Winter sowing in the Carolinas

Is anyone trying or has anyone tried winter sowing in NC or SC? How did it work for you if you have tried it?

I'm trying it this year for the first time and am excited about it. Yesterday I planted my first seeds:

Delphinium `Magic Fountains'
Delphinium `Summer Skies'
Salvia `Blue Bedder'
Pyrethrum Robinson's Mixed
Lavandula angustifolia
Belamcanda (Blackberry Lily)

I have lots more to plant, but was able to get home early enough to get these seeds going. I also planted a row of sweet peas along a fence line.

I've done it the past 2 winters and have had pretty good luck with it. It was especially nice with stuff that takes a long time to get to blooming size, like Lisianthus.
Not going to do mine til Christmas, though.
I'll be really interested to hear how your Balmacanda and Delphinium do!

I do almost all of mine in milk jugs like you have there.
Deb

I know tggfisk did a lot of winter sowing last year with good results. I did a lot also, experimented with waaaaayyyy too many seeds, hundreds of jugs and containers, and had varying levels of success (depending on the seed). There's lots of seeds I doubt I'll bother with again, but I had to experiment to learn. It really was fun and I plan to start winter sowing after the solstice ...I have jumped the gun and started a few things already...

Belamcanda does winter sow well, I haven't tried the rest you listed.

I loved ws...perhaps way too much, lol! I did lots of flowers both perennial and annual, some herbs..the parsley kept my black swallowtails happy..tons of tomatoes, some collards, arugula and leaf lettuces were fantastic!
Don't worry, Tropicanna...I'll be jumping the gun this weekend. I was cutting jugs and bottles last night:-) First on the list...probably digitalis. I bought some new kinds and am itching to get them going.

You guys are testing my will power. LOL. I promised myself I would do NO winter sowing before Christmas, and certainly not before the solstice.

I'm going to try to hold out! ;->
Deb

Oh, come on. Join the early sowers!

But it's 70 degress out there! LOL.

Don't I know it! What happened to our frigid temps?

I have wintersown for two seasons now and I would say with very good success, but of course a few did not work out for various reasons.

I use the milk jugs and I put duct tape over the horizontal cut to be able to keep them closed (but no caps!).

As usual, and like everybody else, I always have way to many jugs and I don't get around to planting them, so I still have a couple that I nursed through the summer. Maybe I can still put them out next spring.

The Salvia 'Blue bedder" did extremely well, BTW, and I planted them with a bunch of white Angelonias - unbelievably beautiful. (The Angelonias came from cuttings).

Lavenders did quite well for me too, that is, they germinated and grew, but looked kind of measly, so I bought some, and they are great.

An idea for newbies: be sure to mark your jugs with something that won't wash off. I used to use Sharpies, but they fade or come off, so I am going to try some cheap dark nail polish this year. Also I used coffee stirrers on which I write the name and stick it into the pot, but that fades too. So sometimes I cannot identify the contents of the jug,, except perhaps by its proximity to something that I know what it is and comparing it my Excel spreadsheet (which is also essential to have, or some form of list).

I also had lupines (Russell Hybrids) the first year, they flowered extremely beautifully and then up and died, don't know whether it was my doing or they just don't do well here (as someone told me).

I usually start annuals in about end of February, more likely in March or early April.

Here is a picture of one of my last year's collections.


Good luck to everyone!

C.

Well, that's encouraging, Clementine. I hope mine do as well as yours.

I have lusted for lupines for years and tried them in Charlotte, in Kannapolis and finally in Asheville, thinking they surely would flourish there, but no luck. It's just too hot. There is a law firm in Boone, NC, that has a lovely little garden in front of it that always has the most beautiful lupines blooming, but they have a different climate there altogether.

So I guess I'd have to say I've given up on lupines unless I try some of the Texas blue bonnets. Surely they would grow here, wouldn't they?

