Dan, here is a link to the wintersowing thread from last year. If you scroll down, there is a photo of some of my jugs : )

... and here's some buried under the snow

{{gwi:357827}}

Hope that helps some. Or do you need a photo of how to prep the containers?

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Wintersowing 2008/2009 thread

Thank you Bonnie. I certainly should take this opportunity to ask for more pix of your jugs. ;o)

Anyhoo, it might be my remembery, but I thought I remembered seeing a thread with a pic of a bunch of various containers on a screened-in porch. I can make do with the one immediately above, which conveys one of my points very well. and on the other thread, thank you !

Dan

LOL, Dan! Here you go:

I use a soldering iron to put drainage holes in the bottom, and to make it easier to cut the window opening
{{gwi:454598}}

You can hold the flap open with an office clip to fill, but they stay open pretty well on their own
{{gwi:347915}}

If you write directly on the jug it can fade, but I use colored electrical tape, and place on the bottom where the sun won't reach. Some folks use paint pens instead of permanent markers.
{{gwi:368098}}

Here are some pics of how I prep the 2L bottles
{{gwi:351847}}

{{gwi:351848}}

Dan, I'm not sure about that picture you are referring to. If the containers are on a screened in porch, I'm not sure I would consider that true wintersowing, since they are not subjected to the elements - snow, rain, direct sun, etc. It sounds more like a greenhouse environment to me.

Bonnie

I'll lift a couple of those pix too, Bonnie, thank you. IIRC the porch had fine drifted snow on it & I wanted it to show the variety of containers folks use (to go with my repurposed cloches section), but your pix show the variety just fine.

:o)

Bonnie,

Thank you so much for posting those pictures. I just thew away my 2-liters because they were so difficult to work with, but the way you put those together looks do-able to me. Also, the window in your milk jugs looks easier than what I was doing too!

You've encouraged me a lot!

Rhonda

Hey Dan,

Im a sorta off-the-wall winter sowerthe only time I did it was in spring of 08, but if youre interested in another possible way to do it, here are some pictures. Ill post them small so they dont take up a lot of room, but you can click on them to get the bigger version if you want to see them better. The year I decided to do it (I was off work, so able to tend them) I didnt have any bottles to use so I came up with an alternate plan!

A LONG time ago I got a case of 11" square flats, so I decided to use them! I sowed the seeds in rows if there were a lot of seeds, or here and there for things I only had a few of, and I marked them with regular plant labels (using graphite pencil which doesnt fade). Heres a picture of the flats right after I finished sowing. The empty flat is in front just so people could see what I was using!

This is how I covered them until they started to germinatewhich wasnt very long!

Once they started to germinate I had to get the plastic up higher so I put a bunch of one gallon pots around the flats, laid a piece of hardware cloth across the pots and pulled the plastic over that.

Then I just rolled the sides up during the day when it was getting warm enough that I could have wound up with steamed seedlings if they didnt have some ventilation! When they were covered, the plastic had to be weighted down really well so it wouldnt blow away!

They were right against the east side of the (two story) house, so they didnt get too much sun at that time of the year. This is after some of them had germinated.

They were saturated when they were seeded and didnt need to be watered until after things started to germinate. When they did need to be watered, I uncovered the whole thing as shown in the last pic, filled a tray with water, and sat them in the tray to bottom water until they were saturated again.

The pic shows "too good" germination on some of them! Thats because I was lazy and put way too many seeds in for some of themthe ones with TINY seeds! Most of those germinated in the pic were the more cold season perennialspoppies, etc. The seeds I used (all perennials) ranged from brand new to over 30 years old! I decided it was an easy way to try some of the really old seeds. Some of them (yes, even the VERY old ones) germinated, and some of them didnt. Some of the seeds were ones I had collected when I was in the green industry and I didnt even know for sure if they were from sterile plants or not, or if they were for sure all the way ripe (if I saw it and I liked it, I grabbed seed any chance I got!), so, not surprisingly, a bunch of them never came up.

It was an interesting experiment, and I got some good perennials out of itFREE!

I highly recommend it as an easy way to start seed for anyone who has the "equipment" (bottles or whatever), time, and space to do it.

Happy winter sowing, Bonnieand everyone else!
Skybird

All of this talk of wintersowing today, plus the fact that my garage was full of donated milk jugs, I decided to get busy today.

