First Time WS#8: Still sowing? Growing?

I posted this on another thread too. I probably sowed too many seeds in one jug.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=6396697

Oh nannie... you have "chia pets" i'll have a bunch of those too. my poppies are like that, but it's only a qt container.

usually plants that have teeny tiny seeds,.... you will get chias.

honestly, I didn't expect so many to work. mother nature likes to fool us.
look out next, year!

Don't eat too many chocolate bunnies ya'll =)

I had the same problem, nannie. I didn't expect so many to germinate, so I have a few where it looks like every single seed germinated!

My Larkspru jug looks like that...I did'nt know how will they would germinate....

Nanniepb, thank for showing how you did the bag! I was trying to figure that out.

Think I am going to to do some parsley today and maybe some more milkweed.

Nanny....cute name ;) it was trial and error. it doesn't seem like the bags have as much space to sow, especially with the bottles inside, but once it warms up some, I can roll the top down. If anyone has a better way, I'd welcome the advice. maybe I'll post that question on the WS thread.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday. I checked my containers yesterday and this is my latest list of what has germinated.

Botanical Name
Agastache foeniculum 'Golden Jubilee'
Alcea ficifolia [Double Apricot]
Alcea ficifolia Nigra
Antirrhinum majus Black Prince
Antirrhinum majus 'Choice O.P. Mix'
Antirrhinum majus 'Magic Carpet'
Antirrhinum majus nanum Rembrandt
Antirrhinum majus Tetra Ruffled
Aquilegia formosa
Bellis perennis 'Habanera Mix'
Borago Officinalis
Calendula officinalis
Consolida ambigua mix
Consolida regalis 'Blue Cloud'
Convolvulus tricolor Dwarf Rainbow Flash
Dahlia variabilis Bishops Children
Dahlia variabilis Collarette Dandy
Dahlia-Unwin'S Dwarf Mixed Colors
Delphinium chinensis 'Blue Butterfly'
Digitalis grandiflora Pink Champagne
Digitalis parviflora Milk Chocolate
Digitalis purpurea 'Alba'
Digitalis purpurea Candy Mountain
Digitalis purpurea 'Glittering Prizes'
Eschscholzia californica Appleblossom
Eschscholzia californica Carmine King
Eschscholzia californica Mission Bells
Gomphrena haageana 'Strawberry Fields'
Helianthus annuus Italian White
Helianthus annuus 'Moonwalker'
Helianthus annuus Pastiche
Lycopersicon lycopersicum Cristal F1 Hybrid
Lycopersicon lycopersicum Harlequin F1 Hybrid
Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium
Lycopersicum Ladybug Hybrid
Malva sylvestris subsp. Mauritiana
Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina'
Nicotiana x sanderae
Nicotiana x sanderae Domino Mix
Nicotiana x sanderae Fragrant Cloud
Nicotiana x sanderae Sensation Mix
Papaver orientale
Papaver orientale Brilliant
Papaver somniferum
Phacelia dubia Lavender Lass
Phacelia viscida Tropical Surf
Salvia farinacea Fairy Queen
Salvia farinacea 'Silver White'
Zinnia - mixed varieties collected from wild
Zinnia elegans Dreamland Ivory Hybrid
Zinnia elegans Liliput Mix
Zinnia elegans Profusion Deep Apricot
Zinnia elegans Profusion Double Cherry
Zinnia elegans Profusion Fire Hybrid
Zinnia elegans Profusion White
Zinnia elegans 'Purple Prince'
Zinnia elegans Scabious Flowered Mixed
Zinnia elegans Whirligig Hybrid
Zinnia elegans Zowie! Yellow Flame
Zinnia Haageana Persion Carpet
Zinnia tenuifolia 'Red Spider'


All in all, I sowed 104 containers. I'm sure the warmer weather will trigger the remaining containers before long.

Wow! I'm impressed!

Nice Anita! How exciting to see all of those coming up!

I STILL have yet to sow any of my tender stuff.

I got out and watered everything good last week because they were all getting dry, of course, then it started RAINING for two days straight. Then on Sat my nice gentle rain turned to HAIL! ACK. I ran out there to protect some of the ones I had opened up so that they didn't get pummeled to death. I think they are ok, only my cornflowers are looking a little ragged. So I hope they recover.

This week we are in the 70s again and I too am expecting some more warmer things to get going. Especially with the combo of the rain and then the warmer temps.

