So....what do you think?

About the seeds per container question...I have mixed feelings about this. This is my second year of winter sowing. In 2004/2005 I did 25 containers. I said I would do less this year but I ended up with 37 containers. I typically use milk jugs and I dump a typical pack of seeds in each jug. Ideally I would have 6 to 12 seedlings per container. I had some that were less, some that were right on and a lot that were way over.

What I do then is to transplant my seedlings into 4" pots. Some times a pot gets a single seedling sometimes a pot get a hunk of seedlings. For containers with a lot of seedlings, the extras go into the compost bin. This is quite a bit of work and it adds in about $30 of potting soil to the mix. While I often think I need a better strategy to reduce this work and cost I think this general scheme is what I will stick with.

I should sow fewer seeds in each container, but having too many seedlings is a better problem than having too few. Also, if this means that I have to prep 4 times as many containers then that just shifts the cost and work (plus I have 4x the milk jugs sitting around). Planting directly from the containers in the ground seems impractical for me. I will not have a bunch of empty beds waiting for 200 plants and some seedlings are ready to be planted while other have not even germinated.

Next year, I really do plan on limiting myself to about 10-20 containers of plants that I have a specific use for. Trying to find homes for 200-300 plants is just way too much work.

- Brent

To answer merryma's question, to me WS was an unqualified success. A few things didn't sprout, I nurtured a few weeds, and I still have a few plants to put in the ground (!), but I wound up with so many plants I had to make a new bed for them, and still gave some away. And a lot of things are budding that I did not expect to. So I'll definitely do it again. I don't think I can afford not to. Gaillardias at the home dipeaux are ten bucks each... I grew ten or more, and they look better than theirs, same cultivar.
All these plants beyond the white stuff in the foreground (Artemisia) were wintersown, with a couple minor exceptions.

About planting out the seedlings, I planted hunks of a few things towards the end, when I was in a hurry to get done. I divided some of them a few days ago and they're doing fine. I'll probably divide some more this fall too.
Mike

I'm getting here late because I'm still busy planting my w/s seedlings LOL. almost done, though. this was my first year. overall, it was definitely a success. I had a lot of containers come up empty. I think I may have let them dry out. But I planted so many that if they had all germinated I would have probably had a nervous breakdown trying to get them all planted.

I can echo what many of you have said. I will do it again but be more selective. this year I had a huge new bed (@500 sq ft) to fill, so I planted anything and everything. besides, it was just tons of fun. now I have to think what I would really like to add next year. or what I need more of.

I'm already working on my 2008 list..can't wait to get started!

I'm glad to hear so many of you are hooked. For me, it's really the way to go. Honestly, I don't have room for any more plants and like claypa, I had to expand the garden just to have room for my veggies. Every year, I'm finding it harder and harder to justify sowing more seeds. I end up doing mostly annuals for myself (petunias this year came on like gangbusters!). The rest of them I end up sowing deliberately to give away and.......just because I can! I am never one to pass up anything that's practically free and winter sowing qualifies for that in my mind. It still seems like such a "racket"....you know....as in, what's the catch? If there is one, I haven't been able to find it yet. :) I think, this winter, though....I'm going to have to scale back and concentrate just on what's in my garden. Just get it cleaned up and not have to worry about planting out.

"I am never one to pass up anything that's practically free and winter sowing qualifies for that in my mind."

OH yes, Merryma, for me this is probably the "trigger"--I can't resist the bargains that WS provides. . . that's how I came to have 21 tomato plants (free seeds from the WS site that practically all germinated) . . . never mind that I then had to purchase a bunch of 5-gal. pots to plant them out, not to mention buying the soil and ferts.

But they were free!!!

CCG, -- I think we have the same mind set! What a bargain! But, Oh, so much work! But all fun! And it's Free (sort of)!

I didn't get many seeds sown this winter, but I did sow some Zinnia seeds in March and I am thrilled that they actually came up!

Oh, I don't even want to get started on my tomato plants......there's got to be at least fifteen of them planted, not to mention the volunteers that I just can't bear to pull out. And I still have two very nice brandywines that are still sitting in pots. At least I got them out of their first containers, but they're only in little five inch pots. Again, I just can't get myself to toss them out....they're so healthy! Maybe I can find just a little more space somewhere.

tabasco, that one's beautiful! My zinnias this year got eaten by rabbits before they even got out of their containers.

tabasco: Pretty zinnia! I have some nice ones this year, too. I want to do more zinnias next year than I did this year. Of course I always had pretty good results direct sowing them, too, before wintersowing. If I find enough cheap seeds I might do some direct sowing of them again next spring.

This coral one is my favorite this year, picture taken July 4.

Karen

I loved wintersowing all fall and winter and spring ... then all of a sudden I had a million NOIDs. I get the paint pen part,,, but there's something else that's escaping me. If I had known all the Godtia was Godetia, I would have planted it together.

I was very desperate in say, April and May, and wasted a lot of time and seeds planting flats and flats of annuals. They all sprouted, but then what? The ones I was able to transplant quickly did fine. The rest are either still there or they fried.

On the other hand I thought /i was unable to grow things from seed. I have been disabused for once and for all of that notion!

I'll definitely do it again this year. I think I'll sow one or two bushes, a lot more moss rose and impatiens. Still ruminating on this one.

xx, Carrie

kcrma--love your coral zinnia--is that a magellan? I want to try magellans next year to edge my butterfly garden.

carrielamont, I agree--the main thing is I was disabused of the notion I can't grow from seed. Now I know a little bit of how to do it, at least.

We'll do better next year, you guys!

xxx, Carrie

I'm so glad to hear all this. I'm always telling people about WS and getting funny looks in return. :)

Something you might want to try (if you haven't already) is planting lily seeds. I tried that this last winter with blackberry lilies, just because I came across the seeds on-line. I never thought I'd say a seedling was "cute", but....these were adorable! They looked like miniature, fully formed lily plants....as if the flowers would be 1/4 inch across. I ended up giving them away, but my sister says they're doing fine. I'm not even sure what color the lily is (have to google them at some point).

Mike- Is that a killer cosmos in the foreground of your picture? It's a monster!!
Brent- I am smiling and fondly remembering your carpet o' Thyme from this winter- that picture was priceless!!
Seandor- We will remind you that we don't have to sow all our seeds :-) Just try to remember to remind ME as well when we start!!

As to wintersowing, after my first year- I am hooked!! My roofdeck looks great, I have way more plants than I could ever afford to buy, and best of all- it was so much fun playing in the dirt while their was snow and ice outside. The whole process just seemed magical almost. I've already started my list of what I'm doing next winter. AND I'll have more room, as we are getting ready to move to Doylestown or New Hope- the suburbs, with all it's room to garden!! Can't wait for that yard.
Next time I will definitely plant a bit less per container, although I agree with Brent- having too many seedlings is definitely better than not having enough. I think everyone I work with has flowers that came from my wintersowing :-) I used to bring little plastic cups to work, with a few seedlings in each for my co-workers.
I am now a confirmed wintersower!! Samantha

I'm with you Samantha - I am also "summer sowing" some perennials. . . . though, lord, what I will do with them when we go camping . . . I might have to bring them along! Oh, well, DD brings her cockatiel . . .

tabasco: Sorry, I was out of town and I'm just trying to catch up.

That coral zinnia was seed from Parks called "Dreamland". I think they're just Magellan, though.

Karen

Thanks. I think I'll try both 'dreamland' and 'magellan' zinnias next spring. Both are pretty and available in separate colors.