Here's what I sowed today:

Alyssum, Summer Peaches
Amaranth, Red leaf
Arugula
Chrysanthemum, El Dorado
Chrysanthemum, Primrose Gem
Chrysanthemum, Sunset
Coreopsis, Dwarf Red (annual)
Coreopsis tinctoria
Mentzelia linleyi
Petunia, Fire Chief
Petunia, Prism Sunshine
Rudbeckia, Autumn Colors
Cilantro, Slow Bolt
Dill, Mammoth
Marjoram, Sweet
Oregano, Wild Zaatar
Parsley, Big Italy
Parsley, Extra Curled Dwarf

That brings my total containers to 47 so far. The patio is getting pretty full, and I've only done about half of the annuals, and still have tomatoes to do too! I think it will be a very busy spring for me : )

Bonnie

I finally sowed some containers this week....

Red cabbage, white cabbage, brussels sprouts, spring onions (white lisbon), broccoli, cauliflower, kale, swiss chard, turnips (I think that's all of it!).

I'll direct sow my lettuce, spinach, peas in the raised beds under plastic this year which I've not done before.

When will you all do tomatoes?

Charlene

I can't wait to do my first wintersowing tomorrow!! I have a few questions for down the road.

My containers are mostly gallon milk jugs. I am planning to setup the milk jugs as Bonnie (highalttransplant) did in her pics on 1/30. My questions are these:
1. Do you need to tape down the flap and seal it completly, or can you tuck the flap back into the jug?
2. Do you need to provide slits in the top of the jugs as temperatures warm up to expose the seedlings to the air, or can you simply lift up the flap slowly?
3. What is the easiest way to get seedlings out?

Thanks,

Red

Hi Red, and welcome to the wonderful world of wintersowing : )

1. Last year was my first to use milk jugs, and I started out taping the flap down, but once the temps started to warm enough for things to start sprouting, I ended up pulling it off to make it easier to check on things, and then I decided it wasn't really necessary anyway. The flap tucks in well enough, even if it's not a perfect seal.

2. Yes, I just lift the flap on warm days, and close it if a frost is expected. When I'm about ready to plant something out, I leave the flap open all of the time, to be sure the seedlings are fully hardened.

3. Well, this is my fourth year, and I wouldn't say that I've mastered this part. There are people over on the wintersowing forum that reuse their containers from year to year, I usually end up cutting mine to pieces to get those silly seedlings out. I try scooping them out with a spade or spoon, but I'm not very graceful at it, and usually end up grabbing a pair of scissors.

What are you planning to sow?

Charlene, I'll be starting my tomatoes sometime this week, if I could just finalize that list. Glad to see you've gotten started : )

Bonnie

Guess what? I have sprouts!!! I had a feeling with all of the sunshine we have had this week, that I just might find a sprout or two, but it was even more than I had hoped.

Here's what's up so far:

Lettuce, Nevada - As usual, I sowed heavily, and there are over 30 sprouts in that jug so far.
Lettuce, Simpson Elite
Arugula
Chrysanthemum, Primrose Gem
Wallflower, My Fair Lady

There are a couple other jugs of lettuce that have sent radicles out, but no leaves yet.

Just checked the forecast, and it's supposed to snow tomorrow night. I'm sure the sprouts will be just fine though.

Anyone else have sprouts yet?

Bonnie

It's kind of lonely on this thread! Where are all the wintersowers?

A friend of mine came over today. She's a young mom and fairly new to gardening, and hasn't had much luck with sowing things indoors. She wanted me to teach her how to wintersow. She left with tomatoes, lettuces, and basil, and lots of information to help make her successful.

More sprouts up yesterday:

Lettuce, Tom Thumb
Lettuce, Freckles
Golden Marguerite

Got most of the tomatoes WS today, but ran out of time, so I'll finish the rest up over the weekend. Here's what got planted today:

Amazon Chocolate
Amish Paste
Black from Tula
Hillbilly
Brown Berry
Cherokee Chocolate
Earl's Faux
Giant Belguim
Gold Medal
Indian Stripe
Lancaster Pink
Neves Azorean Red
Rainy's Maltese

My friend calls before she leaving her house and asks, "Should I pick up some seeds at the store on my way over?" Hahahaha!!! Uh, no that won't be necessary : )

Bonnie

Never done this before...but have been enjoying reading all the posts and FAQ about it! Here's my question...I am doing the 4x4 raised beds (square foot gardening) and was thinking about wintersowing into these beds by creating a plastic frame to go over the beds (with holes, of course). I plan on asking at the SFG forum, as well, but would appreciate any insight from folks in my actual area/zone, since our cold lasts longer than many... Snowing here in Grand Junction today :)

