See these recent two threads First time WSer has sprouts and Something is up
Since I last posted, I have:
Perennials:

• catananche -white & blue

• thymus vulgaris

• prunella vulgaris (self-heal)

• gaillardia 'blanket flower'

• pyrethrum

Annuals:

• safflower

• cosmos (several varieties)

• calendula (several varieties)

• salvia viridis 'marble arch'

• echium

• gaillardia pulchella 'red plume' & 'sundance bicolor'

• bachelor's buttons

• lagurus 'hare's tail

  grass'

Things are moving fast now.. Just hope the heavy rain we had last weekend did not cause much damage. I had to bring my containers on the porch this weekend bec. they were much too wet.

Anne-Marie

See these recent two threads First time WSer has sprouts and Something is up
Since I last posted, I have:
Perennials:

• catananche -white & blue

• thymus vulgaris

• prunella vulgaris (self-heal)

• gaillardia 'blanket flower'

• pyrethrum

Annuals:

• safflower

• cosmos (several varieties)

• calendula (several varieties)

• salvia viridis 'marble arch'

• echium

• gaillardia pulchella 'red plume' & 'sundance bicolor'

• bachelor's buttons

• lagurus 'hare's tail

  grass'

Things are moving fast now.. Just hope the heavy rain we had last weekend did not cause much damage. I had to bring my containers on the porch this weekend bec. they were much too wet.

Anne-Marie

See these recent two threads First time WSer has sprouts and Something is up
Since I last posted, I have:
Perennials:

• catananche -white & blue

• thymus vulgaris

• prunella vulgaris (self-heal)

• gaillardia 'blanket flower'

• pyrethrum

Annuals:

• safflower

• cosmos (several varieties)

• calendula (several varieties)

• salvia viridis 'marble arch'

• echium

• gaillardia pulchella 'red plume' & 'sundance bicolor'

• bachelor's buttons

• lagurus 'hare's tail

  grass'

Things are moving fast now.. Just hope the heavy rain we had last weekend did not cause much damage. I had to bring my containers on the porch this weekend bec. they were much too wet.

Anne-Marie

HI,
Just checked my containers this afternoon, did a double take!!! I found 3 with sprouts.
Asters
candytuft
poppys
I was so excited, it is my first year. All morning I was ws other seeds. I have 59 containers so I will be checking them real often. It is so much fun and a real lift for the greenless winter!!!

So far I have blue lupine, siberian iris, day lilies, foxglove, maltese cross and rose campion sprouting. Hope to see more sprouts up this week.

-Channon

Just my sunflowers now. I think my little columbine drowned.

Penny

Perennials went out in January, annuals on March 21st I think. First sprouts came up in 4/2. Others on 4/4 and 4/5.

So far I have: sunflowers, red poppy, pink/purple peony poppy, cosmos, nepeta, california poppy, baby's breath, and a few more.

This is so much fun! When do we plant these in the ground? I think I read here at GW that you should plant them when they get their first set of true leaves. Is that right?

Here is a link that might be useful: My website

I had planted 82 containers and just lost 1/3 to the flood that came through last Sat. It also looks like much of the reseeds that were just starting to sprout got washed away too. Of the containers surviving there are several types of poppies, clarkia elegans, baby blue eyes, and delphiniums. Time to plant again.

dkotchey-you're the first person I've heard of in our area in these forums. I'm 45 minutes south of Binghamton in Hancock. That's close by in these parts!
Barb

I'm very excited. It seems that everytime I go out and check -- which because I have become quite obsessive is at least twice a day! -- I have more sprouts. Here's what I've got so far:

Lavatera - white and pink
Rudbeckia prairie sun
Rudbeckia cherokee sunset
nemesia paintbox
pink phlox
Jacob's ladder
lots of poppies
dianthus siberian blues
feverfew
anise hysop
baby's breath
candytuft
bachelor buttons
1 single coreopsis moonbeam
achillea cerise queen
alaska daisy
salvia east friesland
salvia verticilata
godetia
clarkia
sweet williams
german chamomile
lavender stonecress
blue mist spirea
johnny jump ups
acroclinium roseum odiath
helenium bright buttons
pink rockrose
golden marguerite
evening scented stock
lavender alyssum
salvia victoria
salvia pitcherii
helianthus maxmillian
white evening primrose

SO EXCITING!! Even if that is all that sprouts - and I seriously doubt that - I would be so thrilled and it would have made the whole experience of winter sowing completely worth it. Now I just have to keep them all alive.

