First Time Winter Sowing #6 : There's still time!

Welcome! Many of us here are wintersowing for the first time this year. We hang out on this thread to discuss any and all questions, comments and happenings along the way. Those of you who are experienced - come help us! : )

There's still plenty of winter left to get some containers started. I am still working on mine. I have 43 done and lots more just waiting for me to get some time to plant.

We came from here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/947472/#new

Come check in with us and tell us how your containers are doing!

What are your average temps right now?

We are supposed to be up to 70degrees on Monday, good grief, it has been an extremely mild winter.

It was 26 degrees this morning when I got up. My WS containers are frozen. The only thing I had sprouting was the Althernantha, and those little sproutlets looked pretty sad in their frozen potting mix this morning.

Thank you for the encouragement! I will try a few. Off to see what seeds I have!

Well, we're supposed to have lows of 25 and highs of 42 between now and Monday, and more snow over the weekend. Up here on the mountainside, it's usually about 5 degrees colder, since the "weather station" is down on the plain! Not even my onions have peeked out yet. Although I do have 5 baby 'Freckle Face' Blackberry Lilies that have come up inside this week!

I am experiencing teens and twenties at night. It has been 40 and 50 during day. Day temps supposed to be in thirties for the next few and snow is predicted for tomorrow. WS containers are frozen solid. We had several beautiful days and warm nights last week. I do not know if any seed tried to germinate but they did not peek their little heads above the soil if they did. I got another load of wood for the wood stove today. I am so tired of winter! I am going to do a few more containers of seed today. It is good for my morale LOL. It proves to me there is hope.

I've been collecting containers & I plant to start WS this weekend. I tried to resist starting seeds this year. I've only ever done it INDOORS before. But I've been reading a lot here, so I'm going to give WS a try. I'm nervous but excited.

Temps over the next few days are supposed to range from lows in the teens to highs in the 60s. Our last frost date is not until mid-May.

I used freecycle when I lived near Atlanta, but I had forgotten about them.

it was 19 last night. Sunny and 30 now. They predict it will be in the teens till Tuesday.

My poor kitchen has been 'WS' central but I had to stop production due to a death in the family. The funeral was yesterday @ 5pm and I'm just now starting to catch up from the last few days. It's more like running around like a dog trying to catch its tail, you know. I'm almost done with perennials...next I have to master annuals. which I didnt know we could ws.

I'm only doing annuals & a few vegs - plus some 'Galahad' delphiniums, anyone know if those will work?

I saw a few crocuses in bloom this morning.

plantRN...26 degrees in Georgia??? It's 26 degrees here and I'm in North Pole, Alaska! To us that's balmy but I'm sure you are freezing things off you didn't even know you had...LOL I have family in GA, better check on them...

lisabees...Don't remember if I've done the Galahads, but delphs are one of my most successful WS seeds. They should do well for you, including bloom this year.

Thanks Moose, that's good to know!

By the way - love your name!

That's good to know about the delphiniums because mine haven't come up yet, when so many other seeds have. Maybe it's the old "a watched pot never boils" syndrome!

Galahads come up all around the old plants in my garden every Spring --- Nature's WS! So I bet they work fine "lisabees". I sprang some "big bucks" for a tiny pack (well, the "pack" was regular size, but the amount of seeds was TINY) of "Dusky Maidens" Delphiniums because I thought they were so pretty in the catalog, and I am sure hoping they WS well!

lisabees, what veggies do you WS?

lisabees...You're welcome & Thanks!

nbgard...How cold do your WS seeds get down there?

Potagere...Had to laugh because I just started my WS last night. Tried to hold off till March, but needed to play in the dirt...First package I opened? The same Dusky Maidens you purchased, only to find all 8 seeds. Next was Pagan Purples, again a whole 8 seeds, then New Zealand Doubles, which had TEN!. Those catalog pics sure throw all sense of reasoning out the window because as you said, they were big $$$ per seed...Whatever was I thinking???...Delphs are very prolific here, but I wanted some different ones...They BETTER be worth it...

This message was edited Feb 20, 2009 1:49 PM

Kathy I'm going to do onions, peas, lettuce, spinach, carrotts (those last 3 are plants I usually start in the garden but can never bring myself to thin. I'm thinking that if I WS some, I'll get them earlier and I can space them better in the garden too), also beans, squash, maybe broccoli. It's an experiment, if it doesn't work I'll still have seeds of all of them to start in the garden when it's warm enough.