Thanks in advance! Really excited to have my first real gardening season! :)

perennials: DONE

Echinacea Purple Coneflower
Echinacea Green Envy
Echinacea Pixie Meadowbrite
Agastache Blue Licorice
Columbine Red & White
Rudbeckia hirta Corona
Monarda Blue Stockings
Agastache Honeybee Blue
Agastache Blue Fortune
Columbine Black Barlow
Echinacea Sunset
Asclepias tuburosa Butterfly Weed
Echinacea White Swan
Monarda Raspberry Wine
Columbine Granny's Bonnet
Asclepias tuburosa Gay Butterflies
Rudbeckia hirta Green Wizard
Asclepias tuburosa orange butterfly weed
Amaranth Hopi Red Dye
Asclepias viridiflora Green Milkweed
Centaurea unknown
Purple Liatris
Monarda Cambridge Red
Lily Buff Pixie
Blue Flax
Sedum Autumn Joy
Columbine White
Rudbeckia Henry Eilers
Cerinthe glabra Smooth Honeywort
Centaurea dealbata
Columbine Red & Yellow
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed
Sedum Rosy Glow
Agastache Golden Jubilee
Agastache Pink Pop
Coreopsis Mardi Gras
Centaurea Mountain Bluet
Eryngium alpinum Blue Lace
Geranium New Hampshire
Tricyrits Toadlily
Painters Palette Tonara
Allium Lavander Globe Lily
Giant Allium
Verbascum chaixii Wedding Candles
Sedum Purple Emperor
Chelone Turtleheads
Anthemis Kelweyi
Sedum Lynda Winsor
Aster novae alma porticae?
Knautia macedonia Red Knight
Mexican Hats
Geum Mrs Bradshaw
Helenium Mardi Gras
Shasta Daisy
Trollius
Allium Azure
Coreopsis tripteris tall Coreopsis
Sheep Scabious Blue Light
Verbena bonariensis
Platycodon grandiflora Fugi Blue
Salvia coccina Lady in Red
Echinops nitro Veitchs Blue
Purple Liatris
Obedient Plant
Agastache White
Salvia Coral Nymph
Agastache Aurea
Breesialia
Penstemon Red Red
Geum Rivale
Centaurea Amethyst
Sweet William Sooty
Penstemon Red
Centaurea Amethyst in Snow
Geranium Ballerina Pink
Rudbeckia Denver Daisy
Chocolate Flower
Maltese Cross
Salvia Red
Family Jewels
Coreopsis Quills and Thrills
Nigella Curiosity
Nigella Curiosity
Nigella Red Jewel
Penstemon Cambridge mix
Columbine Sitka
Aster Champagne
Columbine Denver Gold
Agastache Coronado
Centaurea Cyanus Double
Geum Rivale Salmon Red
Columbine White
Columbine Green Apples
Blazing Star Torchlight
Agastache Honey Bee Blue
Red Hot Poker
Echinacea Pallida Purple
Agastache Purple
Echinacea Pink Double Decker
Geranium Blue
Echinacea Harvest Moon
Moon Carrot
Agastache Heather Garden
Cupid's Dart
Columbine Canadian
Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy
Rudbeckia Maya
Balloon Flower Mariesii
Columbine Nora Barlow
Flowering Kale Sunset
Balloon Flower
Columbine Magpie
Rudbeckia Hot Chocolate
Rudbeckia Green Wizard
Mexican Sage Vermilion Bluffs
Rudbeckia Cappacino
Rudbeckia Toto
Monarda Fistulosa
Echinacea Ritro
Columbine Blue
Penstemon Fuschia
Geranium Pink hardy
Aster Champagne Florette
Rudbeckia Autumn Colors
Echinacea Double Decker
Echinacea Coconut Lime
Centaurea dealbata
Rudbeckia Knee High
Salvia Red
Penstemon Purple
Echinacea White
Columbine Yellow
Columbine Blue Star
Bellflower white
Green Mist
Mexican Prickly Poppy white
Beauty Rose Cirsium
Ensign Rose
Cub Scout
Carnation White Bridal
Geum aveys mix
Painted Daisy
Hibiscus
Balloon Flower dwarf blue
Sheep Scabious blue light
Hummingbird Salvia
gaillardia yellow plume
Milkweed common
Gerbera Daisy Yellow
Heuchera Palace Purple
Yvonne's Giant Red Salvia
Perilla/Red Shisi
Dianthus Siberian Blue
grow indoors
Penstemon Husker Red
Angelonia purple
Plectranthus Silver Shield
Malva Zebrina
Black Eyed Susan Vine
Browallia
Columbine Rose Barlow
Verbena purple
Gazania Yellow
Hibiscus Moschuetos Red
Milkweed
Milkweed silky gold
Coreopsis mahogany midget
Hibiscus
Echinacea Green Envy
Delphinium dark blue/dark bee
Coreopsis Jethro Tull
Balloon Flower white

