Anything Yet?

I admit it . . . I can be a bit on the impatient side . . . so I "peeked" at my containers this morning, and I've got some Simba marigold sprouts already!

ACK!!!

When I went out to take a picture of the Simba's, I saw this in the Shamrock/Baby Beefsteak container! I'm thinking these are the Shamrocks . . .

Congratulations!

Zone envy......... I just sowed my first seeds today.

Karen

Big time zone envy!! I still have a foot of snow ON TOP of some of my containers!!
Syrumani-you should add those photos to Plant files so we have photos of seedlings. We sure could use more seedling photos especially as the new WS database gets going :o)

Oh, yeah . . . I forgot about the WS database . . .

Oh, well you are in Texas - I panicked for a moment thinking you might be in New Hampshire and what would you doe with marigolds for the next four months until you could plant them . . . . lol congratulations!

Syrumani: Good lookin' sprouts!!! It's hard not to peek....that's half the fun!

Karen: You're ahead of me this year!!! I haven't winter sowed my first seed yet!!! I'm desperately trying to sow LESS this year! So...my thought is to wait as long as I can, but with all these enthusiastic sowers on this forum, my resolve is quickly fading. I may just have to start getting my seeds and plastic jugs out and join in the fun!

This message was edited Jan 5, 2008 8:14 PM

According to my list, I still have 7 more containers to go . . . here's my containers so far . .

I must admit to planting during the first cold snap...This is my first year to try it, and the excitment on the forums was just too much to take:-) I have been 'hovering' and now have two types of chrysanthemums up. C. 'Blue Knoll' and a yellow one...gotta check my notes on that one. Yes, I have kept records! Thanks to the sticky notes:-)!
Bev

Syrumani: Great idea to use a plastic crate to hold your plastic bottles. What are you using to keep the others together? I can't really see what it is.

tggfisk: Congratulations on your 1st sprouts!! It's very exciting!!! Keep good notes because they'll really come in handy not only for the winter sowing database, but knowing which ones did well and which ones didn't, so you'll know what to sow again next year.

Shirley1md - I've got a piece of plastic garden fencing holding the rest in place.

This message was edited Jan 5, 2008 9:07 PM

Good idea, Shirley...I hadn't thought of adding data to the database. I'm still new, so I didn't think that I'd have anything to add:-)
I have been keeping notes on index cards-one for each day that I've planted-with data including how old the seeds were that I used and where I got them AND germination dates:->>
I've filed them into the seed shoebox I started for now and plan to move them into a notebook after I've finished sowing everything. As excited as I am about the whole thing, that might take a while!
It was great that there were so many suggestions and great info in the sticky notes. I've read and re-read them. Thanks so much to all of you that help us out here!

Thanks for the encouragement:-) And for the 'quote', lol!

My pleasure! :~)

And syru...Great idea about the plastic fencing! I've got some wire fencing that would do the same, I imagine.

I am just staring at the photo looking at the GREEN grass! It feels like forever since I have seen green-it was only November-but April seems so far away!!

distantkin - don't let that green grass fool you . . . it's only along the edges of the fence. The majority of the front/back yard is like straw. We are still due some freezes (believe it or not!).

I remember TX-I lived in Houston the year they got that terrible ice storm-it must have been around 1994. I remember Feb was always the coldest down there :o)

tggfsk, you can also use the Journal here at DG..takes a little getting use to, but works great!
Robbi, what is it with your and freezing weather? I know you didn't take that stuff up to MN with you, as they have plenty of their own............LOL

Shirley: I too have to cut back a lot this year. But I have some that I really wanted to get out in early winter for those temp fluctuations, like cleome. I did only about 6 jugs yesterday and will probably do a few more today. (Gotta get a few bachelor buttons out there, after all). Then I'll probably stop sowing for a while until closer to spring. I'm doing mostly annuals this year.

tggfisk: Notes will be important for future years, as Shirley pointed out, to know what worked well for you. Of most interest to me is always when it was sown and when it germinated. If results aren't stellar, then the next year I might sow a month earlier or two months later, etc. This information is also appreciated by others who will be asking "how did you get that echinacea to sprout?" etc. You will soon be a seasoned veteran wintersower and others will be looking to you for direction. After you get that first year under your belt, you will feel far more confident about it. Good luck.

