, Lavender
Holly Hocks, Litght Pink/ Ruffled
Larkspur, ‘Sweet Rocket’
Larkspur, Unk
Liatris, Purple
Lobelia, Red
Lobelia, ‘Blue Trailing’
Kalmia Latifolia
Malva, ‘Zebrina’
Marigold, ‘Crackerjack’
Marigold, ‘French Harmony’
Marigold, ‘French Vanilla’
Marigold, ‘Mr. Majestic’
Marigold, ‘Naughty Marietta’
Marigold, ‘Starfire’
Melon, ‘Green Machine’)
Melon, ‘Orange Sherbet’)
Mexican Sunflower
Moss Rose
Mystery Flower, unk by sender
Nigella, ‘Miss Jekyll’
Nigella, ‘Chocolate Sundae
Pennisetum, ‘Rubrum’
Petunia, ‘Wave’
Petunia, Mix
Phlox, Drumondi
Phlox, Dwarf
Phlox, ‘Twinkle Star’
Poppies, ‘Shirley’
Poppies, California ‘Extra Golden’
Poppies, California ‘Mission Bells’
Poppies, Old Unk)
Rhodo Catawba, Pink 65* to 75*/ 3-8 wks/ Plant out after frost
Rose of Sharon, Double
Rudbeckia, ‘Chim Chiminee’
Rudbeckia, ‘Green Eyes’
Salvia, Red
Salvia, Blue
Salvia, ‘Blue Bedder’
Scarlett Milkweed
Shrub Rose
Snapdragon, Purple/ Pink Tinged
Sweet William
Sweet William, Tall/ Mixed Colors
Thunbergia, ‘Spanish Eyes’
Tithonia, Red
Tomato, asst. from wintersown.org
Torenia, Purple
Torenia, Pink
Tricyrtis, ‘Miyazaki’
Tricyrtis, ‘Mix’

I already have numerous containers with germination! I will post what they are next week.

woof!! -- that's quite a list there! Don't you feel a huge sense of accomplishment? I know I did when only sowing around 25 things, gee. ;-)

Kyla

YardQueen, you are awesome! What a list.

It is a lot of containers! The pic of the "wintersowing pad" when I was almost finished is above. I did more than one container of most of them. I hope when I am finished giving plants to friends and relatives that I still have some left over to trade! I also am planting a bunch indoors under lights. I am still working on that!

Edited to say, I guess the picture is on the previous thread

This message was edited Feb 15, 2009 12:18 AM

Yard: I'm way beyond impressed and you have some great plants there, too. I've been eying that Dianthus `Artic Fire' in the Bluestone catalog myself.

Great job!

Angie

Wow what a great list! But I have a question: I see a lot of people are wintersowing biennials. My thought was to save my biennial Hollyhock and Foxglove seeds for June or July and direct sow in any available spots I happened to have. I figured that since I wouldn't get flowers this year, there was no rush. Would it be better to get a jump start, and make sure I have some mature plants by the end of 2009. Do you think it matters?

Sandstreet, both ways of sowing are possible, but the biennials will be bigger if they were wintersowed, because they have a longer growing season.

I've found the Foxglove and Hollyhock started earlier will produce more blooms the following season. A later started plant my only produce 1 bloom stalk, but the larger ones usually produce a clump of bloom stalks.

Thanks! I'll now be scrounging for more containers for the biennials. I also need to find a spot in the garden this summer .....

Here is my list so far and it is not in alphabetical order

It is very puny but I am going to have more before next weekend

Menarda - colour unknown - from my own seed

Scarlet Runner Vine

Columbine - Yellow/Purple - from my own seed

Morning Glories mix - from my own seed

California Poppies

Sweet Pea - Royal Family Mixed Colours X 3 containers

Moonflower Vine X 2 containers

Snapdragon Panorama Mixed Colours X 2 containers - Otis got into these

Digitalis Excelsior Foxglove Biennial - Otis got into these

Alyssum Royal Carpet

Dianthus Arctic Fire

Four O'Clock - Mixed Colours - My own seed X 5 containers

Aster Powder Puff Mix X 2 containers

Black Eyed Susan Vine Thunbergia

Sweet Peas - Spencer Surpreme - Lathyrus odoratus X 2 containers


As you can see I don't know all the latin names but I am going to learn everyone of them before the spring is over.