OMG! You're even worse than Bonnie! LOL How on earth long did that all take you, and how many jugs or whatever you're using do you have??? How about a picture--or two---or TEN! And where on earth are you going to plant all that stuff? I don't remember, do you have a BIG yard? I see hibiscus and some other things that I know get BIT, and I started thinking two or three years down the road!

Pictures---now and later!

:-)
Skybird

WOW!!! Now THAT is a list, LOL! My list seems shorter, but maybe it's because I broke it up into several posts?

Yeah, I'm done with perennials too, and most of the hardy annuals as well. Things I plan to sow this month include - peas, gazanias, calendulas, nicotianas, and ground cherries. All of the really tender stuff, such as basil, zinnias, nasturtiums, and marigolds will be sown in April.

Wonderwoman, what you are describing sounds a lot like a low tunnel, such as the one in the link below. You might want to do a Google/Yahoo search on low tunnel to get more info on that. I only have experience using recyclable containers to wintersow. Love to hear how it turns out though ...

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Low tunnels

I finished up the tomatoes today. Here's what got WS:

Tomato, Marianna's Peace
Tomato, Caspian Pink
Tomato, Soldacki
Tomato, Striped German
Pea, Super Sugar Snap
Pea, Sugar Daddy
Pea, Tall Telephone
Cauliflower, Chef's Choice (Snowball, Green Macerata, and Purple of Sicily)

I also finished sowing the peppers indoors too. Ended up with 21 different kinds. Never mind that there is only room for 12 in the garden. That's what containers are for, right?

Bonnie

Skybird - I blame it ALL on Bonnie - LOL. The seed swapping/collecting addiction also. I now have NO ability to say "don't need 'em" when I pass by a catalog or seed rack. Doing my share keeping the USPS alive (and my postman no longer keeps seeds hostage when the sender fails to add enough postage).

I have the perennials in keg cups - which are then in last year's saved containers, which have lids and handles.

I have no idea where to plant everything. I do have some space, but not nearly enough for all of these perennials.

I think last year I over did the annuals. Many were/are on the "direct sow" list, and I killed more then my share with my 1st year WS mistakes. So this year, those will get direct sown.

The perennials seemed more tolerant of my newbie issues (listening to Bonnie this time and placing jugs out of direct sun and sowing fewer seeds in each cup).

So this year, I'm over doing the perennials:))

I finally finished the perennials and DH asked why I don't WS tomatoes. Seems Remy and Bonnie have converted a non-WSer. I started my tomatoes so late this year, seems like I should have WSed them.

Bonnie - I also started way more pepper varieties then I allotted space for.

I am thinking of starting a determinate, container tomato for indoor/winter tomatoes. I tried it once but used a indeterminate variety and it was a mess. Florida weather patterns should make grocery tomatoes even worse.

Happy Gardening All -

My WS is long too.
Myhirrus odoratus
Delphiniums---several colours
Rehmennia
Aconitum (monkshood) several colours
Eupatotium maculatum
Lovage--ordinary
Black Lovage
Wild blue clematis
Pleated gentian
Sticky gentian
Rosy pussy toes
Meadow blazing star
Red and yellow gaillardia
Hetero pappus Blue Knoll
James Kelway Pyrethrum
Mountain hollyhock
Braun blanquetti snapdragons
Campanula pyramidalis
Columbines meadow rue.

I'll post the rest later.

I planted (yes...I said it, JUST got them into the milk jugs...but then again, I JUST found out about winter sowing...all my fingers and toes crossed. Will winter sow more tomorrow (peppers, beans) but tonight was herb night:
Basil Purple, Sweet, Bush Spicy Globe, Siam Queen, Dwarf Greek, Genovese, Lemon, Cinnamon
Cillantro
Fennel
Lemon Balm
Sage
Chammomile
Rosemary
Dill Boquet, Fernleaf, Mammoth
Oregano
Lavender
Winter Savory
Marjoram
Chives
Thyme
Tarragon
Parsley Italian, Curled, Plain

Gotta find some more containers!!!

redley -

I found containers at the local recycle center - icky but worth it:)

I asked parents at my kids' school for containers, and also people at church. I actually had to tell people to STOP giving me containers last week. They were taking over the garage, and I have way more than I'll use at this point. Too bad you are on the other side of the mountains, or you could come by and get some. You could also ask at local coffee shops. They use a ton of milk, and are usually happy for someone to take the jugs, some of them will also give you UCG (used coffee grounds) if you want them for your garden.

