My first year WS...I'm so excited!

Critterologist pointed me to this board, which I had forgotten about. (Many thanks to you, sweetie!!) I meant to WS last year, but just never got around to it, though after all the reading I've done, I think I still could have done it when I finally got time. Anyway, I told my husband this morning I had decided to WinterSow, and he said, "What, are you making a sweater?" ROFL Will he never learn that it's all about plants?? ;o)

I'm going to use Miracle-Gro potting mix and 2 liter Coke bottles and perhaps some milk jugs. I'll tie them all together so they don't blow away and put them on the east side of the house (which is pretty sheltered from the wind, anyway) so they get the morning sun, but don't bake. I'm thinking about 20 to 30 containers, but have set an absolute limit of 50 for myself, because I'm known to go waaaay overboard. I haven't fully decided on how I'll label the containers, but will probably have a twofold (or threefold) system so if one fades or gets lost, there's a backup ID. Maybe duct tape with permanent marker on the outside, and plastic tags in pencil on the inside, as well as a fully labeled drawing. Perhaps all the annuals in milk jugs and all the perennials in Coke bottles, so I will at least have that to go on if all the other ID systems fail.

Perennials are mostly what I'm planning to WS, as well as some annuals, with a heavy emphasis on all the blue and/or fragrant plant seeds I can find.

So, there are my plans all laid out. What can possibly go wrong? LOL Does it sound like I've got a pretty good plan in place?

Thank you all for the fabulous information on this board! Just wanted to give a short hello, cause you'll probably be seeing a lot of me on this board from here on out! :o)

You and me both, Rain. LOL your husband! And you don't "sew" sweaters, anyway. I seem to have come into a large cllection of seeds to try, and I don't even know what they are yet... even more exciting!

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/654070/

xxxx, Carrie

Hi Rain,
Sounds like you're all set.
The 2 liter soda bottles are my favorite to use, though it can be a struggle to get them out sometimes. I do use the plant tags made from blinds and put them inside the WS container so I already have a plant tag when I'm ready to transplant them.
Alice

I was planning on doing the same thing Alice. Makes life alot easier when transplanting in the spring.

Anita

Hi Rain! This will be my first year winter sowing too! I am soo excited. I think I have already gone overboard and collected way too many seeds. LOL

Take care- Andrea

Alice,

Why are 2 liter bottles your favorite? Don't they need some sort of rigid top over them?

Maybe I should ask how they're shaped...what you do to the before planting. I was assuming you cut the top off, but maybe you don't.

Suzy

Suzy,
You do cut the top, put not completely off, leave a small section that creates a 'hinge'. Then you fill it with soil, water, seeds, close it up and use a small piece of tape to keep it closed.
I like them because they have more head room for growing seedlings. And don't forget to make some holes in the bottom for drainage.
Alice

This is a thread posted on GW last year. I tried it and it works great. I didn't even need to tape them shut.

Karen

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wtrsow/msg1212534423639.html

I suppose you could do the same for plastic gal. milk jugs as well.

Neat trick!

Deborah

Thanks for the thread, and the pictures!

Lime

Karen,

Is there enough head room for the poor little things? There must be, or you wouldn't have such nice pictures!

xxx, Carrie

Can I start winter sowing in flats set in a make shift green house?

Flats dry out too quickly. You want at least 3 inches of potting mix.

Karen

and a greenhouse is enclosed so they won't be carefree - you will have to make sure they are watered.

Do you leave the cap on the soda bottle or no?

I did not leave caps on the jugs. I even poke additional small holes or slits near the top so that when temps rise, it's easier to add more ventilation. If you have a lot of containers it can save time .

Karen

can somebody help this is the second time i have tried winter sowing and it never workks could it be the containers i am using something like tupperware but the top is not clear but a think plastic top does it have to be a clear top so that it would work help i want to do today

I wouldn't use colored covers. Have you cut holes in these lids? Try using milk jugs or plastic soda/water bottle. Lack of those, you could try something like a tin roasting pan that can hold at least 4" of soil plus some room for upward growth. Cover with clear plastic that you can cut slits/holes in. Some people have used regular baggies supported by venitian blinds slats ( cut to length you need and then place one end in the soil in your container and bend the other end to affix on the other side).

Another thing, and this is just my own personal opinion, I think it's too early to start and much too warm. I may put out some Morning Glory and Miribilis jalapa seed now because they need some freeze/thaw cycles, but everything else will be in the late Feb to March time frame for me. Once you put them out, you want them to stay cold enough not to germinate until spring. If they germinate too early, they will die. I know this contradicts what a lot of other people have said, but you need to learn to winter sow for your growing zone. Freezing weather is freezing weather and while some of the hardy annuals can take some frost, they will die if germinated and you get a hard freeze. A perennial may survive because once the root is established, it may come back from that.

If you feel you must sow seeds now, then be sure to save some for a later sowing and see what happens.

beaker_ch how long have you been winter sowing? I'm in the same zone as you and I want to do some winter sowing for the first time. What seeds do you sow and what containers do you use? Do you have any pictures of your winter sowing? Does anyone else??
:) Donna

Good tip, Beaker, I'll write that down!

Hi Donna,

Last year was my first year. I did it on a whim during that last snowstorm we had in March and was very successful. I had zinnias, poppies, larkspur, Zulu Prince Daisy, Forget-Me-Nots, Coreopsis and several others. I used what I had on hand which consisted of those toss-away baking tins that came with lids. I wouldn't use them again as they are too shallow and I had problems with tangled roots, but they did work.

This year I have a few hundred soda/water bottles, 16.9 to 24 ounce. I plan to plant no more than 3 seeds each. These will be contained in sterlite containers that I've drilled holes in. I'll use the sterlite lids only on those nights when frost is predicted for some added protection once the seeds have germinated. Otherwise, I'll leave the lids off.

Even though I haven't much experience, I do have some strong opinions about starting too early. If you read through the threads, you'll find many references to problems related to starting too early. It may work well in the south, but here in the north where we often have warm February weather followed by severe cold and snow storms, it just won't do.

I've seen pictures posted by Zenpotter who is an avid zone 4 winter sower. You might contact her. I don't have any pictures as I didn't get a digi until last summer. Good luck, it does work.

Last year was my first one as well. We had a very warm January thaw at the time and alot of my seeds germinated. I didn't lose any of them, thankfully. I am not sure if this was just luck or the gallon water/milk containers protected them. I plan on following the same plan this year. Of course, this year has been alot warmer, so I am not sure how everything will fare. My thought is that this will be a constant learning process.

Thank you for your info Beaker! I will send Zenpotter a DGmail.
:) Donna