Anyone else still "winter" sowing?

I know it's techinically spring sowing, but I am still putting out new containers. I am not, however, putting lids on. I figure at this time of year, they should be okay, and if we do get below freezing, then I'll put row covers on and cross my fingers. Yesterday I sowed bronze fennel, hollyhocks, and mums. Tamara

Not me...I am done! 37 containers were more than I planned and probably more than I will be able to handle. I put out my last set of 10 containers out about 10 days ago. I have grown plants from seed during the summer using the same basic winter sowing technique, but just making sure to keep them in a shady spot.

Good luck on your spring sowing!

- Brent

I still have a lot of annuals I wanted to sow but not sure that's gonna happen. Time is the limiting factor. Some of this stuff will need to be planted out soon, and that takes a lot more time, at least for me.

Karen

I have 3 more containers I was supposed to do yesterday, but got way-laid, and will do them today
my bird&butterfly mix I plan on putting into 2 milk jugs and i found a package of Red Poppy seeds in a drawer... so i'm gonna sow those too... then i'm done.

and heck, we are expecting winter back mid-next week. Low dipping into the 20's

Yep, we're supposed to get snow next week too. I'm sure that, like every other year, I will have seedlings that just end up dying in their peat pots because I never get around to planting them in the ground. But I really am going to try to get them all in this year. Most of the annuals I will be just doing indoors under the lights to get a jump on the season, but I will WS any perennial seeds I have left. Tamara

not the sn word!!!!

perhaps i'll try to sow some of the things i didn't get to....i flooded almost all my containers so right now i have 8 out of 27 with any sproutlets

really need some more things for my young ones' gardens, so i will pick some kid friendly ones tonight to set out this weekend

our 10 day weather forecast yesterday had the lows into the 50s....i hope that hasn't changed :-)

I'm gonna do 4 or 5 containers tonight; the sun is shining, it's 16C (64F), but we're supposed to get a couple inches of snow on Sunday. So, it's sorta still winter sowing! Sob.

Joanne

I think we have snow showers in our forecast for this weekend. nothing significant, though. It's just been a pleasure to get out every day and check the containers.

I think I'm done sowing. I have some seedballs. I have a new bed going in and I may just put some of them out to help fill in the gaps. I know it will be a while before I have all my plants. And a lot of the perennials from this year's w/s won't bloom until next year.

I'm still going strong, and for now I'm putting lids loosely on, especially since (1) there's winter predicted later this week and (2) the squirrels and birds are awfully busy - I don't want to invite them to a feast of seeds.

I'm done. I spent today working in the yard and it REALLY reenforced how much work I have ahead of me. I layed pavers, divided grasses, and made a very small dent on cleaning out the beds. I also got my 3 containers of poppies planted out this afternoon which really tickled me. About 1/2 of my containers have sprouted, and I have close to 100 seedlings started inside (which is way more than I planned on doing. Can I get an "amen" on that one?) I MUST NOT start any more seedlings. Please.....somebody hold me back if my sowing finger starts twitching.

I hear ya! I have a serious problem with grass and weeds in my beds, and it takes forever to clean it out--by the time I finish, it's time to start again! I don't have anything big enough yet to plant it out, but I better get crackin' on preparing the beds, or I won't have anywhere to put them when they are ready! Tamara

I've been trying to clean up my beds for weeks, thought they were pretty much ready. When I started planting out the first 2 jugs yesterday, I found more weeds to pull, perennials that I had to move, etc. Took all afternoon.

Karen

Heck yes! I'm still springsowing my hardier annual seeds and still have my tender annuals/tropical seeds to plant.

Since I found these cheap - more or less - seed starting set-ups from not-Burpee at HD, I've been sowing annuals like they're going out of style. 72 little checker-sized discs in 72 little squares with a clear lid on top. They think it's for starting seeds indoors under lights. To me, they're very shallow WS containers. You add hot water, the little checkers swell up and bingo, stick in a seed (if you can find a way to stick in just one) and you're done. If, that is, you can figure out how to keep track of 76 different plants! So I've done four of these so far! Could be 300 babies to transplant! I need more potting soil...

xxx, Carrie

>>I need more potting soil...

LOL Carrie... I've seen those too every time i'm at HD or walmart.

I got something similar, and for the tiny seeds, it was hard to get just one in.
and i also found the sunflower seeds were almost too big... they get pushed back out when the seed starts to germinate.

Carrie: I think I know what you are trying to describe, but they definitely sound a lot shallower than the amount of soil that is used in WS containers. Take care when using them because it sounds like they could dry out very quickly. Plus, once the seeds germinate, you will need to move them to a larger pot with more soil. How deep are those expanded seed starting discs?

There are all types of gimmicks on the market. Be careful.