Your herb list sounds great! They are one of my favorite things to wintersow, but you might want to wait a little later next time on the basil. It is not frost tolerant, and will need some protection once it sprouts. I usually WS mine in April.

Congratulations on getting started! Have to warn you though, that it can be addictive ... just look at Deb's list, LOL!!!

Bonnie

Found the mother load for milk jugs - can't believe I didn't think of it before....your local coffee place or Starbucks!!! I asked a few of my neighborhood stores to save the milk jugs, 2 of the Starbucks are saving them, one of them had me go dumpster dive....but did I mind??? NO! I went through one recycling bin - all they have is recyclables in there and they are mostly jugs - got 20 from one bin. Just had to go home and wash them out. They do 'crush them' but once I cut open the jugs, they're easy to 'uncrush'.

I'm in heaven and will be up late tonight.
Thank goodness all I have to do is pack, cause the next few days will be winter-sow-tastic!!!!

I'm officially addicted, thank you Trudi & Bonnie for all your advice (and everyone else too!). Couldn't have come at a better time.

Well, about 20 more milk jugs wintersown yesterday. The final jugs will be sown today after I get home from clinicals.

This was sown yesterday. We'll see what comes up. I'm not starting anything indoor until I return from Hawaii in 2 weeks. So, if the winter sowing doesn't turn out well, I'll be forking out a bunch of cash for starters!!!

Annual Cut Flower Mixture (Strawflower, Aster, Calendula single mixed, plains coreopsis, bachelor button, clarkia, cosmos, chinease forget me not, larkspur-giant imperial, gysophilia elegans white, corn poppy, black eyed susan, marigold crackerjack mixed, zinnia cactus, godetia
Marigold - petite mixed
Marigold - Queen Sophia
Marigold - Citrus Mix
Gillardia - sundance bi color
Zinnia - old mexico
Zinnia - burpeeana giantus mix
Zinnia - Candy Cane mix
Four O'Clock - Kaleidoscope
Butterfly Flower
Oriental Poppy
Pole Bean - purple
Pole Bean - Scarlet Runner

Okay, coming in to the game late this year. I have had other priorities this year as I have been studying up and learning new techniques ala Nourishing Traditions and The Maker's Diet. Health crisis: AVERTED!

Now, to gardening. CRIKEY, I haven't WS'd anything yet. Not to fear; I live in COLORADO! I'm going to WS all of my tomatoes this year--last year, the Cherokee Purples did great, and hubby asked if we could plant more than one of those this year (perhaps he's asking me to simplify by planting more of fewer variety... instead of 24 different ones?). Anyway, also going to start the peppers indoors--I've really been debating, because I don't have a south windor or a good lighting setup, but I'd rather have my own --and have the varieties that I want--than "settle" for what I can find at the nursery. Curious to see if anyone's wanting to do the spring swap, and what veggies ya'll will be bringing if you do...

Containers? I think I've got enough. I really have limited space since I garden 100% in containers, including flowers, so I don't need a ton of stuff. I am excited to see what
comes back that I planted from last year's spring swap--may be able to swap some of that out this year! Deb, are you going to have peppers galore again? DH absolutely loved the ones we got from you last year! Also, we loved the Thessalonica toms... can I swap you for a couple seeds, and do you think they'll WS at all?

Hmm... looks like it'll be a busy weekend, even if I am getting a late start!!!

Did a few more containers today, and I think I've finished up everything except the tender stuff - basils, marigolds, zinnias, nasturtiums, portulaca, and sunflowers. I'll hold off on those until April.

Here's what was WS today:

Calendula officinalis
Calendula, Bon Bon Yellow
Gaillardia, Red Plume
Gazania, Daybreak Bronze
Gazania, Daybreak Orange Cream
Gazania, Daybreak Sun
Gazania, Kiss Bronze Star
Ipomopsis, Hummingbird Mix
Nicotiana, lime green
Nicotiana, Chocolate Smoke
Nicotiana, Crimson Bedder
Scabiosa, Ace of Spades
Scarlet Flax
Summer Savory

The ground in the perennial beds is still frozen in spots, but the veggie bed is semi-raised, and it has thawed and dried, so I moved around the t-posts I use for tomato supports. Last year, they were too crowded, and a couple of plants at the back didn't do well. My arms feel like jelly after swinging that sledgehammer for a couple of hours! Felt good to get outside and get dirty though ...