I haven't seen any movement on the ton of columbines, foxgloves and hollyhocks I sowed....does anyone know if these are later sprouters?

~Deb

Barb NY5 and dkotchey I'm in Sayre PA between Binghamton and Elmira! I'm new to the forums. Melody

Barb, I'm so sorry to hear you lost some of your WS containers :-( I thought about those of you living south of me. I wish I had seeds to give you for what you lost, but this summer/fall will be my first real collecting adventure.

Fairydancer, I'm glad to hear you WSed Lavatera and it came up. I WS some too and I wondered if it was a no-go for WS like annual Geraniums.

I'm almost getting tired of checking containers! I am trying to keep my database up to date, and that's a challenge! I planted out some lettuces and radishes and covered them with laundry baskets w/ plastic over them and others of them with a sterlite container (all of which I lift for the day and put down for the night).

I separated one set of Lupine seedlings because the container was shallow and the roots had no room to go anywhere. They're in styrofoam cups until I figure out how to keep them safe in the ground from critters.

All this to say is I have about 50 containers sprouting as of today. 120 or so left to go!

Hi Melody. Welcome to GW. This a great way to meet great friendly and generous gardeners. I have quite a few seeds you are welcome to. You can email me. You should un-block your email addy from your member page so we can chat directly.

lblack61:Thanks. I've started to re-seed most of the containers I lost. Some things like pansies I'm just going to pass on till next year and start planting warm weather germination things now.
Barb

Faltered,
Once your sprouts have their first set of true leaves you should be able to plant them out....unless we have more snow!

Penny

unless we have more snow!
Penny, are YOU wishing for more snow????? LOL!
Faltered, yes, I agree with Penny.. except that .. if you have squirrels, you better cover them somehow!
This year I have been thinning out my 'babies' into individual pots even before the true leaves, and they have all made it. I'll wait until I know what has come back and what I want to keep before transplanting in the garden.
Anne-Marie

Thanks for the nice welcome - Barb you have mail - I think I fixed the e-mail thing. I was so excited to see folks from my area that I forgot the subject of the thread last time. I just started WS on 3/29 and I have sprouts! I'm so afraid I'm going to kill the little greenies.

Melody

Penny & Anne-Marie: Thank you. I thought that was the right way to do it. I do have squirrels, not sure if they'll be a problem. I was thinking of just putting the top halves from the containers they were grown in over them. That sound ok?

Faltered that sounds fine. You can even use paper bags such as luch bags, grocery bags etc. or sour cream containers, coffee cans etc. just make sure to remove any non ariated cover before the sun beats down on them.

Anne Marie after last week ends snow I don't want to see another flake...snow flake that is LOL!

Penny

Thanks Penny!

I'm in Vestal, outside Binghamton and started WS in January. To date I have hollyhocks, dames rocket, pansies, foxgloves, poppies and pinks.

Winter sowing worked well with poppies and batchelor buttons. The ones left on the ground from last year's reseeding haven't germinated at all. I'm sold on doing this with certain plants.

But my heart is with indoor sowing which I can do in my jammies. (Once the winter sowed plants are up outdoors, I have to carefully monitor water and covering or they'll dry out/bake before I know it.) Both methods have their uses.

I WS'd kinda late, starting in mid-Feb to mid-March. To date, I have 18 jugs of which 3 have sprouts -- iberis, lavender and alpine strawberries.

Cherrylane, MrsRI, BarbNY5, dkotchey -
I'm in Endwell - glad to meet you!

I've got quite a few sprouts - and some big mysteries, since in spite of my best efforts many of my labels faded out before things sprouted. The things I can identify are:

alyssum 'Carpet of Snow'
cardinal climber
malva 'Brave Heart'
amaranth 'Hot Biscuits'
nicotiana 'Lime Green'
nigella 'Miss Jeckyll Blue'
sunflower 'Moonshadow'

Among the noids are several kinds of zinnias, my white coneflowers, and my assorted cosmos. Oh, well, surprises can be good! Lesson learned - get a special outdoor labeling marker next year.