I just bought another compressed bale of Pro-Mix. I'm just about finished with a big bag that will make it 5 cu ft used so far.

Karen

LOL, Q:how many bales did she buy altogether? A:3?

Shirley, I have LOW expectations for these things and I'm only using them for annuals and otherwise I wouldn't have sown lobelia or alyssum in the kind of quantities I need. I am aware of the limitations of these flats and I'm so thrilled that I have actually gotten any seeds to sprout for me that if any of them end up turning into a flower I'll be absolutely flabbergasted.

xxxx, Carrie (more germination yesterday!!!!!)

It is 17º this am so I am going to do the last ones I had thought it was to late to do.

I am just getting started on my "winter sowing". I am going to put all my flats in the coldframe to sprout. I don't think anything I am planting needs cold stratification. Then I am doing some milk jugs. I have some nice compost if I need more soil.
aline

Aline, Shirley already gave me a lecture about using flats. I don't think that's technically wintersowing. But I'd drive to PA for some 'nice compost'!

xxxx, Carrie

I think it's winter sowing in a big container (the coldframe). I am going to do some milkjugs too. The compost was the beginning to get back in shape program. I turned the one bin last night and have another to go through. I put the courses stuff through the chipper (like sunflower stalks) and turn the rest into a new bin. The bottom of the bin is beautiful dk brown.

Are you kidding????? With the weather we are forecast to get, we can plan on winter sowing until July!

Carrie: Using flat containers are perfectly fine. Just remember to fill them with 4" of good potting soil. Otherwise, one runs the risk of the soil drying out to quickly and the seeds dying.

Seandor: I think what you are referring to is summer sowing, which works great for certain types of seeds. That's the beauty of this method, it can be used all year round!

No - I mean winter sowing . . . have you seen the weather reports for the next 10 days? If this kind of weather continues, summer will arrive sometime around August 19th.

OK, Shirley, my flats are really flat, maybe 3" deep at most. But I'm planning to water them as needed and to plant them out soon, if they germinate. And, I only planted annuals.

xx, Carrie

This message was edited Apr 4, 2007 3:08 PM

still going strong here on Long Island - http://lakehousecreations.com/wintersown_2007.htm

Carrie: Did you mix in a few polymer crystals to help retain the moisture? I worry that the soil will dry out very rapidly. They will cook in full sun. If possible, move those flat containers to a partially shaded area. You will need to be very vigilant and may need to water more than once a day.

Check, boss. I think it's too late to mix in anything, but we are watching them carefully. There is only full sun for an hour or three a day, but I'll move them closer to the house, where there's NO sun. Thank you!

xxxx, Carrie

carrie: I'm keepin' my fingers crossed for you!

OK, I moved them into the shade. Haven't checked about watering but I will later this am. [Gosh, how many trips outside in the 33* weather did you think I would make in one day!]
Thanks for your crossed fingers, Shirley, but aren't they getting a little stiff?

Oh, and I just found some packets of sweet peas that I hadn't sowed in years past. Years very past, LOL. Anyway, I think I will stick them in somewhere and see what they do.

xx, Carrie

PS My NOID (no idea!) seedlings are getting taller. They look like they're candidates for "cluump" transplanting, but I wanna know what they are!!!

Bbbrrrr....my fingers are frost bitten and totally numb from the cold, but they're still crossed for you!

Definitely spring sow those sweet peas! Hope they will surprise you with fragrant blooms!

Shirley, Shirley, guess what!!!

My Alonsoa meridionalis 'shell pink' came in the mail today! I first noticed mask flowers in a container Tomtom showed. Hers were red. I wanted them. Then amongst my wanderings I came across Alonsoa meridionalis 'apricot'
[HYPERLINK@anniesannuals.com]
and decided I wanted it even more than the other one. It seems the only way to get it from them is by buying a live plant. Then, well you know how at hardyplants.com they say "come back often; our supplies are always changing", so I did,and this time they had Alonsoa meridionalis 'shell pink'. I ordered it 3.12 and it finally came!!!! I WS'd two sources of the red type, now I can do the shell pink, which hopefully won't be too far from apricot. Should I direct sow it into a planter, or WS and then transplant??? What to do? I have some peat pots my DH bought; I put some out with a clear plastic box over them. Would that do?

xxxx, Carrie

I've wintersowed using only a inch or so of potting mix in those 6 inch square salad containers (the same ones I'm fond of for indoor seed starting and for propagating african violets). I did add moisture crystals, and I transplanted the seedlings when they were fairly small... as Shirley said, with small/shallow containers, you may need to keep a careful eye on them with regard to watering, and I think I probably gave them a quick spritz nearly every morning once they took off. With those little seed starting discs, you could probably pop one out for a quick look to see how badly rootbound the plant was getting and decide if you needed to up-pot once before planting out.