Bonnie

So Mayberry, did you get any WSing done yet?

I sowed a couple of containers today:

Lettuce, Cimmaron (the Mascara never came up, so I thought I needed another red lettuce)
Rhubarb, Victoria (the one I WS last year is up, but the plant I got from the spring swap in '08 looks like it may not have made it, so I thought I better sow some more)
Snapdragon, Scarlet Giant

and I had to resow the Black from Tula tomato because the kids knocked it over with a ball the other day ... grrrr.

Quite a few more jugs have sprouted, including annual coreopsis, dianthus, annual alyssum, lychnis, cilantro, dill, feverfew, and more wallflowers. Everything survived the low of 15º last night. It's supposed to drop even lower tonight, but hopefully everything will make it.

The only sprouts I have are the greens (musclen and choi joy). I would have thought the peas would have made their appearance? Do you think they need more sun. Right now they are on the west side if a concrete porch so only see limited afternoon sun.

Bonnie, I WS my peas on 3/6 and they still aren't up yet. They usually need a few warm days in a row. So far, we've only had a day or so of warmth at a time. Last year, they sprouted around April 1st, so it shouldn't be long now.

This is a good reminder for me to start my veggies. I bought the seeds and they're just sitting there, staring at me as I procrastinate. So far, all I've done was stick a random bean in some dirt before it could be turned into soup back in January. It now has a flower on it. It's a pathetic looking plant, but that's what happens when I start that early. Me and my random impulses.

Bonnie -- Is it too late to WS tomatoes now? I was going to wait until mid-April, but now see that you're way ahead of the game! :)

Laura, it's not too late to WS tomatoes, since they usually germinate mid to late April for me. I just sow them early, because everyone that starts there's indoors is sowing theirs, and it makes me want to get started, LOL. With a cool spring like we are having this year, I don't think it hurts to WS them early, but if it was a warmer spring, than I would be concerned about them sprouting too early, and then having to protect them from hard freezes. Last year, I ended up bringing them in the garage a few nights, just for peace of mind. They might have survived, but I wasn't willing to take the risk.

Bonnie

Luckybottom, 2 out of 3 of my containers of peas have sprouts that are starting to poke through the soil. Have yours shown up yet?

Bonnie

The peas have not poked through. I do have parsnips, lettuce and mesclun mix in the WS. However the parsnips left to winter over have greens that are 3" tall, strawberries and raspberries are all showing leaves. Even have asparagus, rhubarb and tarragon all up in the garden. Go figure?

When will anyone be planting their WS greens to the garden? bonnie

Yeah, my strawberries, rhubarb and tarragon are up too, plus the chives. Wish I had enough space for asparagus!

I checked my records from last year, and I planted out the lettuce on 4/7/09, but that's not going to happen this year. Things are not nearly as far along. It is still cold here. Took the kids to an Easter Egg hunt this morning, and we were freezing! I am ready for it to warm up!!!

Bonnie

All of my cold season veggies are up in their containers. I'm going to winter sow some basil and tomato containers this week.

Seeing those little sprouts makes me so happy :)

The following are already out in their jugs:

Endive "Tres Fine Maraichere"
Romaine "Little Gem"
Romaine "Freckles"
Romaine "Paris Island Cos"
Mesclun mix "Valentine"
Mesclun mix "Baby Greens"
Lettuce "Red Sails"
Lettuce "Buttercrunch"
Lettuce "Salad Bowl Blend"
Spinach "Melody"
Peas "Progress #9"

{{gwi:1189388}}

Tomorrow I'll be putting out some toms and peppers. Hope it works!

Got a few more things sown today:

Osteospermum, African Sun
Tithonia, Fiesta del Sol
Ursinia anethoids
Venidium fastuosum, Zulu Orange/Jaffe Ice Mix
Quinoa (anyone grown this one before?)
Heliopsis, Lorraine Sunshine
Perilla, Moonlit Seas
Sage, Pineapple
Ground Cherry, Pineapple
Ground Cherry, Aunt Molly's (thanks for the seeds Deb!)
Ground Cherry, Giant Cape Gooseberry
Tomatillo, Purple
Tomatillo, Toma Verde

Still have a good bit to go, and I now have over 100 containers sown. Thinking about sowing some of the annuals in the pots where they will stay all summer, instead of having to tranplant them. That means I need to figure out my combinations, so I'll know which ones to sow together in each pot.

