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Black hollyhocks germinating today. I am soo thrilled since these are old seeds from our garden....didn't hold out too much hope for them. Wind chills' at 19 today. brrrrr. I have some old windows set out on the patio next to the brick of the house. Seems to keep already germinated annuals pretty happy.

wind chills at -8

i honestly do not leave the house for days when it's like this.

kids are starting to complain "there's no food "

Funny! Usually when that happened here, it translated into 'there's no junk food'!!
Minus 8...I'd be hibernating, lol!

actually - the one complaining is actually a pretty good eater.
he went thru that junk food phase when he was about 11-13 and really got big.... got smart and has been eating good ever since. he lost a ton of weight, hit his growth spurt and never looked back.

uggg, sorry to hi-jak the thread.

gotta go watch football now......

Glad to know old hollyhock seeds work! Some of the ones I planted yesterday were pink hollyhock seeds I've had for about 2 years now.

I figured that the old seeds were free and I didn't have anything to lose by trying them. They didn't seem to take any longer than the ones I got this summer in a trade. I'm glad they are ok, I didn't want to have to purchase another plant, but my DH loves them so I guess I would have, lol!

>>gotta go watch football now...


teehee.... brought DH's laptop downstairs so i can hang out on daves AND watch football.

I'm going to see if i can find the old thread on starting hosta seeds in the wet paper towels... i do recall seeing it last year... then i can see if i can get them going. I have yet to start WS ... but last year i did not start until mid-Feb.

If you can't find it, d-mail largosmom or allnitro. Those I recall as being savvy on hosta hybridizing. I'm sure they can point you to the right threads!

This is my first year winter sowing as well. I checked today and I have cosmos, white cleome, cowpen daisy, gaillardia, and some daylilies up already. Got more containers to go out tomorrow. This is fun!

If my tiny bachelor button sprouts survive our 5 degree weather, I'll be amazed. They look frozen solid.

Congrats, blue eyes! What are cowpen daisys? Sounds so interesting.
cathy...I'll bet that they survive. Those BB's are tough.
Bev

I noticed today that the verbena moss was starting to poke thru. . .

You know, I'm sure this is mentioned somewhere (and maybe it could be put in the sticky we're talking about), but how tall do I let the seedlings get before I either plant out or repot? I don't think any are that close yet, but it is something to prepare for . . .

I got home from work early enough today (not dark yet) to look at my containers..... nothing yet. :o(

Sanna

Don't worry Sanna . . . it'll happen! When did you put out your containers?

I have a few things poking their little heads up; Aquilegia, "Woodside" Variegated Columbine, Geranium pyrenaicum, Scabiosa atropurpurea, Dark Pink Pincushion Flower and Scabiosa, "Beujolais Bonnets" Pincushion Flower. We're supposed to have a warming trend next week, so I'm hoping lots more will start to pop!

Way to go, Susan_C!

Oh I can't complain yet.... I didn't sow them until right after the new year! I just do the "watched pot never boils" thing all the time! :o)

Sanna

Those who may succumb to zone envy . . . close your eyes!

Here is the updated list of what has sprouted so far!

3 pale pink hollyhock
4 star of yelta
4 bronze gazania
20+ baby breath
8 white cherry tomato
15+ scarlet butterfly weed
4 mexican sunflower "torch"
6 green tomato
20+ chalon pansy
30+ virginia stock
20+ standing cypress
8 sun gold tomato
3 baby beefsteak
15+ yellow pear tomato
20+ red poppy
15+ simba - marigold
15 striped marvel - marigold
20+ verbena moss
2 la bamba - marigold
1 spearmint (i think!)
15+ yellow butterfly weed
15+ cornflower - polka dot
1 maroon bluebonnet
10+ Ao . . . JMG
7 tiger tomato
20+ shamrock

I also put some of those pre-seeded lettuce strips from ferry-morse in a container, and by golly, I've got some of those sprouted too!

The only things that have not sprouted yet at all are: triden maple, forget me not, yellow petunia, edible hibiscus, and senna alata

OH my Zone envy is not to be believed,me who loves winter can't stand it,not one itty bitty green thing in any jug out there.......but so happy for you..........but I stuck my tongue out at you anyhow☺

Woo hoo, Syrumani! -Good going!

