New Idea: Can I wintersow seeds directly into plastic pots ?

Hi all-

I have been diligently saving my milk jugs for wintersowing my garden, but my newest idea is to wintersow annuals directly into pots. I have a number of terra cotta colored plastic pots -- they are pretty ugly, but if I got some annuals that would cascade down the sides and some annuals to stick up higher, then I could have pots on the patio.

I was going to post this in the container forum, but decided the wintersowing forum would not only get more responses, but probably have more ideas.

So what can I use to cover the pots that will stay rigid enough to not yield and smother the plants?

And secondly, what would be some good annuals to put in these pots? I pretty much have all sizes from 10" to 20". Most of them are plain & ugly, but a couple really could pass for terra cotta.

Suzy

Hi Suzy,
I can't help with the annuals, but as far as the pots go, I have some that I am going to use. I have got some small fencing type material that I used on some of the veggie bins I use to make. It has (I'm gonna guess) maybe 1/2" square holes. I am going to cut it to make a dome �� type lid for them, then cover with plastic..
That way the seedlings will have room to grow,

I hope this helps :o)

Connie

Hi Connie,

I just posted to you in another thread -- the one about sun & water by Happy McComb (this is by memory, I probabaly don't have it exact.)

I have some of that plastic fencing! My husband cut it on the bandsaw for me and I didn't use it all. I could make a sort of "plus sign" with one piece going N-S and anothr goind E-W. All I need is to keep the plastic up and off the plants, but I could dome it up, too since it's already rolled.

Thanks! Now Ijust have to decide what would look good from the myriad of seeds I have!

Folks? Anybody have any great containers this year?

Suzy

You can use coathangers, cut or not cut, and bent to the necessary shape to form a "dome" and keep the plastic bag off.

Donn sows into large nursery pots and sticks a cut-off milk jug on it, sort of like a cloche in the pot.

Just be sure your pots are not of the type that crack easily with freezing and thawing.

Karen

Scroll down this page http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/Photo_Share.html and you'll get lots of ideas on how to wintersow in different types of containers.

Yeah -- I found them, thanks Shirley.

Suzy

hi..i forget how donn anchors down the milk jugs on the nursery pots?

pamsue

Pamsue: I believe Donn's thread will answer your question. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/598717/

hey thanks shirley

pamsue

I WS directly into some hanging basket type pots every year, cover them with plastic. When it's time I just remove the plastic and hang them up.
Alice

Yessss! Alice that is exactly what I was wanting to know! What kinds of seeds do you like to use? Inother words, which will winter sow and look good in a basket? Since youre in SC you have a lot longer growing season but I still would like some ideas. The other things I have a big pots -- same idea though. Wintersowing in situ. LOL-- I'm basically lazy.

Suzy

Suzy,
I've tried lot's of different kinds of seeds in them, trailing lobelia, nasturtium, alpine strawberry, I haven't found any yet that don't work.
Alice

Yeah, I think I need to find some Northerners,,,you can probabaly grow anything down there. :) Can you plant three different kinds of seed in onepot, or does that not work?

Some of the annuals take a long time to come into bloom, so I'm afraid it will look like a pot of dirt until July. Or more likely, there could be three things started in the pot and two come up and the third one is behind and gets shaded out. Have you ever put more than one kind of seed in the pot?

Suzy

Suzy,
No, I usually only plant one type per pot.
Alice

Suzy, lol When you talk about Northerners we are not considered down there, its up there. Up North and Down South rofl... I just had to put my 2 cents in on that one, My dad use to correct me all the time, because I said the same thing. Still do and end up catching it b4 some one corrects me :o)

Connie

Suzy, All those things you mentioned could happen. If they're not hardy, early bloomers they might not have blossoms until mid or late summer. Larger ones could block sun to others. (That was a big issue in my garden beds last year. They were so heavily planted that I didn't even know some of them were under that jungle!). So you might want to read up and plant only similar plants within one pot (e.g. similar bloom times and /or sizes).

I planted directly into some pots last year and wasn't impressed with any of them. That was due, though, to my choice of what went into each, and they really didn't get enough sun in their final location. Choosing wisely could indeed produce great results, so don't let my results discourage you. I will probably try some the same way again this year.

Karen