Laurelin

susanzone5,
But I DO do my Wintersowing in my jammies! lol.
Not so good a sight for the neighbors seeing me in my morning garb.
I have 81 containers sprouting and 119 to go. So far, I planted out all my lettuces (except for radicchio), radishes, Russell Hybrid Lupine, and two types of Sweet Pea vines.

Hi-Came to look at this thread to make sure mine are not totally out of wack. Only about a fourth or less of mine have sprouted. In order of appearance - valarian, pussytoes, alpine strawberries, heliopsis, anise hyssop, daylilies, swamp milkweed. None except the daylilies and swamp milkweed have the greater ratio of seeds germinated so far. A couple have sent up one scout (which leaves me suspicious of a stray weed seed until I see the rest)-turtlehead, oh what are the others (bangs head) some kind of native - I know, umbrella plant. I get geranium pratense now and then since early march. Atually since I got the seeds in January. The ones I left outside didnt make it so I am leaving the seeds outside but lifted the last seedling out and put it under lights. I have more practice with lights right now so I have better luck with seedlings. I am not having good luck with the pussytoe seedlings and I want alot to live so I can share them with you. Today I decided to put one container under lights, one in the sunporch and leave one outside. (my sunporch plants and indoor plants go outside from about three until seven thirty).

My biggest concern is the seeds being washed away by rain, or washed too far under to germinate (for the itty bitty ones). I used plastic storage containers and used the welding attachment to my woodburning set to make alot of teeny teeny holes so air would circulate but big gusts of water wouldnt come in and so I could bottom water to keep the potting mix from compressing. I take the tops off in the afternoon and put them on at dusk in case we get a flood. Once I left the tops off all night and the containers got pretty dry so a second reason for leaving them on until I can monitor them is that it locks the moisture in. It keeps the moisture at the top of the "soil" where the seeds need it. But then I worry if the circulation holes are enough to keep seedlings from burning. I worry about everything-do the tinted lids let the right light waves through, do the seeds want more ofr less moisture. I don't know what I am doing -it is all trial and error for me. It sounds so simple when you all talk but in practice I make so many mistakes.

Though I would write that in case any of you are also imperfect.

PAX
Laurette

Hello Cherrylane, MrsRI, BarbNY5, Laurielin ! It's fun to see some of us from the same area. I'm in Apalachin.

So far I have the following (i'm also including those from my previous post):

Alyssum Gulf Winds
Alyssum Royal carpet (only have 2 sprouts - i think it's the seed)
Exotic Love Vine
Hollyhock Queeny Purple
Hyacinth Bean (totally amazed these have spouted)
Jacob's Ladder Heavenly Habit
Jacob's Ladder Yellow
Lettuce (several kinds)
Nicotiana Dwarf White
Pansy
Perennial Baby's Breath
Poppies (Grape)
Poppies (Red)
Potentilla Miss Wilmott
Salvia Farinacea Mealy Cup Sage
Turtlehead Alba White
Veronica (1 sprout only)

Does anyone have Viola coming up? I have 3 kinds but haven't seen any sprouts yet. I thought these would be up by now.

I'm waiting for several kinds of Hosta, Nasturtiums, Nigella, Wishbone (Torenia fournieri), Sweet Pea Everlasting, Rose Campion, Petunias, and a few others. I still have a few things I want to sow.

I did jacob's ladder and rose campion and nicotiana last year they came up like there was no tomorrow. I am also doingt nicotiana this year. I think I have a million seedlings and I thought I was sowing lightly this year LOL!

Most of what is up needs to go in the ground I better get off the computer and finish cleaning up the bed where they are going to go so I can get them in the ground today.

Penny

Where's my nicotania??? Everyone says it is so easy, but I don't have a single sprout!!! I think I'll go ahead and put a few peat pellets full under lights to be safe.

