First Time Wintersowing #7: The sproutlet watch.

Larkspur sprouts are doing great!

Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia is coming along. This is the only one were I used all the seeds since germination rate was somewhat unknown.

This message was edited Mar 26, 2009 12:05 PM

Well, I am totally bummed!!!
What I thought were my 1st 2 seedlings from Karen's Green-Eyed Double Rudbeckias have revealed themselves to be . . .


"Baby Crabgrass"!!!!

On the other hand, I think my Foxglove (including the seeds Jonna sent me) are coming uo!

Lissa I share your feelings about freezing temps and when we had the night down in low twenties recently I also covered everybody up! And t hen left everybody uncovered last two nights when it got down only to 30 or so...... but I was nervous about it. Still, so far so good.

Good to know about Morning Glories, I too was wondering why mine had not shown any signs.

Newest sproutlet on my watch is Salvia Officinalis, which is exciting as it took so long!

Kyla

Hey, Jim, my foxglove are showing too, well two out of three varieties...... so far so good is my motto. ;-)

This message was edited Mar 26, 2009 11:02 AM

Yeah, I figure, I have planted out 127 containers (131 as of today) and have solid growth in 28 [uncertain signs in another 4], so I'm running 20%.

And. let's look at this : I should easily (Inshallah) get a "6-pack" from each sprouted container : so, at my local cost (assuming that I could buy most of these, and the fact is, I could not; I could only buy more "generic" versions; and some of what I have up are real rarities!) that's Euros 200.00 plus worth of plants; and I'm still working on about Euros 100 worth of inputs.

In some cases, I'll get more than a "six-pack". In some cases, I'll actually get only one or two plants; but in these cases, I planted only a few seeds and these are costly plants (when you can buy them). I also have some really good germination of wild-gathered wildflowers from the SW US; and those would never be offered here. They will fill my rock gardens!

Like LissaD, I am very worried about my morning glories, almost all of which are fairly rare Japanese Morning Glories (I. nil)

Lissa, maybe you and I need to swap Columbine seeds next year! I just love Columbines! None of mine have yet germinated (including the long-anticipated "Chocolate Soldier" whose seeds I got from fairy1004, or my own mountain-harvested Aquilegia alpina, or the "Sweet Dreams" hybrids I bought this year, but columbines are notoriously slow and erratic germinating seeds, so I know they will show up, even if I have to keep their containers moist until next year!!!

Speaking of salvias, Kyla, the Salvia praetensis "eveline" that I got in a DG trade last year has germinated!!

Jim: you mentioned that you had moved the rudbeckias to a greenhouse. They might do better outside. I've grown the rud hirtas outside for several years and often the sprouts are subjected to sub-freezing temps and snow with no ill effects. Mine are outside now with plenty of sprouts of 3 in all kinds- my own double rud seeds, Cherry Brandy, and Becky.

Karen

Well, Karen,
I'm running 2 sets of your seeds : 1 carefully seeded into a 40-cell seed tray, which IS in the greenhouse, mostly because I have no cover for this tray, so it does not dry out so fast there : the temps run only about 5 degrees above the outside because it is not heated and is vented during the day, So, I don't think that should really be a problem.
The 2nd set is in a milk jug outside. It shows no germination so far.
I'm not really worried though, because it's still early days,
N'est-c'est pas?

Jim

Maybe so. Mine started germinating about 2 weeks ago. But then I don't know how our recent weather compares, daylength, precipitation,etc.

I'll put my money on the outside ones sprouting first, though. I swear the temp swings and rain and snow speed germination. Tom Clothier says
"Rudbeckia fulgida, hirta, and maxima , Sow at 20ºC (68ºF), if no germination in 3-4 wks, move to -4 to +4ºC (24-39ºF) for 2-4 wks "

I never can get things to sprout without a lid, though, inside or out. If I don't have a lid I'd use something like a plastic sheet or bag. The added humidity seems to make a difference.

Karen

I have a few more things sprouting.

36. Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis "Thriller")
37. Verbena bonariensis
38. Zinnia pinwheel mix
39. echinacea

So, that means that I'm just still waiting on my snapdragons, stokes aster, columbines, delphiniums, bells of ireland, & texas blue bonnet. I sowed a lot of these a little late (early March), so that could be why they haven't sprouted yet. And, I decided to throw away my dame's rocket b/c I found out that it is invasive in PA.