Hi Moose,

I'm thinking the coldest it got after I started sowing in January was probabley around 25-28 degrees. This has been a very mild winter for us. Dry, too. I water my containers pretty regularly because I figure they are not going to germinate if the soil is dry around the seeds, no matter how warm it is!

Way to go, Moose!
I got 15 seeds for 9.00 Euros!!! (And I know, Karen, that's after I called the Cherry Brandy Rudbeckias "pricey"!) But, it was just one of those things. I had to have them.
My catalog doesn't have either Pagan Purples or New Zealand Doubles, but I was sorely tempted by Double Innocence - - - 10 seeds for 9.30 Euros!
If the Dusky Maidens work out, maybe next year I'll get Ebony in Snow. They are only 7.20 Euros for 60 seeds! Enough to trade!

ty lisabees. I did peas and plan to do broccoli and spinach. I forgot about the onions. I need to pick up some seed.

Where did you guys get your delph seeds? I ordered from Thompson and Morgan. They aren't cheap, either. They do tell you how many seeds you get for what you pay. Most seem to have 8-12 seeds per pack and cost from $3.50-$7.95 per pack. The cheapest was Centurian Rose at $3.50 for 20 seeds. Still, if they all germinate, or if even half germinate, it's still cheaper than paying for potted plants. That's how I look at it.

I have started some WS seeds this month. I have about 26 different ones started so far. I did them in pots, and put the pots in clear storage containers with holes in tops and bottoms. Here's what I WSed on Feb. 9th:

Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
Dwarf Chinese Delphinium 'Blue Butterfly'
Digitalis ferruginia
Digitalis purpurea 'Dwarf Red'
Digitalis 'Elsie Kelsey'
Digitalis 'Monstruosa'
Digitalis 'Apricot'
Digitalis 'Pam's Choice'
Digitalis 'Dwarf Foxy'
Delphinium 'Pacific Giants Mix'
Delphinium 'Burpee's Cutting Mix'
Delphinium elatum
Delphinium - red
Hollyhock 'Peaches 'N' Dreams'

And this is what I WSed on Feb. 14th:

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)

And here's a picture of my containers.

Karen

Ooooooh. I like your taste in perennials, Karen. Hope you'll have a few potted up for trade at the roundup! I bought delphinium grandiflorum "summer blues" from someone selling Thompson & Morgan ( the only people selling that variety I could find), and they were around $3 for 20 seeds. I thought that a bit much considering how many seeds delphinium can produce, but I just love the variety, and I don't do well with the tall delphiniums, so I bought them. Can't believe some of those prices though.

Yes, the delphs are definitely pricey.

Karen

Hi, Moose, long time no see!

I have to tell you that I use you as an example often on wintersowing forums. People will say "I live in Milwauke, I think it's too cold to wintersow here". I always respond that I had an online friend in Alaska that wintersows a beautiful garden there. You know, it would inspire a lot of folks here if you would post a few pictures of your gardens. I remember particularly getting a kick out of ones displaying your moose antler garden ornaments.

Karen
(That other Karen, from years past on GW))

Yes, I would love seeing some pics of your gardens, Moose! Please post some!

Perenniallyme, I will definitely have plants from my WSing efforts to trade at the RU this summer. I know I will have more than I can use for myself.

Karen

Karen, I sure hope I'll have some interesting stuff too! Have started waaay more than I have room for.
Sharon

I finally got a few containers put together yesterday for my first attempt at winter sowing. I sowed two varieties of sweet pea, Canterbury Bells, Toad Lily, Scarlet Peony poppy, Mexican sunflower and Painted Tongue. I'm excited to see what happens with them. If I can round up some more containers I'll do a few more. :)

Melanie

oops....I posted this on the old thread.

It's time for me to ask another of those questions before its too far into the process. For now, I'm using gallon plastic jugs/containers thats used for milk. When I cut the tops, fill, sow, etc., the tops don't exactly cover the bottoms now so that leaves small gaps that are open. Should I be taping them completely together so that the only opening is the top where the cap is?

if so, I have this shrink wrap plastic on a handy roller left over from when they packed my things to move...I thought I'd use that.

