What have you wintersowed so far -part three.

Yes - and they do beautifully. I'm actually doing two containers this year. One with commercial seed and the other with seed I collected from my w/s plants from last year. I want to see if they are viable and if they come true.

Waaah. I haven't started ANY! I'm so la-a-a-azy. I think I'm waiting for DH to drill me nice big holes, because last year my holes in the bottoms were too small and a lot of stuff molded. Is that a good excuse? He's been crazy busy, and I've been crazy busy, but I know I will be sad sad sad come summer.

Carrie: What kind of containers? Something you can't stab with a knife? Ahh, the beauty of milk jugs.

Karen

Mostly soda bottles, and I'm really a clutz, I would stab myself. I drilled some holes myself but they're so SMALL - I have to find where he hides the BIG bits!

I got sick of waiting for my husband and drilled the holes myself ... it is so easy!! At least let him set it up for you and then you will be able to do it yourself, I am sure. Just tell him you need a large drill bit.

Okay! I will wintersow the dahlias - what an adventure! Is it too early to take a chance? Night temperatures still drop to 20 degrees.

You should be fine - http://www.lakehousecreations.com/year_to_year_comparison.htm scroll down to dahlia's - Seems they like to germinate in March.

When your Dahlias start germinating, be sure to protect them if cold temps return- they're pretty frost sensitive.

I keep the lids on and they seem to be fine.

Ah, that's good to hear Anita! I've got a bunch of Dahlia seed to start, and really didn't want to devote that much space to them under lights. I've always been warned so much about not letting them get too cool, so I've been leery of wintersowing any. Wintersown seedlings seem to have extra, built in, hardiness. Stands to reason that would be the case with Dahlias too.

Whew! I finally got a few containers WSed, but ran out of soilless mix long before I ran out of seeds. I need to find some BIG bags of the seeding mix! Seems nothing is available here yet.

Here's what I got planted in WSing containers today, in no particular order:
Foxglove--pink with purple throats
Peachleaf bellfower
Chocolate Pincushion Flower
Gaillardia Razzle Dazzle Mix
Pansy Silver Wings
Cosmos Sea Shell Mix
Columbine: mixed colors Winky
Columbine: Navy Winky
Cleome Fountains Mixed colors
Sweet Pea Bijou
Nigella Oxford Blue
Digitalis parviflorous (sp?)
Larkspur Seven Dwarves

I also planted a bunch of sweet basil in a shoebox sized plastic box for inside, in my kitchen window sill, because I am out of what I froze last summer, and I'm in serious basil withdrawal! I made focaccia with dried basil, and it just wasn't the same. Yes, I'm spoiled!

I have tons more seed to sow, but will need to collect a bunch more containers and buy a lot more soil! I also have stuff I want to start inside under lights, but that can wait a couple of weeks. ;o)

Angie

>>Chocolate Pincushion Flower

Ohhhh, now that sounds exciting... what color are the blooms?

I have "White" last year and i loved them.
For this year, i got the Butterfly Blue, and i think Yellow [which i hear is really pale, almost white-ish]

Angie, you like blue, or what?

I don't like "soil-less seed-starting mix" - doesn't stick together enough, but then I haven't started anything, so don't mind me. (I think maybe if I embarrass myself enough on this thread, I might get a round Tuit.)

Lol, Carrie! So do you think we might feel sorry for you and give you one? I don't think I have seen a round tuit lately... But when I get a round tuit I will send it to you!

This message was edited Feb 16, 2009 8:26 PM

tsc, the blooms are really dark burgundy, with little white flecks. I'm starting a chocolate garden this year, and those are one of the things I just HAD to have! I just wrote an article about a chocolate garden I visited, which got me on this current obsession.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2007/

Carrie, I do like blue flowers! I started with almost all reds and golds, and suddenly find myself drawn to intense pinks and blues. Not sure how this will all go together, but I have faith that I'll find a way! If not, I'll dig them up and move them. ;o)

I had to laugh on your round Tuit. My grandpa used to carry around a pocketful of round wooden disks that he'd carved "Tuit" into. He'd hand them to anyone who happened to mention "When I get around to it." Just his sense of humor, I guess.

Still need to get those zinnia seeds out. Are you still interested in the mixed ones, or do you think they'll be too tall? I found the seed packet from last year, and it says they are 24" tall, but mine certainly stretched higher than that. :o)



This message was edited Feb 16, 2009 8:27 PM

Well, DH just showed me where all the jumbo-sized drill bits are, so there goes that excuse! Angie, sure, send 'em if you remember (and have enough tuits left!) and if they get too tall I'll ummm, I'll STARE at them. Thanks, you're a peach.