Congrats on your winter sowing success all! Suffering serious zone envy here for sure; I haven't even put out a winter sowing container yet! LOL. Lot's of winter time left up here for sure.

Zone envy! Zone envy!! :o)

Sanna

Well I finally planted up 16 wintersowed pots today. I have twelve flats under lights inside. Lots of seeds up there. My wintersowing is a little late but everyone here has been really sick. It's real hard to get excited about seeds when you can't hold your head up.
Have enjoyed seeing the seeds emerge on here.

Riverland . . . 12 flats?!?!? I wish I had room in my garage for that many. Maybe someday. I'm using one of those 4-shelf greenhouses in the garage. I'm up to 2 2' shoplights, and one heat mat . . . space envy, here!

Everone has to start somewhere, but this addiction just keeps festering fore more, more, and more

Syrumani: Congratulations on your babies!

I generally plant out by hos when very small, like 1 or 2 sets of true leaves. This is especially true for perennials and hardy annuals. For tender annuals, if it's still way too early in terms of date and weather, I'll wait a little longer to plant out. I don't pot up to larger pots though, that's too much work. It would take a lifetime with all those seedlings.

Karen

I winter sowed a bunch of stuff and when I checked on them yesterday, some of them are 3 or 4 inches tall with 4 or more leaves. I don't know what to do with them. I hate to just leave them out there to freeze if we have a freeze, which in Texas you never know. It's been warm lately so everything thinks it's spring!!

Would you just leave them out there or can I bring those in and keep them inside or will that kill them. Help me please!!!!!!!!!

This is the first year I've WS'd. From what I've heard, it is better for them to stay outside. Some may freeze . . . but someone said something to the effect of "only the strong survive" in a thread recently. It seems to make sense.

However . . .

The gourd seedlings I started in the garage I take outside during the nice days/nights, and bring those in during the cold spells.

If it is precious seed I would bring it in the unheated garage during the night but put it right back out in th morning the sun heats those containers up. Common seed I don't bother.

Lorraine: Fluctuation in temperatures is exactly what you want to happen! The constant freezing & thawing will eventually crack open the hard seed coat and will allow it to germinate. Whatever you do, don't bring it indoors! It's up to you if you want to schlep all your jugs & containers into an unheated garage. Personally speaking, I think it's a hassle I can live without.

Shirley I think she is talking about seedlings that are allready 4 or four inches tall.

I am listening to all of you☺ So far,no green going on in my jugs. I have 12 jugs outside with a target goal of 200+ jugs to ws. I have 40 jugs all ready to put dirt and seeds in and I am going to do some of them today. I planted one seed packet per jug so I hope and pray at least half will be hardy survivors☺☺ I can't wait for Spring this year♥ I converted half the basement just to ws and I have been having the best time ever.

Okay. I'll just stay away from them. We probably won't get any hard freezes this year anyway. So what you are saying is, leave them out till time to put in garden. Got it

posyblossom: "200+ jugs to ws"....do you have a lot of acres to garden? Do you plan to plant out all those seedlings this season? Are you giving a lot away to family, friends, etc.?

F.Y.I. You'll be plantin' out for a long, long, time.... Been there, done that! Never again!!

You got it Lorraine! Leave them be!

Ha!Ha! Shirley, all of the above and if I die doing this, I will die happy and told DH to just throw dirt over me too☺ because you have all warned me. My son donated his property and I have a reasonable size side yard and another neighbor said welcome to her back yard only she saw all the fun I was having and she has her little row of jugs outside ws. Then her sister decided we were having too much fun and by gosh she is ws all Marigolds☺ I confess we have lost our minds completely. WS comes before all else!!! There will be no house cleaning,no wash done,no groceries bought until every seed is out there this year and masses of flowers everywhere. I already tilled all the spots I think I have available but will do it again in the Spring. In zone 5b, to be safe,plants are not put in the ground till the last day of May. Do you think I can do it? I am on a mission♥☺♥☺(love and laughter)
LU

A better woman than me. good luck 200 hundred jugs.

Plan a pot luck planting party, make the manly men cook on the grill. Anyone who helps gets some starts. Instant garden!