My husband and I are now fighting over garden space. He's into veggies, I'm into flowers. I love how economical this winter sowing thing is. I've saved so much money. Now I just need to learn to be patient for these guys to grow, and flourish.

I have more seeds sprouted! Here's what's coming up:

Lupins:
Dwarf Pink Fairy
Band Of Nobles
Morello Cherry
Russell Red Flame

Flax 'Blue Dress' (annual)

Delphiniums:
Red (don't know cultivar name)
Burpee's Cutting Mix
Magic Fountains

Last bu not least:
Digitalis 'Dwarf Red'

Karen

Does anyone else have two jugs with the exact same seeds side-by-side with one sprouted and the other not? I have one Salvia "Blue Bedder" up and one not, and the same with my Delphs "Magic Fountain Mix." I am very curious what could make this happen since the jugs were all prepared the same way. There is the possibility that I didn't put seeds in one, but I'm not usually THAT absent-minded (at least I hope....)

I want to go out and check on them, but we got some quarter sized hail last night and I'm afraid of what I might find.

-GB

>>There is the possibility that I didn't put seeds in one,

Boy -- i hate it when that happens.

I did a jug...had it all taped and labled then realized I hadn't put the seeds in...DUH!!!!!!
had to undo it and put them in...LOL!!!!

even worse is when you can not remember IF you put seeds in a jug, then add a second variety of seed.
I did that once last year.

I have two jug of cleome that have one sprouted and one not. I only did my jugs a couple at a time so I know that the seeds went in. Perhaps one stayed colder than the other. With wind and jugs insulating each other it is a possiblity.

All right!
I have Echinacea occidentalis "Green Wizard" seedlings in my WS containers!

There's no reason to fight, pgt. For a lot of the space, the flowers and the veg can grow together. The bio-diversity offered by the intermingling is healthy for both flowers and veg and it also can provide both interesting patterns and a mutual challenge to you and your husband to design.

While I was in Florida last week my dog Buddy got one of my milk jugs and took it way over the hill. When DH rescued it there was not much left. Shucks it coudn't have been a no sprouter no sir. It was the maltese cross that had several sproutlets. And I have no more seed. Well next year.

Veronica... i was looking for Maltese Cross last night... i'm out too.

and the dog incident -- that is another reason i like mine in card board boxes. Keeps the pooch away.

Jim -- WooHoo on the Green Wizard. I only have 1 Echinacea popping up. White Swan, i think .

My jugs are in milk crates. They are wedged in tightly. So far dog and wind proof and rain does not hurt them either. Sure wish that I had more of them or at least wish my son had not sneaked off with so many of them. I shoulda known I was going to lose a lot of them when he asked if he could use a couple to toss things into when he moved! I should have at least aksed him his definition of a "couple" LOL.

Jim, I'm happy to share garden space with hubby's veggies, we just don't have enough space for all that we are growing. We are going to have to add some more raised beds to fit it all in. Where is the time?

LOL, if we each had an hour for every time we asked "where is the time" we would have time for everything, even sleep!

Temperatures are going up this week. Today we had 10°C (50°F) and they will climb to 16°C (60°F) during the week. Hope to report sproutlets later this week. During nights it still freezes.

That dog had never bothered them and I was counting on that. lol
I had them in low cardboard boxes from a no frills grocery. They were also kind of wet so no protection at all. My mistake trusting a dog. If we touch anything he wants it and thinks it is his. He is my DH pet but his favorite shoe to carry out is my old gardening tennis shoes. I think he got the jug 'cause I had been messing around them the morning I left.

He saw that you had fun playing with them and so he wanted to play too.

I didn't know whether my chrysanthemum sprouts would make it through the blizzards and low temps we have, but they seem to be the only thing NOT affected by the weather. My clematis started vining out before the more seasonal blizzard we had, and they're toast. But the little Snow Lady sproutlets are still going strong. Wish I knew who gave them to me!

