Have I not put enough seeds or something in each cont

I have been winter sowing, and I have about a million containers sitting outside . I've even had to put some at my daughter's house. Does everyone do that or am I just not putting enough seeds in each one or using containers that are too small. The last few days I've been using the 20 oz Stry. cups, so they take a lot of room. I've been putting them behind her evergreen plants up next to her house. Is that ok?
I'm really not a crazy person, just obsessive. If I get started with something I'm going to nag till I do it right. Sorry to alll of you who scream to see me coming, but I have learned so much from you, so I guess you all are my best friends now!!!!

WOW LorraineR! You've been very busy wintersowing! That's wonderful that you have an "option B" and can put your containers outside in your daughter's yard. If you have "about a million containers sitting outside", you're going to be extremely busy when it's time for planting them out! Don't forget that what you sow, eventually you will need to plant or you can give them to family, friends, neighbors or co-workers.

Didn't plant enough seeds??? No ones counting them, but YOU! You can always sow more of them. Most gardeners have the opposite problem....they sow too many seeds!

You can put your containers anywhere you want! There isn't just one correct place! Put them where they will be exposed to the weather, watered and cared for by Mother Nature or where you can best keep any eye on them, so that they don't dry out.

Welcome to the "club"! We're all a bit obsessive when it comes to wintersowing! If you think its a bit crazy now, wait until planting out time begins! Then sit back and enjoy the floral show!!

Funny how we're all so gung ho this time of year and spring, but around here about July you're wondering if you're crazy!!
My problem is I dan't seem to get gallon milk jugs and big stuff, so I'm using styrofoam cups and stuff like that and that just takes up so much room. Even though I try to put them in trays and stuff they are still everywhere
I was in wal-mart today and noticed the tin turkey cookers and stuff. I thought I could use those and put the individual cups in there. Of course I would put holes in the bottom. They range from about $2 to $4. Didn't buy any because I am DETERMINED to do this without spending money except for a few seeds and bulbs.

Yes, that's true, that fewer but larger containers will occupy less space. They also hold moisture better, and, in my experience, are better in every way.

Have you tried searching your neighbor's recycle bins on garbage night? Asked friends and neighbors to save them for you? My husband and I consume very little milk, but I get pretty many gallon jugs from co-workers and friends and neighbors.

Karen

I guess I'll have to start going around checking peop-les trash cans maybe I won't get shot. We live in the country, in Texas, so that is a possibility HAHA Oh well, at least I'll have milk jusgs!!!
When you plant the milk jusgs, about how many seeds goes in it?

LOL, Lorraine! If you work under the premise that not EVERY seed will sprout (famous last words!), you should sow as much as 3x as many seeds as you want plants. Then it depends on the seed. Those teeny ones that can barely be seen? Just sprinkle them on top of the soil - can't count 'em anyway. Bigger seeds, you can count if you want. Depending on the resulting plant, your 20 oz. cups could hold a good bit of seedlings.

I don't use the gallon milk jugs; prior to this year, I used 4" transplant pots, but this year I'm using 1/2 gallon milk jugs - or I will be using them when I get cracking and sow something! So far I've only sown some astilbe - don't know how many seeds are in there, they're too small to count, so I just threw a small handful in the jug. Some folks sow entire packs of seed in their milk jugs, sometimes leading to beautiful green mats of seedlings. Others like things a bit more orderly, and sow less sparsely. It's all really up to you!

PV

Hi Lorraine,

I tend to sow with a pretty heavy hand, but if I don't have a whole lot of seeds to work with, I like to follow this old corn planting rhyme:

"One for the cutworm, one for the crow, one to rot, and one to grow"

My usual container of choice is used six-packs inside of gallon ziplocks; if I have limited amount of a particular kind of seed, I'll try to sow 3 - 4 per cell in the six-pack.

Keep the faith,
Susan

When you have one of those mats of seed, what do you do? How do you get them apart? The big seed, I've been putting about 4, and kind of planted them pretty far from each other thinking maybe more than one will come up. Am I obsessive or what. A lot of stuff came in trades and I don't want to lose any. Like that's gonna happen.
I went out and gathered up my six packs from last year and most of them weren't any good, but I did get a few and I did the gallon bag thing too!!

Once the seeds have germinated and you have a "mat of green", gently tease them apart and then you plant your "hunk of seedlings". How many seedlings are in "a hunk"? As many as you want! Don't bother counting them 'cause you've got too many to plant! Just start digging that soil, plant your "hunk" and go on to the next one.

So then how do the "hunks" turn out? Do they grow well that way? I was worried they would be too crowded and none would do really well. Do most seedlings work that way or just certain kinds that can stand to be crowded?

"Hunks of seedlings" turn out just fine! If you don't want congested "hunks", don't sow as many seeds or try to space them out more evenly. That works great for the bigger seeds, but not for ones that are the size of a particle of dust. If your "hunk" is to crowded, you can also try dividing it in half and then in quarters.

Thanks! I will try that.

You're welcome! :~)

You will not believe what I did. I actually had some teensy little seeds and I managed to count them out, Ater all that work, I figured I am crazy and needed some sleep. Never do that again. They are just going on the survace and may the strong survive

Amen to that!