We have our big wedding this weekend for my friend then I really expect to be able to spend some time outside. We will get our compost delivered next week and I should have plenty of time to get some stuff planted. I am so excited!

I think it really is finally spring around here!

We have had hail a couple of times and it is so great knowing that my babies are covered by their containers and safe. I love this method! I started my spring sowing the same way this week. No starter pots in the house. This is fantastic. It is so logical and makes so much sense. Why oh why have I struggled every year trying to grow these guys in the house? They are getting sunlight and have their own little green houses and are practically carefree and I will not be carrying them in and out every day trying to harden them off.

I did a few Purple Milkweed seeds that I got from tcs last week. They require moist cold stratification. So I am gambling that I still have enough cold weather coming!

nanny -- for part of the winter, all my seeds went outside in my unheated sun room. I just cant recall how long they were out there. I put 7 Purple MW seeds on a heat mat, i have 1 that germinate so far. and i have 1 pink also. Scarlets all came up in less than a week.

Oh that may help me along then! I am doing the Scarlet next ...as soon as I have a empty container. :)

nanny -- i have not WS'ed any yet... I should do it, soon - since it's warming up... and of course when i get a few more containers. I still have Zinnias and Marigolds to do to. I've got some Zinnias on a heat mat ... last year i also did it, and most keeled over some time after germination. so far i've only lost 2 out of 14.

Lissa, what do you mean by your 'tenders'?

My 'to sow' list keeps getting longer and longer. Or else I need to start giving seeds away =)

its damp outside..windy. the pollen is killing my sinuses today and theres a new cat/kitten shelter where my potting table was at. (the sinus problems is new too...ugh) we had to rescue momma plus 4 from the shed because I didnt know she was in there and locked her up for 3 days. my brother showed up to change oil in my tiller...he's being nice to me because he's waited till the last minute to get his taxes done. So, nothing has turned out right today.
complaining isnt helping either =)

nannie -- tenders, would be tender annuals. as sort of late frost would probably kill them.

I lost a few cosmos on year, Morning Glories, Zinnias, some marigolds ... I'm sure there are a lot more, but those I know for sure.

good to know.
I sowed 9 tomatoes and 10 or 11 herbs yesterday.
I saved seeds of most of my herbs just in case.

the whole time i was sowing, i was thinking that I had 50 or 60 jugs ahead of these...where am I going to put them all!!!!

I'll have a table out by the road with a sign and a cup to pay.
I think that would work on my road. small town USA.

I sold honey and eggs with the cup for donations method for years. Gotta love small town, USA!

I am lining up takers for all the babies that I can't use...I though about a table out by the road too...LOL!

I better get great germination because I've been promising plants to everyone! I've got about 50 outside, another dozen inside and haven't yet done the bulk of my tender annuals. And I'm having a great time!!

Well, I had to work on the pond bridges and the vegetable garden terraces today, so I avoided looking at the WS containers.
Yesterday, I transplanted, into pots, about 37 HOS or individual plants from 5 WS containers.
I know! I can hear Karen and others saying that we are not supposed to "transplant" WS seedlings except directly into the garden.

Except, . . .
I don't yet have any garden prepared to take the plants that were crowding out their containers;
they were crowding them so severely as to become "leggy" and potentially too weak to survive a later transplant; and I just felt that I had to take charge here!

You do what you have to do. Just stick them into beds when those beds are ready.

I've only planted out 2 jugs. Our weather is too ugly to do anything. Cold, rainy, dark, dreary, windy... it's awful. My yard is a swamp. Of course it's supposed to be beautiful on Thursday and Friday when I'm working.

Karen

Wow! Amazing list, Anita! That's really something else! All in all I have sown 52 different kinds of seeds, so nothing in comparison to yours, though I still have all my annuals to sow. Many I will be direct sowing, as I'm just running out of time and containers, and I have so many other projects demanding my attention. I just can't keep up with it all!

LissaD, seeing as how warm you are there and still have not sown your tender stuff yet, either, I don't feel so bad.

