Can I winter sow annuals

Anita: Good to hear of another satisfied customer on the WSown tomatoes. Seems anyone who tries them that way is happy with the result. Hopefully I, too, will be convinced after this year. But it was trying my friend's plants last year that pushed me to try them this year.

Amy: I've grown only the Flanders, Icelandic, and Shirley poppies. They're pretty tough in cold weather and early flowering. They don't take the heat well here either, so probably would do better in Ct than in my yard.

Karen

Karen, please illuminate me: what's the difference between Flanders, Icelandic and Shirley poppies? Which are the ones that bloom around Mem. Day? I know someone who has a patch in their yard that either self-sow or are perennial - you'd think they'd offer me a chunk but they're not those kinds of friends. Oh well. I had about two gorgeous flowers last year but did we plant them? NO! They bloomed in a pot and died in a pot. I repeat, oh well. LOL!! xx, Carrie

Carrie: I'm no expert but the Icelandic poppy is supposed to be perennial, whereas many (most?) are hardy annuals. There might be other perennials but I don't know.

As I said, all have liked my cold/cool spring weather, but not my hot summers. I don't see many of my Icelandic out there, I think they bolted in last summer's excessive heat wave and drought. I do better with heat lovers here than I do with those that like the cool weather. When I grew the Flanders and Shirley they also didn't last long into summer, they fried.

Karen

Can you tell by looking at them? Are they all called papaver orientalis?

California poppy = Eschscholzia californica . At least, that's what I just got by googling. When in doubt: Google.

Karen

I KNEW that.

Ok, I wintersowed a bunch of stuff, some still coming up that I thought were probably not good, so was going to throw them away, then there those little babies were.

Someone tell me about "spring" sowing. Do you use the milk jugs just like in winter. I've put some seeds in pots and just put out to germinate there and then move. So, I should cover them?

Lorraine: I use spring sowing for my tender annuals. I use a milk jug just as in wintersowing, except I do poke extra vent holes in them. I put those extra holes in the sides and around the "shoulders" of the jug. The sun feels a lot warmer now than it did in January, and I don't want to steam the seeds or seedlings. I would also limit the amount of sun they get for the same reason. I have already added extra vent holes in my wintersown ones recently. I sowed 8 more jugs this way yesterday.

The winter time is the easy part of wintersowing. Sow 'em, stick them out in the snow and cold, and forget them. Now they do require a little tending, monitoring the temp and moisture, and water when necessary.

For the pots that you just sowed, I would cover them with vented plastic until a few sprouts appear. The increased humidity might increase germination.

Karen

Lorraine, there's a link further up the thread to an article I did on using the WS method for early spring sowing of annuals. HTH! :-)

Sounds like I better start getting those milk jugs filled . LOL

Jill thanks for the reminder about your article:-) Very nice.
Bev

I'm not NEARLY done - today cosmos and Alonsoa meridonalis, which surprised me last year by being so pretty! xx, Carrie

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