~Deb

Here's mine so far:

4/1
Rose Campion
Maltese Cross
Siberian Iris
Foxglove Mix
Stella dÂOro
Blue Lupine

4/6
Nippon Daisy
Rock Rose
Malva Mystic Merlin
Blue Speedwell
Intense Purple Amaranthus
Purple Tansy
Annual Poppies
Golden Marguerite

4/8
German Chamomile
Double Feverfew

4/9
Missouri Primrose
Purple Toadflax
Pink Monkey Flower
Blue False Indigo
Rudbeckia Prarie Sun

4/11
Maximillian Sunflower
Blue Spires Salvia

4/12
Wildflower Mix
Lance Leaved Coreopsis

4/14
Ozark Coneflower
Agastache Blue Fortune
White Mullein

4/15
Cardinal Vine

4/16
Gomphrena Strawberry Fields

4/17
Heavenly Blue Morning Glory
Peach Leaved Bellflower

4/18
Pink Evening Primrose
Monkshood
White Swamp Milkweed Ice Ballet
Columbine Meadow Rue
Echinacea augustifolia
Corydalis sempervens
Convolvulus Blue Enchantment
Gloriosa Daisy
Purple Cleome
Red Cypress Vine
Sun Spot Sunflowers
Marsh Mallow
Goat's Beard

Will continue the list as more come up!

-Channon
(starmoon)

Deb,
You are welcome to one of my containers of nicotiana. I forgot that I had already sowed one and ended up doing a second one. I certainly don't need a million of these plants!

Penny

I actually had to plant out my sunflowers and morning glories yesterday. The sunflowers had no more room in the container and even though the morning glories just came up the day before, I decided to put them in the ground now before the root system developed so they wouldn't have to be disturbed. I am going to continue to cover both plants at night with the tops of my smaller milk bottles until we get past this next cool down and so the rabbits and voles don't have them for dinner but they won't dry out as quickly now that they are in the ground.

Penny

3/22 through 3/31
English Wallflower (2nd Sowing)
Mustard Spinach "Savanna F1"
Cucumber Gr HB
Lupine "Russell Hybrids Mix"
Lupine "Tutti Frutti"
Mesclun Mix
Mustard Greens
Chamomile "French"
Chamomile "German"
Kale "Winterbor"
Kale- Blue Curled
Candy Tuft
Lettuce "Bibb Blend"
Lettuce "Oakleaf"
Lettuce "Red Oakleaf"
Poppies (Red) 2nd Sowing
Basil Bush Minette
Basil Magic Michael
Basil Marseille
Cephalphora Aromatica
Coneflower (Purple)
Marigold French "Jaguar"
Marigold, Dwarf-Mixed
Radicchio "Red Surprise"
Radish "Easter Egg II Blend"
Sweet Pea "Captain of the Blues"
Sweet William "Microchip Mix"
Tarragon
Tansies "Jackpot"

4/1-4/9
Cucumber "Early Pride Hybrid"
Gazania Sunshine Mix
Greek Oregano
Immortelle
Majoram "Max"
Marigold French "Sparky"
Mexican Marigold
Ozark Sundrops
Peas (3rd sowing)
Peas "Little Marvel"
Poppy- Red
Rudbeckia Hirta (from Trowel Gal)
Rudbeckia Hirta "Cherokee Sunset Gloriosa Daisy"
Sweet Peas (2 containers, 2nd sowing)
BabyÂs Breath
Bachelor Button Mixed Colors
Balloon Flower "Sentimental Blue"
Cornflower "Blue Boy"
Yarrow "Red"
English Wallflower "Mixed Colors"
Hollyhock "Crème de Cassis"
Aster "Crego" Mixed Colors
Basil "Genovese"
Basil "Siam Queen"
Basil Lemon Dani
Basil Red Rubin
Carnations "English Giant Mixed"
Cupids Dart
English Daisy "Rose Ball Super Enorma" (White and Red, 2nd Sowing)
Johnny Jump Up
Lavatera Twins White
Lemony Catnip
Lupine "Mixed Colors"
Lupine "Regalis Dwarf Lulu Mixed"
Pansy "Acquarelle Hybrid" Mixed (2nd Sowing)
Parsley-Flat Leafed
Peas "Little Marvel" Dwarf (2nd Sowing)
Petunias "Dwarf-Mixed"
Poppy Red (2nd Sowing)
Sweet Pea "Patio Mixed"
Yarrow "Summer Berries"
Sweet Pea "Early Multiflora Gigantea"
Sweet Pea "High Scent" Vine
Sweet Pea Patio Mixed
Sweet Pea Patio Mixed (2 containers)