Hugs Elaine and Otis

Woa! Yardqueen, what a list! I don't know if I could come close that that amount of plants this year.

I have a question: I want to WS lupine seeds, but it says to soak them for 24 hours. I don't want them to come up too soon, only when the conditions are right. Should I forgo the soaking process?

Elaine, you have a nice list and good selection there, as well.

Karen

Karen: As long as it is a perennial lupin, not an annual one, it can be sown in winter. If it's a perennial in your zone, it doesn't matter if it sprouts before warm weather. I've never lost a perennial wintersown sprout to frost while it was still in it's container. If it's an annual type lupin, might be better to wait until closer to spring.

I've never soaked seeds for wintersowing, including lupines. Both my annual and perennial lupins germinated just fine without soaking. The weather breaks down the seed coat for you.

Other Karen

Karen - I believe with WSing you don't have to soak them. Throw out the rules for nicking and soaking and pre-chilling. That is another thing that is so great about WSing. Mother Nature will tell your seeds when it is the optimal time to germinate.

I'm sure others will agree since I am a newbie at WSing but that is what I read.

My biggest problem was "just doing it".

Good luck.

Hugs Elaine and Otis

Nuts Karen....

my first year, i did soak some seeds because i read in some directions to do so... each and every one that was soaked... molded/rotted on me. I even commented on that in the "lessons learned" thread.

In WS the freezing and thawing should take care of the reason for soaking ... which would be for indoor sowing i believe.

I've read some differing opinions .... are people sterilizing their milk jugs with bleach, or just scrubbing them out well with soap and water?

i just rinse.

I wash & rinse well

This is my first year winter sowing, and I'm already kind of addicted. Here's what I've sown so far:

Alchemilla mollis "Thriller"
Papaver orientale "Pizzicato"
Papaver orientale "Victoria Louise"
Lupine "The Governor"
Lupine "Gallery Pink"
Digitalis purpurea "Camelot Rose"
Digitalis purpurea "Excelsior Hybrids"
Sunflower "Autumn Beauty, mixed colors"
Geranium sanguineum "Vision Light Pink"
Geranium sanguineum "Vision Violet"
Astilbe x arendsii "Bella"
Hosta "New Hybrids" from swallowtail gardens
Campanula "Blue Clips"
Dianthus amurensis "Siberian Blues"
Aquilegia "Red Star"
Campanula "Pear Deep Blue"
Salvia "Blue Bedder"
Cypress Vine
Shasta Daisy "Crazy Daisy"
Painted Daisy "Giant Mixed Colors"
Larkspur "kaliedoscope mix"
Penstemon strictus "Rocky Mountain Blue"
Verbascum phoenice "Shades of Summer"
Verbena bonariensis
Alyssum "Golf Violet"
Alyssum "Aphrodite Purple"
Alyssum "Wonderland Citron"
Alyssum "Golf Pure White"
Echinacea purpurea "Prairie Splendor"

Wow!

Y'all have great lists of seeds that you have WSed.

Just imagine all those beauties growing and maturing. Makes my heart go pitty-pat.


Hugs E&O

Elaine, your list is not at all puny. It is exactly the size of the list I started with my first sowing in December.

No, not puny at all. ;-)

Kyla

No need to apologize, Elaine. You've got some great plants there and a very good start.

Angie

did 10 more jugs tonight....

Agastache:
-- Golden Jubilee [2 containers]
-- Honey Bee Blue
-- Honey Bee White
-- Mexicana Purple

Salvia:
-- Yvonnes
-- Greggii "Red"
-- "Large Red Salvia"

African Daisies
Coreopsis lanceolata "Sunburst"

Here's my list to date. http://www.lakehousecreations.com/wintersown_2009.htm . I'll probably do a few more today. I also ordered containers as I am running out of water jugs. I figured I can wash the bought containers at the end of the season and reuse them next year.

Anita - have you ever wintersowed Dahlia seeds before? I am curious 'cause I have Bishops Children as well - but I am relunctant to take a chance unless there is a reasonable possibility they will germinate