my first time

OK,
I tried my hand at wintersowing this year. I read on here last yr about winter sowing and was going to try but chickened out. Well, I got a container that was perfect for WS'ng this yr so I had no excuse not to try it. I followed the directions here on the stickies and set the container outside on the side of my greenhouse. I am trying butterfly weed (red). It has started to snow here and temps are to get down in the teens/low twenties for the next couple of nights. It just doesn't seem "right" to be putting seeds outside in this weather but... After reading up on this it really does make sense. They reseed and survive in nature don't they. I cant wait to see how this turns out.

Good luck with your endeavor! I am wsing for the first time this year as well. I actually started some things at the end of November because I couldn't wait any longer:-) I have some things up already much to my amazement. The red corn poppies that I sowed first have been through several frosts and are growing with no problem as well as several other things. Butterfly weed is not up yet, but I haven't given up on it. Have fun!
Bev

Thanks, I would like to try Poppies too. I wished I could start tomatoes out like this. Oh to have head start with them! Good luck with your WS too!
Dawn

I think that you can start tomatoes like this. There was some discussion about this on one of the threads. I plan to give it a try in a month or so. From what I understand, poppies usually do well this way as well as batchelor's buttons, cleome, and pretty much anything else that tends to self sow. Check the sticky threads-there are 6 now-for great tips and learned lessons:-)

Will do, thanks tgg. I'm gonna try tomatoes for sure then!

My first year too! However I feel funny talking about "winter" sowing because my climate isn't like most of yours. But like you said "they reseed and survive in nature don't they." I guess if I WS things that grow here, "my" winter should work! I started just a few containers last weekend, and of course I'm checking them everyday!

I know, I just put mine out Thrusday and I went out to check on it today. Had snow on top. I don't know why this seems so odd. I guess it's just so different from what I or anyone I've ever known has done to garden. You either put seed out in the spring or buy plants in the spring to plant. It is neat to do though.

Hi sannajane,

Our winter sowing definitely counts! It gets at least as cold as the inside of the refrigerator here and that is absolutely cold enough for seeds that need stratification. The only challenge I have found is that we have to hustle and make sure we sow those seeds that absolutely require a cold period first so that they can benefit from our relatively small window of "cold" weather. -I've been doing this for 5 years now and the success rate has been phenomenal!

Running off to sow,
Susan

Thanks Susan ~ great to know! Well, I'm excited about this new adventure. I was at my daughter's house this afternoon and her roommate threw away an empty gallon milk container. I said "OO!! Can I have that?" I guess that's a good sign of someone bitten by the WS bug.

Well, sannajane, I think it is safe to say that you have definitely caught the bug! Thought I'd give you an idea as to what I have been busting my be-hind to get out during our January 'cold' weather. (Supposedly, we have another artic front moving in this week. yay! -I think.) Anyway, here's my sow in January list:


Amsonia hubrechtii
Aquilegia, "Black Columbine"
Aquilegia, Caerulea "Rocky Mountain Columbine"
Aquilegia, "Cobalt Blue Columbine
Aquilegia, "First Blush Columbine"
Aquilegia, "Nora Barlow Columbine"
Aquilegia, "'Calimero Columbine"
Aquilegia, "Magpie Columbine"
Aquilegia, "Magpie Columbine"
Aquilegia, "Miss Huish Columbine"
Aquilegia, "Towers Light Blue Columbine"
Aquilegia, "White Towers Columbine"
Aquilegia, "Woodside variegated Columbine"
Aquilegia, "Woodside variegated Columbine" -White flowers
Fragaria vesca, "Golden Alexandria Alpine Strawberry"
Fragaria vesca, "White Alpine Strawberry"
Geranium pyrenaicum, White
Herbertia lahue, "Herbert's Iris"
Kalimeris yomena 'variegata'
Myrrhis odorata, "Sweet Ciciley"
Sanguisorba obtusa
Scabiosa atropurpurea, "Pincushion Flower" -Marbled Dark Pink
Scabiosa, "Pincushion Flower" -'Beujolais Bonnets'
Stachytarpheta, "Coral Porterweed"
Thalictrum minus, "Small meadow rue"
Viola, "Penny Orchid Frost"


I guess the message I must be trying to send you is, if you've got columbine seed, RUN OUTSIDE IN YOUR JAMMIES AND SOW THEM NOW! -LOL

Wow-wee!! No, no columbine seed. But I did (last week) sow some lunaria http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53920/ as well as some harvested trillium seed. Poochella and I have been sharing some interest in the propagation of trillium ~ so last fall I harvested some from my "woodland" garden. I've done only a bit of research on their life cycles, and I'm sure if they do germinate, it may take a number of years to even do anything. But! I'm determined! I also WS'd some poppy seeds, and today I sowed some cucumbers and peas. I'm totally new to this WS stuff so it's all trial and error for me! Thanks for your listing ~ I may head to the closest nursery tomorrow and pick up a few of those.

Sanna

Geeze, I've only done one type of seed. I need to get on the ball.

Yep, pdoyle, as my daddy would say, you need to get cracking!

Sannajane, your poppies are going to do really well; they are super winter sowers. I've never done peas or cucumbers, but I know peas are supposed to be great cool weather sowers. The trillium sounds like a fun project. I've read that they can take up to 7 years to bloom from seed, but then the ability to defer gratification is the sign of a true gardener! (I have some Iris foetidissima I started four years ago that I am hoping might bloom this year.)