Well, Snow Lady! Duh! :o)

Never thought of that! lol

I didn't really start sowing seeds in earnest until end of Feb/1st of March. I've got some in milk jugs and some sown in pots which are sitting in plastic boxes with lids. Most of what I've put out are perennials or half hardy annuals. I've got a few sprouts so far;
sweet william
lavender (from seeds I pulled off a plant right before planting!)
cerinthe
marigold

Also have some 2007 lettuce seed I sowed in a clear jug. The cats knocked it over (yeah, they should be in a box, too) and the dirt went everywhere. But I figured what the heck, scooped it all up and put the jug back together. Before you know it, there were lettuce sprouts coming up! LOL

I'm really enjoying this planting season. It's so much easier this way. Whenever I feel doubtful...it's currently snowing right now...I think of how Nature does it. Just drops a whole bunch on the ground and gives it time. I've even stopped covering a lot of my seeds...or covering them very lightly. The enclosed plastic box (vented) keeps them moist and I figure they will just dig themselves in.

This is a great forum!

You are so right! This is a great forum and a great way to sow seeds. In the past I would go crazy about now trying to find room to sow seed in the house and carry trays outside on nice days and back in at night. I would worry because they were getting leggy or damping off. This is so cool!. I am more relaxed than I have ever been for the first of April. I still have seed to sow in pots but they require much warmer temps and I do not have to worry about them for a couple of weeks.
I have so many sproutlets and they all look strong and healthy even though it has been in the low 30 and upper 20 the last couple of nights. I can't believe I am not carrying them in and out of the house.

Hey Jim.. the Green Wizard seeds that you sent me for my birthday gave me sproutlets a couple of days ago :) I had planted them on 3/15 and they sprouted on the 29th..

I've covered everything up.. a cold spell is coming and I lost 6 jugs of sproutlets with the last cold snap :(

I'll keep that in my records for next year.. lessons learned the hard way.. thought I was being a smartie by not covering them up (WSing after all!) and some of what evidently are tender sproutlets died..UGH!! Just hoping some other seeds in those jugs will sprout..sigh..

Chris

well.....i am hooked. I didn't dig for the names but I could tell one jug was cosmos. i let several jugs have some sunlight today

I planted 15 more in gallon freezer bags today and used a plastic water bottle to hold the bags up/open. i saw that technique listed in several places...times a wasting

Times not wasting when sprouts are growing!

nooooo i meant times a wasting to get the rest of my stuff sown.

i'm collecting jugs from my friends and neighbors as fast as i can....but i keep getting seeds ;)

i sure like seeing all those sprouts!

Isn't it great. This is the best addiction, yet. Minimal cost, minimal work and maximum reward!

I know what you mean, nanniepb. I keep getting seeds, too. Some I will be direct sowing, like poppies, cosmos, marigolds, etc. Just don't have time or enough pots to do it all the WS way. But I sure am having fun, and will be saving tons of money this way.

Karen

It's around 60 today. In my yard, hellebores, columbines, iris cristata, lungwort, daylilies and some other stuff are beginning to grow. HOWEVER, not a single sproutlet in any of my 35 wintersown containers!!! Some of you in zones 5 and 6 already have several kinds of sprouts. I'm beginning to get worried that my wintersowing this year will be a complete flop. Everything's in gallon clear milk jugs with hinged top (no cap). The soil seems to have compacted to 2-3 inches from the original 4 or so in lots of them. The soil is damp, and has been all winter, between snow and rain. They get afternoon sun. Could I have done something wrong?

it sounds right to me (a newbie). could your seeds be old?
doesn't there need to be some warm days where the soil begins to warm up?

i didnt get mine out till late Feb, i think, but we've had two or three snows on them. and several weeks where we've been in the 70's AND in the 20-30's in the same week.

A few might be oldish, but most of 35 different kinds I either bought this winter or traded for in the piggy swap this winter. Some of the same seeds I sowed indoors, and they germinated (most kinds), so I don't think that's the problem.
I was just cleaning up the yard and even more stuff than I thought is beginning to come up, but I suppose they could be warmer since they're in the ground. I wouldn't have expected germination this early, necessarily, except that everyone else's seem to be germinating.

Germination of seeds isn't the same as emerging established plants in the ground. And your indoor seeds sprout first because they are indoors- therefore warmer. I expect that your wintersown ones will sprout soon. You might need more consecutive warm days and nights.

Karen

Could they be drowning?