First Time wintersowing?

Who else is wintersowing for the first time this year? Maybe we can share what we intend to do and if we are making any mistakes or have questions the "oldies" can help us "newbies" along. I know I have learned a lot from reading posts here but I still feel like I have no idea what I am doing.

This will be my first year to wintersow. I am mostly just planning right now and gathering seeds. I am starting from NOTHING. LOL. We bought some property that has been neglected so I have all kinds of beds to fill and nothing to even start with. I have received some wonderful collections of seeds from some of the members here and continue to.... ummmm*recycle* seeds that I am finding in various places. I am beginning to collect containers, which is going pretty well. I have 5 kids, so between the milk and juice containers I should be set by December!

I think I will be waiting to start sowing my containers until Jan or so. We still have leaves on the trees here and it just barely dropped to 60s in the daytime.

Anyway, I was hoping I could meet a few others who are in the same boat. Anyone? :)

This will also be my first year of WS. I am mostly a vegetable gardener and have a large array of greenhouse lights that I normally use to start more vegetable seedlings than I and my friends can make use of. This year, I have accumulated about 100+ varieties of flower seeds I want to try winter sowing.

I have not yet been able to locate any good source of big containers here (European packaging tending to be smaller as people here tend to shop more often than in the US), so I am mostly relying on 1.5 litre water bottles, which I am drilling 6 holes on the bottom of each and then setting into wooden crates I get from the local bio-shop.

This message was edited Nov 20, 2008 5:35 PM

Hi
This will be my first time trying winter sowing also. I have been reading all the information on this forum and have started collection containers. Last season I tried to start seeds in the house but I did not have a good set up and the mess was more than I’m willing to put up with. Winter sowing sounds like a great alternative to giving up my kitchen to seed trays.

Well, there me! I have a huge expanse of new beds I'm cutting out of a former hay field (I've just been told it was a pecan orchard previous to that). I guessed as much by the wide ridges running from east to west across the property. I love roses but want more to plant. I'm saving soda and water bottles now. I think I want to start with hollyhocks, morning glories, hyacinth bean, salvia, petunias, and nicotiana. I've collected some seeds from my canna (Thai One On) and I want to try to get those going by this method. I know the cannas won't grow up to look like their mom, but I think it will be an adventure to get them to grow up at all. I've also been toying with the idea of starting some of my tomato plants this way. If this works my list would practically be endless!

I've never tried winter sowing before but have read a bit about it. I can't really afford to perpetuate my rose addiction and fill in the beds with the annuals and perenials I want by buying the plants from the nurseries so I need to find a way to start what I want from seeds. This looks like a less involved way to get what I want than using the grow lights and flats as I've done in the past. Like you, LissaD, I will be starting in January.

I'm planning on lining the containers of planted bottles and jugs along one side of the garden shed. My main worry is whether to use the south, north, or east and west side. How much sunlight is needed?

Good luck to you LissaD and anyone else starting out with winter sowing. I just got a new camera and will gladly share in the adventure!

PS. Select Seeds has a really good fall sale going on....I've always had good luck with their seeds and have found their customer service to be excellent.

for those of you have have NOT read the sticky at the top ... please do. It's filled with lots of great info and links... we [grampapa especially] worked very hard on organizing all that info last year.

and obviously -- ask questions.

Hope all of you have great successes with WS as we all have.

Last year was my first of winter sowing, and tcs1366 is right. The information here is invaluable. I only did about 20 different items (mostly flowers) without grow lights, just sunlit tables, window sills, and the floor. It did become difficult to water and move things around to get their share of optimum conditions, and I had many more little plants than I had bed space for, but it was still great fun. I would recommend that you treat yourself to growlights and dedicated space. Now that I have a kitty, little plants all over the room (especially on the floor) are not an option.

Last yr was my first too. I had some on window sill but now also have kitten so that is out. I will just plant a few back in my aquarium. I put a container upside down and put one with the seeds on top close to the light and wala!! They do pretty good. BEV
I plant my seeds in plastic cups.

Yes, space inside is limited for me, that is why I think wintersowing will be great so I can do all of that OUTSIDE! LOL. I think I mentioned I have 5 boys, yes, it is true and although I do believe kitties can make quite a mess, have you ever been around 2 year old twins? :)

I am deciding as well where I will put my containers. I have a small fenced area on the north side of the house. I think for the first part I will keep them there. It is reflected light so it is not dark by any means, but it will keep the dog and the rabbits away if they were so inclined to peek. I am also afraid that with some of the milder winters here we could get a day or two of very warm temps and I would hate to have cooked seeds from them being in direct sun. Then when it really starts to warm up, I may move them to a more sunny location so they will warm up nicely.

Terry, I am like you filling up large spaces, and I can't imagine having to buy plants retail for the whole thing! I am going to try to do as much as possible by seed.

I do have some unique containers too, if you are offended Jim by the gallon milk jug containers you will want to look away now... my kids eat pretzels by the tons! SO we have a bunch of these pretzel containers. The are huge but quite rigid, I will need to get out the power drill to get some drainage holes in these.