This is my first year ws. I am trying not to do too much. I have limited it to no more than 30 different types of seeds. I have a wide variety of containers: milk jugs, pie tins (I had to eat two really tasty coconut creme pies to get these), roast chicken domes, chinese take out tins, sliced pineapple containers, chicken salad sandwiches at Chick filet are nice little things, all sorts of stuff. It was fun collecting them and watching the reaction of my family as I explained why I was cleaning them out.

NCDirt: Now, that's an excuse for eating coconut cream pie that I hadn't thought of! Silly me. I am confining myself to milk and Pepsi jugs, as we go through those like crazy. I'm going to do probably around 30 or so, too.

Remember that you need at least 4'" of soil in your jugs, I think pie tins are not deep enough. I would suggest reading on the general winter sowing thread and on http://www.wintersown.org/, there is lots of excellent information about the technicalities of wsing in both.

Well, I'm starting to cave.
I did slice some milk jugs today, and I may go buy some seed starting medium tomorrow...maybe. :)
I did a count and I have 14 vairieties that can be wintersown. Better get started soon, I think.
Twist my arm. ;>
Deb

*twist*

Deb, I am going to start mine in about 2 weeks or so. From what I understand the point of it is to get the freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw stuff going well. We have had mostly thaw and while we have had some freezing temps and some very cold, we have not had more than 2-3 successive nights of freeze.

I am going to plant some of my butterfly weed first, I think, and I will get started on planting my spring and early summer bulbs next week while my mom is visiting (if the weather is good and I can improve a few more beds - or get more containers).

I am planning on layering bulbs in containers and in my beds, planing successions of blooms on top of or near others. I would rather have bright spots than have them spread out - I think it makes a better show.

Of course this is the first time that I have planted bulbs here at this house, so I may be completely talking through my hat.


Lorie in Cola

The plastic containers that rotisserie chicken comes in work great for seed starting. The high, clear plastic top give you plenty of growing space. I usually poke a couple of holes in both the bottom and the top halves.

A good pen for marking is the Deco color from Michaels or AC Moore. It is actually enamel so it never fades. I learned this hint from Tony Avant years ago. If it doesn't show up well on the container you can use that painters tape and write on it. The tape stays on well and the writing is clear and easy to read.

I tried WS a couple of years ago and had good luck but only the first time: it never worked again. Go figure.

Thanks, Bev. ;->
Forecast shows nothing below 50 for the next 4-5 days so I did hold out today but I have a feeling I will be WS'ing this time next week.
Sowing at the solstice has worked for me the past 2 years, so...

Lorie: I've done the layering of bulbs in containers before and had a pretty nice result. I've already planted all my bulbs for this year. Narcissus and Muscari are up, and....
look at this surprise I came across today.

These Iris are usually up pretty early, but I think this is the first time they come up before Christmas!
Deb

Anytime, Deb!

I wanted to get started today, but finished planting all those bulbs I ordered instead. I-for once-used my head and didn't get carried away before I finished up. But soon, very soon...

Can't believe you have an iris getting ready to pop open. How awesome and unexpected:-)

Deb: Is it one of the remontant irises or just one that's setting a bloom?

Hem: It's an IRB, called Eleanor Roosevelt. Usually blooms early spring and often again mid season. Never ever seen it bloom this late...or is it early? Mystery to me, especially since we've had several freezes since mid-Nov.
Deb

Lovely, whatever it is. Thanks, Deb.

OK. I did it. WS'd 13 containers before breakfast this morning. :) It would've been about 25 but fortunately, I didn't have enough seed-starting mix. LOL.
Deb

This might help. Here is the Zone 7 and 8 Wintersown database.

www.nerii.org/Ron/ws_db_z_7-8.xls

When you click on the link you can either open it or save it to your computer. It's in excel format.

X

Question: For Wintersowing do you have to use the seedstarting mix or can you use just regular potting soil or dirt? I know that for regular seed starting that it is good to have them in the sterile soil, but since it is supposed to be so cold....?

I've tried both and had similar experiences - mostly good. Not sure if it makes a diff. Could be wrong .. :->

Sterile is always important; using seed starter vs. potting medium probably isn't.