In spite of all of the cold, snow, and wind over the past week, quite a few jugs have sprouted since I last checked. The forcasted low is 19º, so I'm hoping everything comes through okay.

Bonnie

Bonnie, I finally got my stuff wintersown... this past weekend. I actually had posted on the actual wintersowing forum if it was too late to wintersow, as I do mostly veggies, and since it's so warm, I wasn't really counting on many more freezing nights. So, I had wintersown in my containers (only a few, since I do mostly veggies anyway), and threw them in the deep freeze, then posted my "is it too late? use the freezer?" questions.

Interestingly, Trudi thought I meant to freeze my seeds. Yeah, uh... no. I realize that they have to be moistened and in the soil for WS to be effective. So, after the question was posted, I got the "don't make it harder than it has to be" advice, because veggies don't really need a freezing stratification.

On that note, I planted a bunch of peppers inside (geez, I wish I had a south-facing window!), and "wintersowed" a bunch of other stuff--including, of all things, OKRA. We had a great year for okra last year, and I actually found several places that said okra is suitable for WSing. However, because my husband loves me more for having grown okra last year, you can bet I'm insuring my WS on that one with some indoor starts!

Also, have direct-sown (hey, I don't have the time to mess with the rest, and it's late enough anyway!) peas, carrots, beets, lettuce, spinach, radicchio, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and radishes.

So, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have extras of stuff... Did we ever get a firm date set for the swap? I'll have to go over to that thread and check it out. If so, I will probably have peppers (mostly generic yellow or orange bells) and tomatoes (mostly heirloom varieties) to swap.

Hi Mayberry! What kind of okra are you growing? I tried Burgundy last year, but it died when I planted it out. I'm thinking next year that I will order seeds for one of the dwarf varieties, since I read on the GW Vegetable Forum that they can be grown in containers. That way I can bring them in the garage during cold snaps, and the soil will get warmer than if I tried growing them in the ground. I've been debating WS vs. indoor sowing on them like you too!

Still need to direct sow my carrots and radishes, but between the Easter holiday, the weather, and now sick kids to deal with, I can't seem to find the time to get it done.

Bonnie

Bonnie, the okra is a dwarf variety, long-pod. I don't remember it being particularly spiny, either. Would you like me to indoor-start some for you? ALL of my indoor starts are up (of the okra variety... still waiting on some toms and peppers), and not one--of ANYTHING--that was wintersowed has sprouted yet. Maybe after this weekend, that will change...

For the record, our okra had the prime place in the garden last year: up against a south-facing brick wall, in a SWC with black film, and on top of more black film that I would use to puddle water to help create a mini-climate with some higher humidity and heat. The plants didn't even get 4 feet tall, but I fit 10 plants into one Garden Patch GrowBox. Of course, with okra, either you love it or you hate it, and if you love it, there's never enough of it. Hubby has been told that can choose to lose one of the pepper boxes and do a second okra box if he wants (he was adamant after last year that we needed a second box of okra), but he loves his peppers, too!

That would be awesome, Mayberry, since I don't have seeds for any dwarf varieties this year. I may still try the Burgundy again, just because I have the seeds, but I'm not expecting much this time. There's a dwarf red one called 'Little Lucy' that I'll try and order before next year.

How do you serve your okra? The two ways I like it are fried, or in soups, gumbos, etc. I'm not sure the kids have ever had okra, and DH doesn't care for it, so I'm growing it just for myself. Wouldn't give up a planter box of peppers for it though, LOL!

Today, I dumped the dirt out of the large pots on the porch, put fresh potting mix in them, and sowed seeds directly into a couple of them, then covered the top in plastic wrap. Kind of wintersowing, except that I won't have to transplant later. Still have 4 or 5 more to go, but I'm excited to see if this will work out okay.

Here's what was sown today:

Dahlia, Dark Red Beauty
Asclepias curassavica
Gerbera daisy, yellow
Strawflower, tall double yellow
Strawfloer, Monstrosum Fireball
Chamomile

I may try and get some basils wintersown tomorrow afternoon.

The other thing I accomplished today in the garden was direct sowing six kinds of carrots and some radishes. My little girl was helping today, until she decided to pull the flowers off the daffodils - the only thing I have blooming right now!