Oh, my goodness! A year's supply of salt and gluten!
I use the power drill on my water bottles, too!

Welcome to all the newcomers. I hope you'll have fun with us this winter. Wintersowing does help pass those long, cold, dreary winter days.

For those of us cold cold snowy winter areas, an important consideration in placing containers is is convenience. Put them close enough to the house that you don't break your neck on ice trying to get them there. In warmer climates, don't worry about them needing sun. Dappled sun under a tree, or just a little morning sun exposure will be plenty for most. In warm climates, over heating and drying can be a problem in spring in full sun. It's best to take a lazy approach- i.e. what will be easier?

Karen

Lazy is GOOOOOD. :)

Thanks Karen!

Glad I found this thread! I will be trying WS for the first time this year also. I'm getting so many seeds from the piggy swap that I couldn't possibly start them all inside! (Good to see you on this thread, too Terese!) Looking forward to learning from you with WS experience. I hope to get most of my seeds started in January, since I'm not sure when many will germinate in Central Texas. Don't have all the containers I need yet, but DH says he will snag jugs from all the recycle bins in the neighborhood for me when it get's closer to planting time (new twist on dumpster divin'!). He doesn't want to have to store them in the meantime! If y'all haven't already seen this site, you might find it helpful...

http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/Seed_Lists.html

Tonya

This will be my first year!! I want to try a little of everything. Vegetables flowers all of it!!! Even potatoes if I could figure it out.
Im so glad you are all here.
Robin

I finally found some big containers. They are only availavle at the 'hypermarches', and we can only use so much water, but at 6 and 8 litres, they are about 1.5 and 2 gal. The smaller one is, as you can see, not clear but translucent. Is that still true of US milk jugs? If so, they should work OK and be a good supplement to the 1.5 litre bottles. Now I just need to learn how many seeds to sow in each one!

Well, look at that. Those would work I think. The milk jugs in the US are also not clear but the white translucent plastic.

What I love about that Jim is we get to see a little of the "view" of where you live. Having never traveled myself much, I am quite curious. It looks beautiful, and not all that different from my view. I am also a zone 7. We have mountains nearby that get a lot of snow. Here we just look on from afar. : )

Usually we get our first snow the week of Thanksgiving. We don't get a lot of snow here, not much on the ground at any time, but it comes and goes. I guess we will see this weekend.

A little bit of my view.

Wow! That is strikingly similar to what I see everyday.
We had our first snow this weekend. Not much left now.

I guess you are looking up at the Sandias. Spent some Easter breaks along those slopes!

Here's a better shot from our back balcon.

Well, that photo got lost.
OK, I think this is going to work.

The mountains always look so much bigger in person than in a photo!
We are actually on the slopes of the Jura, looking across to the Alps.
What you see here, on this misty day, is the Saleve, the mountain Frankenstein's monster climbed trying to escape the angry villagers. On a clear day, we can see the tip of Mt Blanc beyond and, to both left and right, some of the other tallest peaks of the Alps.

Jim -- the white containers should be just fine. if the light gets thru it... it will work for seeds.

I know i've used some containers that are white, and they worked just fine.

Terese

**who cleaned off the DR table and had dinner last weekend for the family... *wink*

Hi Jim,
I use clear, translucent, and opaque white plastic containers for my WS seeds--I also recycle dishwashing and laundry soap containers, that are red and yellow, respectively! In the case of the opaque containers, I just cut out the sides and tape a baggie over the top, leaving a hole in the top for ventilation/watering. (I also be sure to leave at least 4 inches of room for potting mix inside.) Clear and translucent containers do not need their sides cut out, since light gets through fine.
Your photos of your French landscape make me nostalgic!

Thanks for the encouraging info!
Now, anyone here have suggestions of how many seed (say of zinnias or daylillies or morning glory) to seed in one of these? The larger is 7 inches by 6 inches and the smaller is 7 inches by 5 inches.

Jim and LissaD, I am in zone 7B. Here's a pic of the my view to the east. I was trying to capture the lovely fall folliage. Unfortunately, I got the unattractive well head and bare path in the picture too. My 2009 winter sowing must include pink and other shades of red zinnias for the humming birds. If you have a suggestion I'd love to hear. I'm going to try to keep seedlings to a more modest number.

Oh, my, Pam! That is just beautiful. I edited out the well-head and path, and it's even more wonderful!

Jim -- i'm trying to find an image of my Morning Glories as seedlings... i found this one though
[i have to admit... i need to organize my photo better.]

Pam -- Stunning photo!!

ah... found'em. here is when they are small....

Thanks for these pictures, tcs, although, they DO raise some serious questions in the mind of this first timer.
1. Where are the tops to your containers? (I'm guessing you removed or cut them off when the plants emerged and the weather was OK for them?
2. Why does there not appear to be anything in the octagonal black pot near the front?
3. What are the white plants (?) in the clear round pot 2nd row from the back, 2nd pot from the right?
4. Are you using perlite in your potting mix? If not, what's the white stuff?

I am SO visual!! This photo is worth a dozen written exchanges for me!

and here is when they got a bit bigger ... i should have separated them into single 'pots' with support ... they were so entwined by the time i planted them out... some i could not separate.