Here's what's newly up now since the last time I posted a list of what was up:

Digitalis purpurea:
'Candy Mountain'
'Giant Shirley Mix'
'Elsie Kelsey'
'Pam's Choice'
'Dwarf Foxy'
'Apricot'

Aquilegia:
Doubles
'Summer Pastels'
'Clementine Mix'

Penstemon 'Esprit'
Alcea rosea 'Indian Springs Mix'
Achillea 'Cherries Jubilee'

Finally I'm seeing my digitalis and aquilegia up. I waited a long time on those. Most of them took about 2 months. I still have some that have not germinated yet. Ok, I must be patient! The 'Cherries Jubilee' Achillea only took a week to germinate, and the seed package said 14-21 days. I'm psyched over those!

Karen

Ain't THAT the truth, Karen?!
The projected "good days" are ALWAYS "work days"!
But, here, we keep getting "promises" of rain, but NO RAIN!!!

Yes, it's supposed to be beautiful here, too, on Thurs. and Fri., and, of course, I have to work. Good news is that the weekend, when I'm off, should be good, unless that changes. I'm also off Monday next week, and we are going to get rain. The report says showers, 40% chance, so we'll see. Hopefully it won't be much.

Karen

I am loosing my 'macho' attitude yall!! :O

In Jan, I was so ready to plant and dig I just kept telling everyone....its an experiment...it doesnt matter if they dont all sprout. It is the process.

WELL, I lied! ;) I want them all to LIVE!! I have several large babies and a few tiny ones....and over half my containers have no green at all....hope they all make it.

We finally have plans this weekend to build some raised bed boxes and plan out some spots for the flower beds.

I am getting excited........now if it could warm up a few more degrees.

Be patient, Henygirl! If you sow it, they will grow. At least most will, anyhow!

Karen

April showers only bring May flowers if the ground gets dry enough to till the new beds.

more rain till Thursday here.

tell me again what HOS means? (go to bed, Phyllis)

Hunk of seedlings. Sorry to jump in here. Just reading and enjoying my morning coffee before heading off to work.

nannie -- when your container of seedlings looks like a Chia Pet... it's impossible to separate them [without driving yourself nuts] so you'd take that giant hunk, and split it into smaller chunks/hunks and just plant that.

sometimes, if my container is just a QT sized container... i will plant the whole thing as ONE. that is HOS.

I find gallon sized, i can quarter... then i have 4 hunks.

I used to plant HOS before but always felt like I was doing something wrong! LOL It made me feel so much better to hear that it was an actual technique (whatever that means in gardening~ Ha!) Now I feel clever.

i knew that! and now i feel silly.

i am getting impatient to start planting my chia pets!

Okay folks.......here is my 'journal' so far on my first time Winter Sowing.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mikeNheather.family/WinterSowing#5288774991652973970

Good job Heather! Congrats!

wow -- i'd call that successful. great job! i love the way your railing holds those fruit containers.

Yall do realize THIS place has created a monster. :P My neighbors are hoarding fruit containers for me. Friends and family and DG folks have sent me seeds.....it is very addicting!

I should have done that (Picasa) so my family can watch what i've done. They think I'm crazy too! I'm like the bag lady, collection jugs and bottles. fruit containers. cereal bags. its bad.

I like how you've used several methods. Proves there is any wrong way.

Last spring I lost so many seeds by trying to direct sow and I thought I didn't need to be on DG. you know, like not being worthy, LOL. tis true. But this wintersowing has proved to be so much easier to me.
I didn't even sow my seeds 1/4" or 1/8" below....I literally sprinkled them on top of my mix and taped the lids down. nada. zippo.

Where ever Lorraine is, I have her to thank!

Yes, it's much better than direct sowing for most things and sure easier than indoors under lights. And I can start so much more outside in the sunshine. It would cost a blood fortune for enough lights and shelves to start this much indoors. No costly greenhouse either.

I have to say, though, that I do still direct sow larkspur in fall. I get much better results.

Karen

Nannie, I did the same thing. I just sprinkled seed on top of the soil and taped the lid down. I figure if we are copying the way nature reseeds stuff then that is the way to go. I have never seen mother nature out there with a rake covering seed and tamping down earth. Seed got covered a bit by accident with the watering and that is the way nature does it too. Son of a gun it worked! I am a believer!

Heather, I love the way you've put together that web album. What a great idea. I wish I had time to do that. I spend so much time here when I'm on-line that I don't have time for many other things. Plus I work 52 hours a week and spend a lot of my free time doing gardening stuff. You know how that goes. Sometimes I wonder how people find time to do other things.

Hmmm..... And I spent all that time sprinkling starting mix on top of the seeds, and now I find it's not necessary at all. Live and learn!

Karen