Bonnie

Bonnie, I was already soaking some seeds for you when I read your post! I'll start some and bring them to the swap, earmarked for you! Let's see... how to serve it. Yes, we love it fried--the whole family--but we rarely got enough last year because hubby would pick it and it never made it in the house. Yes, fresh okra, washed and eaten, was one of our favorite ways to enjoy it. I also might try pickling some this year... if we ever get enough! We do love it that way. Also in gumbos, soups, etc.

How do you fry yours? We're gettin' kinda off-topic, (about two posts ago!), but I like to make mine "slime" so it will hold more of the breading. I do that by chopping into 1/2 inch pieces, putting them into a zip-top baggie w/ 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, rolling that all around to get everything good and wet (and SLIMY!!!) and then to the 50/50 whole wheat flour/corn meal mix. Makes lots of little crunchies with the extra slime...

Okay, to get back on topic, my WS stuff has ZERO germination yet. And, it's really NICE here today, so if it doesn't come up soon, I'm going to start getting concerned...

Sorry about your daffs!

Mayberry, I've never tried eating okra fresh, since I haven't been able to grow it since we've moved here. When we lived in the south, I wasn't a gardener yet, so I never made my own fried okra. Ate plenty of it at other people's houses though, and most restaurants serve it as a sidedish there. Thanks for the tip about making it slime first before frying! I passed that tip on to my brother tonight, as he said they've had trouble getting the breading to stick.

How many days ago did you do your wintersowing, and what did you sow? Can't say if it's time to worry yet or not, without more details : )

I WS 6 kinds of basil today, Tagetes lucida (Mexican Tarragon), that Burgundy okra I was telling you about, and some Mirabilis that I received in a recent swap.

It was a gorgeous weekend here! Hope everyone enjoyed some time outdoors!

Bonnie

Well, most of the first round of WS sprouts are up -- although the peas seem to be taking their good sweet time!

Lettuce:

Spinach:

Now on to sow the warmer season stuff...

Thought I'd bump this thread back up to see how everyone's wintersowing turned out.

On the wintersowing forum, they use May 1st as the cut-off. Doesn't mean you can't still sow in recyclable containers after that date, but it is considered spring/summer sowing at that point.

Anyway, by May 1st I had sown 129 containers of herb, veggies, and flowers. As of yesterday, all but 19 had germinated, which comes out to somewhere around an 85% germination rate. Not bad IMO! Some of those will probably still germinate, but are waiting for warmer temps.

The past couple of weeks, I have been gradually transplanting annuals to the pots they will grow in for the rest of the summer. I've had to bring them into the garage a few nights when it got below freezing, but since they are on a covered porch, and can be pushed up against the house for wind protection, they have done fine. Haven't lost any yet.

Yesterday, I started planting out wintersown perennials, and covering them with the top half of a milkjug to give it them a little shade and wind protection. Things like Berlandiera lyrata, Asclepias tuberosa, Feverfew (hope I don't regret growing this one!), Anthemis tinctoria, and Dianthus. Most of what is left to plant out are annual herbs, which will go in pots on the porch. Well, there's also the tomatoes, but those will be planted out last, along with the peppers that were grown inside.

To give you some idea how far behind this year is from the previous ones I've wintersown, my germination records show that I normally start planting out the perennials the first week of April. This year, I didn't even plant the lettuce out until April 24.

Anyone else planting out their wintersown sprouts yet?

Bonnie

Not planting yet, but pacing back and forth!!

I think tomorrow or Sat, it'll finally be warm enough.

I have much better germination this year, vs last.

I think I read to plant Feverfew in a container - like planting mint??

MANY MANY containers have sprouts too small to plant, but I am already wondering where I'll put all this stuff!!

Such an issue!! WOOHOO!!

Yeah, I've read it can reseed like crazy, but that it's easy to pull out. I put in on the west side of the house, where nothing else will grow, so hopefully it won't get into too much trouble there, LOL.

I thought today was a perfect day to plant out. It was overcast, in the 50's, and not too much wind ... well, at least not until I was done. I did have to chase the milkjug tops around the yard this afternoon, and then secure them with wooden skewers.

Parsnips and greens that were winter sown are thriving in the garden. Peas never did germinate WS but directed seeded are up, so it all worked out. bonnie

I actually planted a few yesterday some today - YEAH!!

I had Feverfew set aside to go into a pot and dang if I can't find it!! I must have planted it - oops.

The WS perennials from last year are getting ready to bloom!! No idea what they are but I'm anxious to see the beauty!!

Much more controlled planting this year - yeah right!