I do think when i stuck the seeds in the soil... and i did not nick or soak these... they went right in the containers and out in the yard/snow.... but i did 'space' them about an inch apart, into rows.

I love the photos of where you all live! Beautiful fall colors Pam.

Thank you for the picture of your babies growing Terese, that helps. I think I was planning to put 20-30 seeds per milk jug container, unless I know that it will be a large plant or have good germination. For me sunflowers usually have 100% germination and they get big fast. I may only do 5-10 per container on those to make sure I can get them planted out. I was going to use the bigger containers for mixed things and I will probably just throw the whole packet in and then plant in clumps anyway. That's the plan anyway.

WOW! I count at least 16 seedlings in each of those pots! So, is that about how many I can put in mine? Don't you have a real task untangling roots at transplant time?

Sorry Jim... these images were taken in the spring when the tops were removed... I'll keep looking for others. ... like i said, i do not have them organized very well... too many folders / subcategories.

lemme see what i can dig up

Yes -- it was a task.... that was in 2007. In 08 they were in individual pots... but i also did not do so many as most came back from fallen seeds.

that first year i think i had about 75-80 germinate. ugggg, you say...........

here is one of my milk jugs

havent found what i'm looking for yet... but here is another interesting thing i did...

ya know those big bags that blanket, comforters, etc come in... they are zippered....

well, i put containers in there too... though you do need good support for the corners.

when it got warm, i just unzipped it and opened the 'lid', then at night when it was cold again, i'd close it back up again.

those large foil pans did come with a 'domed' lid ... i just haven't found that image yet... if i have one.

Clever!!! I have several of those "comforter" bags. Never would have thought of using them like that!
I also love the "twist-em" closure on your milk jug!

Jim, Too cool. Thanks for editing my picture. I have to learn how to do that. Where can I find pictures of your potagere?

DG'ers are so clever. I never thought of using those comforter bags as mini-greenhouses. You take the comforter out and say, geez, I'll never get this comforter back in that bag, but they're too lovely to just throw the bags out. The "Green Ribbon" for creativity in reusing and recycling goes toooooo.... (drum roll here).... tcs1366.

>>2. Why does there not appear to be anything in the octagonal black pot near the front?

the seedlings were TINY, but i do believe they eventually died... i'd have to check my records to see what was in there....
Oh -- those were "mystery" seeds... sometimes my neighbor will come over and just hand me some seeds.
I do believe they died because the dish was too shallow, and they dried out.

>>3. What are the white plants (?) in the clear round pot 2nd row from the back, 2nd pot from the right?

OH, no -- that was some sort of "label" on the outside of the container

I use a lot of 2# deli containers... they have lids that i just poke holes in.

>>4. Are you using perlite in your potting mix? If not, what's the white stuff?
you are correct. I"m sure the potting soil was either ProMax or Miracle Grow.

>>Clever!!! I have several of those "comforter" bags.

I used a 'hole punch' for the holes in the top... you know.. like a paper punch.

>>The "Green Ribbon" for creativity in reusing and recycling goes toooooo... (drum roll here)... tcs1366.

thanks Pam ... i just hate seeing stuff go into the land fill... I do recycle "everything" but i'll just just about anything, that is deep enough, for WS.

I know in the Sticky thread... one of the links in there, will take you to chatter about what is/has been used for winter sowing containers.

You will find yourself in the grocery store... when looking at products, and you will say... OH, that will make a great WS container, and actually BUY it. I'll do that with Juice. I normally 'juice' fruits & veggies... but in the winter, i'll get juice [for the kids] and save the containers. ... i'm doing it already.

Half&Half containers,,, even the cardboard ones, qt Kefir bottles ... they are the translucent white, but still work well.

the ones that would not have a 'lid' / cover ... those you can put in the 'comforter' bag ... I've tried using 'saran wrap' and rubber bands to hold it on.. and that did not work as well for me, though i think others have done that.

I've been scanning thru the old thread of "Lessons Learned" ... there are some images in there of containers... here is a good one

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4145292

in the spring, you want to take the lids off, but still need them for the cooler night... so when you are preparing your 'jugs', cut them in a way, say 3 sides, leaving one as a "hinge" so you can open and close it.

the one image i have above, i had cut all the 'hinges' because i did not need the tops anymore.

but normally, mine are similar to these.

OH and do read the lessons learned threads, if you have not done so... but by looking at that image above... do you see how JO marked the top and bottom of her container? if you only mark the top, then cut it off... you have no idea what # container you have... so if you dont mark both, at least do the bottom.

Some will put a plant marker also on the inside of the container .... you'd hate to have some of the identification wear off and end up with a bunch of NoIDs.

May I join in here? This is interesting to me- I have been WS for years, and now that I have relocated from FL where I gardened year round to WA where I can't- my green thumb is very itchy! I do most of my seed sowing in 8oz styrofoam cups with drainage holes poked in them. I have some heating mats and have prepared windows in 2 rooms that have east/south exposure. I haven't got anything started yet other than some Apricot pits that I chilled 3 months.