You'll have to shoo all the butterflies away first. They were just covered last year! BTW, sending you a d-mail!

Angie

I just bought a huge bag of soil at BJ's wholesale club. Perhaps Costco has some as well? I also can always get soil at my local nursery.

So, do most of you use regular potting soil, or the soilless seed starting mix, when you wintersow? I can't recall what I used last year. I'll have to go back and look, see if I wrote it down. I used the Jiffy soilless mix for the containers I did tonight.

I suppose the answer I'll get it that "most" of us each do it differently than everyone else, so there is really no "right" answer!

Angie

Angie -- i have read a few of those chocolate articles... YUM. and that scabiosa looks fabulous.

i get bulk soil [huge bag of Miracle Grow] at Sams.

Those Chocolate pincushion flowers are beautiful! Thanks for sharing a picture.

I have been using the MG potting soil. I think I like the idea that it has the moisture control in it.... Is that a good thing? When I plant out my seedlings They will obviously have some of the MG dirt with it. The soil here is so sandy, I think they will do well to have a little bit of good soil around them for the roots to get really established. I will be amending my beds somewhat but not sure how to go about that yet.

I filled up 15 more containers today! YAY. I am up to 43. I got the rest of the columbines and poppies in and anything else that seem like they "need" the cold periods. Still only 3 containers that have germinated for me.

Soilless potting mix is recommended, not soil, for wintersowing or any container. It does not have to be seed germination mix.

Karen

I use regular potting soil.

That's perfect - you don't want to use garden soil. Miracle Grow, Schultz, ProMix etc.

Whoops - I have sproutlets! 9 of the 10 jugs that got sown on Feb 1 have sprouts! I wasn't even paying attention to them since I figured it would be a while - shows what I know! Here's what's coming up to say hello:

Dahlia "Bishop's Children"
Dahlia Dwarf "Early Bird Mix"
Rose Mallow "Silver Cup"
Shasta Daisy "Crazy Daisy"

Woohoo GB! Is mini beaner impressed? Isn't it fun seeing them pop up? I have been checking mine every day, because hardly a day goes by that there isn't something new out there!

I was surprised to find sprouts in 2 more jugs today, Echinacea 'Double Decker' and Dianthus 'Spooky'. Golly, I'm not even finished sowing!

Gemini, where did you get seed for Double Decker? I thought it was only available in plant form! That is one of the plants on my wish list, but they are so expensive. . .seems around $15 for a single plant most places. If I could do it from seed, I could afford to plant enough to look right!

Angie

They were seed saved from Double Decker, so probably won't come true, but should be pretty anyway.

Darn, got my hopes up for a minute there. LOL

Ha! nbgard - the minibeaner was indeed impressed. And her mom was inspired to sow a few more jugs today:

Rudbeckia Cappuccino
Gaillardia "Arizona Sun"
Grape Hyacinth
Gazania "Daybreak Mix"
Delphinium "Magic Fountain Mix"

Angie: Commercial seeds are available for double decker, not that expensive.
http://summerhillseeds.com/echinacea-double-decker-p-399.html?currency=USD&language=en

Karen

Hmm, looks like Double Decker is not the one I was picturing. What is the one that looks like Coconut Lime, but pink? I think it was a shorter version of Razzmatazz?
Double Delight, maybe?

Great site, by the way! I had fun browsing! (and quickly closed it before I could be too severely tempted. Shame on you, waving temptations under my nose like that when I am so green-deprived!)

Angie

You too, hmm? Not just green-deprived, but pink- orange- and peach-deprived too! I'm $30 poorer.

LOL Carrie! Packing up seeds for you and Jill tonight, if I can disentangle myself from DS. I also prepped 6 more containers, and plan to make a dirt-run tomorrow between school and church (with the excuse that DS has to find a birthday present for a friend), so I can plant a few more. I think I'll get LOTS of dirt this time, none of these little cute bags. That was honestly all I could find last time, though! Wal-Mart had nothing but huge bags of grass seed in their garden dept., and Farm & Fleet had only the small bags of Jiffy Soilless Seedstarting mix. Two bags did 13 WS containers, so I guess it was a start.

I got some Double Decker seeds from Summer Hill... just sowed them today, in fact. :-)

Jill, why does that look like a wicked grin? LOL

Wandered around PF a while, and it was Double Delight I was thinking of. Don't suppose you all know a source for seed for those, do you? Only plants listed by the vendors on PF. :op

Has anyone WS Lemon Cucumber?

Yes, I just did but it's too soon for results. I think I probably sowed it too early and plan to do another sowing in early March.

I will post how it goes.........

Kyla

I'm biting the bullet and WS them today.