Karen

Y'all are great encouragers...is that a real word?...I have already mentioned this to our science coordinator at the elementary school wher I work. She seemed quite interested. They have a great patio right outside the lab that would be super for the students to use to try this technique. We could start a whole wintersowing revolution:-)
doccat-I think I'll give the journal thing a try...Thanks for the suggestion!
Karen-trying not to wish my time away, but can't wait for that experience to sink in:-)
Bev

LOL-I think the word is "enablers" we are enabling an addiction or what will soon become one-LOLOL

Yep! You're right, LOL! There are loottts of enablers on these forums. A passing interest soon becomes a full-fledged passion! I had enough of those alread, ya know;-)

Hi everyone. I'm new to WS'ing as well as fairly new to Dave's website. I read somewhere that you need 4" of soil or is 1/3 of the container sufficient. I hope I'm doing this right. I still have a lot of packets to sow and will be putting more soil in the containers.
Rose in Chicago where it's almost balmy

Wow, Rose - you sure have me beat! I think many say 4" of soil is best, but you never know what else will work unless you try!

Say good morning . . . well, afternoon now, to the Striped Marvel marigold seedlings!

3" of soil will work, just make sure you provide plenty of drainage.

Well, it's done. My DS helped me plant the last 10 seed types into 6 containers. That is 21 types of seed total. I did leave enough room . . . just in case . . . for a few more containers.

As far as the soil depth I have some of my tiny seeds in tiny pots....I look at it like this-if they can grow from seed in one of these inside...they can grow in it outside. At least I am trying it anyway :o)
I just will make sure when they start coming up that they have a nice sized tent to come up in :o)
I couldn't help it-I fell in love with those little plastic baby food containers and had to use them. They are small but one or two seeds should work -I hope
Wish me luck :o)

Good Luck Robbi! and everybody else too!
I checked yesterday and surprise! I have asters and malva coming up. Planted Dec 23. YIPPEE! Hope they survive this crazy up and down weather.

Surprise for me today, bachelor buttons sprouting. They had better get ready because cold weather is headed back my way, I can't imagine they will survive. I broke down yesterday and bought some tall iced tea cups, the throw away kind. I need pots now, haha! I drilled holes last night and planned to fill them today but everything is too wet outside right now, and if I bring the potting soil in, I make a total mess in the house. I've decided to try to grow everything I will need for the 2 gardens I tend at church, what a savings that will be! Zinnias and marigolds I think, instead of the more tender plants I've used in the past, until the day lilies, iris, mums and other perennials fill in.

Your church gardens will look lovely. How thoughtful of you!

Karen: I'm beginning to catch up with everyone else. I wintersowed 12 different varieties this past weekend. It was wonderful to get my hands in the soil! Even better is to see the seeds sprout. I'm also try to cut way back in terms of the number of jugs sowed this season. We'll see!......

I'm a happy January Camper, I have dirt under my fingernails and 2 bins filled with containers just waiting for seed. My pants and shirt are dirty and damp. Am I the only one who gets as much potting soil on me as in the pots? Grinning from ear to ear, what a fix! The 20 ounce cups I bought worked great, 5-6 inches of soil, shouldn't have to transplant. What a mental health lifter for the winter doldrums.

sounds like you had a great day!

Shirley: I was determined to do very few this year, but I did a dozen over the weekend. As I looked through my seeds, there are so many I want THIS SUMMER! I think I'm in trouble. Where these things are going to do, I just don't know.

So many flowers, so little space ...

Karen

Karen, is there a neglected park near you? Or an elderly neighbour who might like a nice garden, but can't do the work.

I'm all for getting extra garden space without having to buy more real estate hahhaha

I tend to plant out what I can use in my yard, then roam around the neighborhood with the partially full jug, looking to give them to neighbors. I think some of my friends want to run away when they see me coming to give them another planting job, forcing plants on them that they've never even heard of. This is, after all, my 3rd year at it.

I'm not about to pot up all those seedlings. They go from the jugs to a yard, some yard, any yard...

Karen

>>is there a neglected park near you?

this is what i plan on doing too.
I'm trying to organize a landscape committee in my neighborhood to create butterfly gardens... and with all those seeds from the Swap ... i think i will have plenty of extras.

There is another spot of 3 trees that is next to my fence, but on association property ... i was thinking of digging that up and planting in there... one problem though, is my neighbors Lab .. .hes like a bull in a china shop ... and i think he'll crush a lot of them.

But -- me and my neighbor will put many of these plants to good use ... just if i could get her into WS'ing.

Purple Datura up! Also found some mixed trumpet lilies from a lovely DGer coming up yesterday:-)) Yeahhhhh! Just gotta get into the journal thing...
Bev