Just bought a 64-quart bag of MG potting mix from Lowe's to finish planting out my WS pots and jugs. Now, of course, we've got cold winds and back to more normal winter temps, so not as pleasant a thought. Got to get those babies in the pots, though, sometime this week.

I've been wintersowing for 5 years now and have had mixed results with Miracle Gro soil. Seems that certain batches must be of much poorer quality because the soil winds up not being permeable enough for tiny roots. Other times, the Miracle Gro soil has been just fine. I prefer not to take chances with the soil, though, and stay with Fafard potting soil.

Pyromomma, seed-starting soil isn't necessary.

Oh golly! The Calendula's I WS'd are already 4" tall! They'l be scraping the top of their soda bottle soon. This weathers is crrrazy. :)

all my w/s seeds have started to sprout. what to do what to do

Thanks, will use regular potting soil (my soil is very clay-y)

Deb you just sowed those a couple of weeks ago!

ncdirtdigger, don't worry about those seedlings. I never pot up my seedlings -- they go right into the ground. One year, in fact, I heartlessly plunged little California poppy seedlings in the ground the first week in January.

Sheesh! I am so not ready for wsing this year...

I am planning on WSing the following:
Rudbeckias:
Irish Eyes (have a few seeds from a later fall pruchase)
Moreno
Cherokee Sunset
R. Triloba
Mexican Hat
Gallardia (about 4 different varieties)
Echinacea (4 varieties)
Agastache (3 varieties)
Royal Catchfly
Hairy Beardstongue
3 types of poppy
lyatris
Columbine (2)
Cuphea - cigar plant
Masterwort Ruby Cloud.

I will start those next week.
Anyone need seeds? I will gladly trade them for plants!

Pyro: I sowed mineDec. 22. :)

Calendula
Salvia farinacea (Blue Bedder)
Dahlia ( Unwin's Dwarf)
Asclepius tuberosA
Arum italicum
..also an unknown daisy mum that came in a florist arrangement. I saved the seeds. No idea if they'll germinate.

I also sowed:
Aquilegia cerulea (gift seeds - I've never had luck with aquilegia before)
Osteospermum
Nasturtium (Jewel Mix)
Coreopsis (Red Shift)
Pardancanda norissii
Astilbe x arendsii
Blue and White platycodon
Angelonia (Serena purple)
Rudbeckia (Goldstrum)
Holly Hock (Indian Spring)
Rudbeckia Goldstrum, I added today.
Deb

This message was edited Jan 5, 2009 8:08 PM

I just sowed 8 types of seeds yesterday. I used a 72 cell Ferry-Morse plastic "green house" from Lowes. I put holes in the cover. I used the Ferry-Morse seed starter. I bought the seeds at Lowes and they are either Burpee or Ferry-Morse. I made a table and put the dates I sowed in. I will record the germination date and make comments.

It is supposed to be very cold all this week so this will be a good test.
Here's what I planted:
Columbine-Barlow Doubles mix
Zinnia-Giant Cactus Flowered
Cosmos-Summer Dreams
Hollyhock-Malva Real Giants Mix
Calendula-Apricot Daisy (the picture on the seed packet is Gorgeous!!!)
Viola
Butterfly Flower
Poppy-Oriental red

Wish me luck! This is my first time ever winter sowing.

2Teacher: Good luck!! This is probably the perfect week to sow. I definitely did mine too early because I have a couple of containers now with 3" tall seedlings to worry about with temps in the low 20s coming. Sigh.

I've never tried to WS zinnia so I'll be interested to hear how they do.
Deb

Well, I've never started wintersowing so late, and I won't be able to even think about starting until after Tuesday, blast it.

And this cold weather is just perfect, too.

I never got all my seedlings planted from last year, but still, I hope it's not too late to start my poppies.

I have mixed gaillardia sprouts, but nothing else yet. I still have to sow:

Meconopsis
Nigella
Myosotis

And all my veggies next month. I have Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, German Pink tomatoes to sow, arugula, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce, maybe a few bunching onions. Not sure if I'll have a spot for beans and corn. Oh, and sweet (edible) peas, which will never make it to a pot!