Here's my latest

I thought I would show a couple of pics - Here is the list of what has germinated so far [not all in the pic]

Wow, you've got sprouts already? Nice going, congrats! I've just started sowing, but I'm in a colder zone than you.....I guess it's a good thing I don't have any right now....especially with this noreaster we're supposed to get tonight. Poor things would be smothered. :)

oops..just realized there is no link to the list http://lakehousecreations.com/seeds_germinated.htm

Anita, You leave the tops off?

on the milk/water jugs? Yes Dave - that's how I read to do it. This way air circulates and water can get in.

Anita,
Your containers look fantastic! Lots of sprouts! Congrats!
Michelle

Anita, your stuff does look great.

I heard 2 opinions. Leave tops on and cut slits for air/water OR leave tops off. I went tops on because I thought a lot of the topless people were in warmer zones.(Anita, you can probably guess that it is difficult for me to remain serious at this moment. But I will)

I wonder if anyone knows if you reach a zone were topless is just too cold for wintersowing?
Dave47

Yes, I too am wondering if I should go exclusively topless.. I don't want my little babies to fry and get too hot and wither up.

In all seriousness, Anita, you rock!! I am so excited to see your poppies. I have just recieved a trade from a DG'er with loads of poppy seeds and I was spending the morning making paper pots and I thought.. there must be a better way. I see from reading on Daves that once they have put on some true leaves, transplanting should not be a problem.. You inspire me. Thank you.

Susan

Anita, The seedlings look great. I think the only reason for vented tops would be to keep out birds and squirrels before the seeds sprout. If your afraid of frying them on a warm day, make more vent holes. By the way, I have open tops...let it snow!

Anita, Your stuff always looks so great! I've also checked out your database...thank you for that. That was a lot of work and a lot of time invested! I was going to print it until I saw how many pages it is, holy cows!!!

What are you doing with your seedlings now? Will you leave them in their containers for a while? When will you transplant them? Will you transplant direct to ground or to bigger pots?

Sorry for all the questions. I guess my biggest concern about wsing is that I'll get all my babies before spring and not know what to do with them.

Dave - I can't stop Laughing!!!!!!!! The snow will cover them up in abit. That should make them more respectable and keep them nice a cozy - hope no hanky panky will be happening under that nice white blanket!

Thanks everyone. Please don't give me credit on that wintersowing database. I mentioned on my website that Ron from GW put that together.

As for transplanting - right now they are going to have to stay put - my ground is frozen and will soon be covered with up to 15" of snow.

Nice, Anita, nice! When did you start? I have no sprouts yet - which I'm happy about, actually - but I only started about two weeks ago. I was hesitant to start too early because it's been so warm. I've got about 35 containers sown so far.

Dave, regarding the tops-off/tops-on-with-slits - I figure, why make more work for yourself? No need to make slits or poke holes, just take the top off and you're all set. I think you can go topless in even the coldest zones, lol!

:)
Dee

LOL Dee...

I started the first weekend in January.

My jugs are topless. I just mentioned this in another thread that 4 had germinated Jan 25, a month after sowing (2 each of poppy and achillea). With lids off, they have since been rained on, snowed on, and the nighttime temps have dropped into the teens. It was in the 50's today and I checked on them. Those seedlings are still happy, healthy looking little babies.

Karen

Mine too - although they are under 15" of snow right now-so I haven't been able to check on them. I'm hoping that by the weekend I can see and hopefully put out a few more containers.

OK. I'm conviced to go topless too. Thanks Karen & Anita for giving me the confidence to try this. Does anyone throw beads?
Dave

I'm now going to go completely topless now that I've got this peer support. You can send me the beads and tell the postal carrier to throw them as she drives on by so that she doesn't see the spectacle.. my address is in Daves :)

Susan

You know I haven't been able to check my jugs much lately (recent back injury- not supposed to do steps). But my husband is always offering to check my jugs for me

Karen

Hi there folks ! I am new here and was just trying to "scan" through a few comments when my eyes were drawn to several people talking about whether or not to go topless !!!!! Thought I'd better go back and read them a little more thoroughly. I was just thinking - if this forum requires one to be topless I'd better drop my name from the list !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ROFLOL!!!

It's topless optional...Grow and show your babies however you see fit!! :)

Susan

Was anyone in chat last night? Were you there for the "gardening commando" discussion? This fits right in!!

This is my first year winter sowing and I am so pleased. I have 42 different plants with seedlings out of 75. Planted last of Dec. I marked each milk jug 2 different places.I hope to do a better job on when germinate . Here is a couple of my jugs with seedlings. I live in Zone 6. I water by fine mist spray with gal garden sprayer at top of milk jug.. Easy way.
.Lupine tutti frutti

look how cute - you are getting first leaves too! Exciting!

Those look really great! Hope mine do as well!

I'm sure they will!

OMG!!! I am SO trying to take this information in seriously but have had to stop on a number of posts and grab a tissue. OH the hilarity! Your all so very funny, I am trying to stifle the laughter, and not have coffee come out of my nose, all while enjoying your sucess. The babies look fantastic. Nice work to all!
..
U
Dena

I am so happy to finally be able to say "I GO TOPLESS!!!" somewhere and not frighten anyone. LOL
Ness :-)

LOL

my goodness; are those stocks blooming? amazing what you almost miss when you have to work everyday until dark....

not fair.....I froze my tuckus off and you have stocks!!!!!

we have basically had no winter this year down here--and very little rain either. I just love the way stocks smell; but the heat gets them by mid-April. Everything is starting to grow like crazy tho with the longer daylength.

isn't it amazing what a bit more sunlight can do? I just love mother nature!

sowed 5 more containers..

Dahlia Dahlia Heirloom Border Species
Columbine Aquilegia McKanna's Giant
Larkspur Consolida regalis 'Blue Cloud'
Flowering Tobacco Nicotiana sylvestris
Flowering Tobacco Nicotiana

Hey Anita,
I'm planting Some Nicotiana this year to.
I saw some at the flower show, they get bigger than I thought they would, but thats cool. I hope this wacky weather wont screw up all our hard work.
I wish it would just hury up and be spring already!

The red one that I planted stayed small last year. Are you going to wintersow seeds or just buy some plants?

I'm doing the wintersowing, I have half of every kind of seed planted already, and then when spring comes I'm going to plant the other half of each pack of seeds, with thier older siblings. I'm doing this with everything that wasn't recommended you have to start early, I was curious as to what would happen...so I guess we will soon find out.

All your sprouts are a sight for winter-sore eyes!

Anita - how come you have so many sprouts already? I've got bupkis ... welllll, okay, I got a few poppy sprouts.

Put out some larkspur 'seven dwarfs' yesterday, along with some linaria (way more than planned, because the whole package spilled out in the sink). Also did bunny tails, carex, scabiosa and rudbeckia 'toto' this morning. I'm thinking about sowing dahlia 'stargazer' too.

I did a dwarf nicotiana a couple years ago; in the pot, they grew to be about 12" tall. Cute little seedlings - look like petunias. And very prolific!

PV

not sure PV - probably that warm spell we had - I'm sure their teeth are chattering tonight!

Hey, Anita!