I think I already know the answer... it should be closed as much as possible to create a terrarium effect. If so...I need to fix about 21 plus jugs.

I don't worry about those gaps.

The first time I wintersowed I used duct tape and covered the entire cut. Too hard to remove by spring. Now I just use 2 small pieces vertically on the corners.

Karen

Thanks! I hated to undo what Ive already done so far.

Mother Nature doesn't have duct tape either, lol. =)

Hi nannie, I accidentally replied to your question on the last thread! The abbreviated version is I have used a tab of tape opposite the hinge on some and didn't tape/connect the others at all. I will probably not tape any of them next year.

Tonya

I used duct tape and most of it is no longer sticking! I used some heavy clear packing tape on a couple jugs that seemed to need it....... Someone had posted about not taping any of them and it worked just fine so I guessed gaps must be okay.

I am having a problem I did not anticipate -- too much water! There was lots of snow, a few nice dry sunny days, and then big rain last night ....... a lot of what is out there now seems way too wet. Sadly, I am not figuring out much in the way of how to protect those that seem too wet -- as they need to dry out some..... I moved the worst ones up next to the house but there is really no shelter nor anything I can think of as yet to protect them, so I guess I will just have to watch closely and hope!

I have noticed that with some (fortunately not all or even most!) of the containers I apparently did not allow enough water to drain before sowing and sealing them (ventilated sealing, but still.) One container does have a bit of mold but I think it is okay cause it is also nicely germinated with even some true leaves forming, was drying out but now rain again so.....

here where there is a drought I honestly did not anticipate this condition! Yow!

I still think most of it is going to be okay.

Kyla

Kyla, you do have drainage holes at the bottoms of your containers right? Is there any way to make those larger so the excess water would drain out? If they are milk containers you may be able to put some holes in the bottom sides of the containers even though they are filled, so that they might dry out a bit.

THis is my first time too, so it is just a guess.

There are big holes in the bottoms of all...... the worst ones are not milk jugs -- actually most of t he milkjugs are fine. These are some #1 clear plastic salad tubs..... also they sat in a plastic laundry basket and not cardboard box, which did not drain til I poured the water off a few times, so they got a bit saturated then.......

There are also a few yogurt tubs in ziplocks that got too wet.

Good idea about opening the sides a bit tho, I may try that later.

If they're that wet just poke some more holes in them. That laundry basket needs drain holes, too.

If the clear plastic salad containers are shallow, that will add to the problem, too. Shallow ones do not drain well IME. There is a classic thread about perched water table in containers on GW. It's a good concept to understand.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg031557203792.html?150

Karen

The laundry basket is history actually, as of this morning. ;-)

The containers are actually about four inches deep but I don't think I will use them again -- they are too difficult to work with.

Thanks for the link, will check it out.

Kyla

I tried to make sure I punched holes on the sides of mine about an inch or two up from the bottom in case they got that saturated. but not on the first 12 jugs. I'll have to do that when its warmer outside.

No rains for us yet. Its been snowing since last night and temps are expected to be 16 tonight. Snowing with the sun shining. =)
big flakes that are just floating around.

I just went out and put triangular holes on each of the four sides at the base -- there is no standing water in there, just the soil is saturated more than I want to see. Hope I caught the situation soon enough! And as I said, these were only on those salad things, the jugs are just fine.

Karen thanks for that info about the perched water table, you're right, it's an important piece and I did not know it, tho did know that putting coarse material in the bottom would not help. I appreciated too t he idea about putting a wick in...... don't have anything to use for that at the moment but don't think I will need it, still, good to know.

Nanniepb, I love that when sun mixes with fat snow. ;-)

Nannie: I am posting this here and on the old thread. I used the twist ties/holes and have gaps in mine. They're still sprouting, so I think TN would be okay, too. Now, those folks farther north may have a different answer, but here in the southern piedmont of NC, my jugs are beginning to sprout without being taped or wrapped in plastic wrap.

Hope this helps.

Something I noticed on the top of the soil of the WS containers last year--a bit of green and/ or red mossy/algae /moldy looking growth. I was so worried--but the seeds still germinated and plants grew well. I don't know what it was, but I had assumed it happened cos there was too much moisture in the soil. Any ideas??

I just use duct tape. I use my nail to make sure it is on good. I use a small piece on each of the cut sides. http://www.lakehousecreations.com/wintersowing_directions.htm