4/11- 4/16
Asclepias Carmine "Bloodflower"
Chrysthanthemum "Coconut Ice" (2nd Sowing)
Cilantro
Sedum "Hardy Blend"
Garlic Chives
Monarda Didyma "Panorama Mix"
Poppies "Pizzacato"
Primrose
Tansies
Viola
Catnip
Cilantro (2nd sowing)
Hyacinth Bean
Lovage
Pansy "Acquarelle Hybrid" Mixed

lblack,

How has your germination percentages been for basil?? I can't live without my basil during the summer so I didn't chance it and started about 25 peat pellets indoors like always. I was going to sow some just to see if it would work, but ran out of time, energy and miracle gro!

~Deb

It's been pretty good :-)
It came up way sooner than I thought it would and I think I singed a few by leaving it covered on some days when we had a lot of sun. I did six different kinds in six containers that have six-pocket cells, the kind you get Impatiens in at the nursery. The seedlings are small yet, probably because it hasn't been too warm. They are also kind of hard to see, because they aren't a vibrant green like some seedlings. I did Red Rubin and that's REALLY hard to see because it is maroon.
I just sowed another batch this week, putting a few seeds of each in six styrofoam cups.

More sprouts as of 4/25:

Malva Zabrina
Marigold Petite Orange
Nasturtium Peach Melba (just starting to pop thru)
Primula
Petunia Lipstick Kisses
Petunia Silver Tidal Wave
Petunia Double Cascade Pink
Potentilla Helen Jane
Rose Campion
Torenia (Wishbone flower)

I just came back on Sunday from a week in sunny Vegas. Went to check on my containers and almost all have sprouts now. I think I'm only waiting for two or three containers. Not bad for my first time.

I had just planted my sunflowers in the ground before I left because they were getting taller. They seem to be doing ok through this cold spell. I covered them with the tops of the clear containers that I used to sow them in.

Like Penny, I might try planting my morning glories soon. But will cover them, too.

What a difference 10 days make (the last time I posted on this topic)! ALL of my 18 jugs have sprouts -- iberis, alpine strawberries, lavender, several salvias, hollyhocks, delphiniums, gaillardia, eggplant, mixed squash, cukes, mixed peppers, cubanelle peppers, four tomatoes (black krim, bloody butcher, can't remember the other names). WS rules!

My columbines are starting......I'm very excited!!!

Anyone have any lavender or bleeding heart coming up yet? I have a couple of random sprouts of lavender which I'm not even sure are really lavender.

~Deb

No lavender for me yet. My morning glories are doing well inspite of the cold weather. It was 33 yesterday morning and I was sure that they were gonners but they are doing fine. I have actually stopped covering things that are planted out. I have lots of sprouts but they seem to have stopped growing probably because of the weather. I wish it it would warm up so I can get this stuff in the ground. I still have quite a few containers that haven't sprouted but they are more tender plants anyway. I was actually very surprised that my cannas have sprouted this early.

Penny

Wow! Some of you are VERY ambitious! I'm a veggie gardener. I started 3 different kinds of tomatoes (all seeds from Burpee), green bell peppers, jalepenos, zucchini, yellow summer squash, cucumbers, green beans, yellow beans, gourds, peas, marjarom, basil, oregano, parsley, marigolds and zinnias. I'm so excited as most have sprouted and are doing well. I'm having some trouble with damping off but found a home remedy (cinnamon and chamomile tea) which seems to be warding off the effects of the damping off.

I went and took a look around the yard yesterday before the rain came. My Egyptian walking onions are up and healthy. I've aready used chives from the yard and my hostas and bleeding hearts that I thought were goners last year made a come back! It's a good and a bad time of year for me. I'm excited about planting the garden, but the waiting, Waiting, WAAAITING, drives me crazy!

Looking forward to a better gardening season this year. Good luck to all!