Winter Sowing

[Flower4Yeshua]

Sm ---thanks for that...I was feeling kinda badly to be honest...I am going to share them with a lady here .....I will start all her seeds for her this year ...as she has had xome health issues...

 

[Dor]

Good Luck Dor

Thanks Lyn, I have my little plan mapped out. On the east side of my house next to the fence I will be growing Sweet corn, beans and Squash.

In my five planned raised beds I will be growing, tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, onions, purple hull and cream peas, bush beans and some sweet and hot peppers. I think I will grow some herbs in the beds and pots. Oh yeah some marigolds and naturtiums too. I will grow some bush cucumbers in pots and some tomatoes too. My Sweet 100 tomatoes did well last year but I want to grow some large ones also like Beefsteak, Celebrity, and Mortgage lifter.

I plan to buy the wire and my heavy duty tomato cages.

 

[Kale]

I have wintersowed for years did it before I knew what it was called*lol
I have wintersown hundreds of annuals and perennials over the years, I give lots away after a dollar sale...
Last year I grew daisies, coneflowers, bf weed, chives,
Alyssum, various colors
Marigolds, various colors and heights,
Celosia, various colors and heights
Cosmos, various colors and heights,
Spider flower
Hummingbird trumpet vine,
Sunflowers various colors and heights
Zinnias, various colors and sizes
Sweetpeas
several annual herbs
Blanket flower various colors and heights
Gerber Daisy various colors
Salvias
Pokadot plants (houseplants here*lol various colors
Coleus (got only 1*lol)
Lavender (but I think it was an annual)
A few more but cant recall now..
I keep trying veggies of all kinds and do not succeed!
I here is what I use!


Kale

 

[Kale]

Winter solstice made me remember something from the Old Farmer's Almanac. Planting according to moon phase. Above ground plants during new moon and underground ones during the full moon.

And thanks for the info about the heating vent. I'm not going to put anything there now.

Very, very interesting.I was wondering if you can post a thread and walk us through this! Id love to try it the correct way *LOL

I have been really interested in the moon phases and planting.

I just look at the moon and reports, not exactly certain how this works,I didn't get to research to see if it really made a different in my sowning.
I log everything from seed to harvest on most of my gardening.
I was going to get the book and check to see if I had a better crop on those full moon nights



SMelly can you make your pics bigger,I can't really see them.
You are nuts! I love it!
Where in the world are you going to put them! ONE BETTER where did you find those seed Coneflower! I sorta need to grow them and hand some to a dear friend!) Along with your Coreopsis Red Plains
Coreopsis Limerock Ruby!!!!!!!!!

I am missing out on great seed!
Did you get from a catalog!??
Which one!??
You may be sorry with a few perennials that are on your list.... in about 2-3seasons! They are beautiful but...
Also, do you plan on getting blooms the first year?

Wow! You list is fascinating!

Kale

 

[Wrennie]

I'm trying wintersowing for the first time this year. I got seeds from wintersown org and will do some from my stash too. Just need more soil!

 

[Gardengoddess]

Ha I think I finally found a source for seed starting medium this time of year. Their website says they have so I'm going to stop by after work today and see. It's a nursery and their prices are a bit higher than say Walmart but what's an unprepared wintersower to do??? It's supposed to be cold, colder, coldest this weekend so I'll be cluttering up the kitchen.

How is my homework going to get done????

Dora/Garden Goddess

 

[Melissa]

SMelly can you make your pics bigger,I can't really see them.
You are nuts! I love it!
Where in the world are you going to put them! ONE BETTER where did you find those seed Coneflower! I sorta need to grow them and hand some to a dear friend!) Along with your Coreopsis Red Plains
Coreopsis Limerock Ruby!!!!!!!!!

I am missing out on great seed!
Did you get from a catalog!??
Which one!??
You may be sorry with a few perennials that are on your list.... in about 2-3seasons! They are beautiful but...
Also, do you plan on getting blooms the first year?

Wow! You list is fascinating!

Kale

Kale I get most of my seeds through trading. I think I have bought like two packets of seeds. Not all the types bloom the first year. I got alot of blooms the first year though. It fun waiting and seeing which bloom and which will be surprises the following year or longer. I have eight acres of nothing so no worry of running out of room. I plant all the babies in one garden so I can take special care of them and make sure that they get enough water. Once they are mature....I move them to their permanent home....well...is there really ever a permanent home.

 

[Melissa]

I did 27 more today. I think I am close to being done. Some of my water bottles got thrown away or burnt in the burn barrel. I was storing them in the garage in trash bags and I think someone...not mentioning any names....mistook them for trash.
Today I planted:
Coreopsis Early Sunrise
Coreopsis Sunburst
Geum Red
Geum Yellow
Helenium Moerheim Beauty
Helenium Auburnale
Helenium Autumn Lollipop
Heliopsis Oxeye Daisy
Heliopsis Bressingham Doubloon
Heliopsis Prairie Glow
Heliopsis Summer Sun
Hibiscus Southern Disco Belle Pink
Hibiscus White
Hollyhock Pink
Hollyhock Single Red
Hollyhock Single Mix
Hollyhock Double Mix
Kniphofia
Liatris Blazing Star Purple
Poppy Red Mix
Poppy Lavender
Poppy Peony Pink
Poppy Peony Red
Rudbeckia Indian Sun
Rudbeckia Maya
Sweet William Mix
and
Sweet William Pink

Until I drink some more water...I am done. Everybody at work drinks alot of bottled water also so I will have some more by next week.
Another pitfall I am running into, the raised bed I was putting them in is now frozen and I can't get through the dirt with a hand trowel so I am now putting them in cardboard boxes until the ground warms alittle. I am sure the cardboard will be soft and icky and fall apart but at the moment, that is all I have.

 

[Melissa]

Kale, I am confused by looking at your pictures. Are yours covered? And if they are, are they able to get water from the snow and rain? I am always looking for new and improved ways of doing this. I have alot of those containers from the greenhouse but haven't figured out a way to cover them while allowing them to still get watered by mother nature.

 

[Kale]

SMelly, I tried using the milk containers but failed,ended up with just a few plants.Take came off and water drowned the seedlings before I even checked on them. I thought it was safe to just let them do their thing
It was many hours of work and I was discouraged; so went back to the way I knew worked for me.When using the milk containers you do not need to water until the lids are taking off for a few hours. So I didn't tend them or even peek

Here with my set up; they are draws from my old fridge,I saved them for my new one but the man brought me a new one and inch or so too small.I loved them and had to use them for something*lol
All pots are all covered, there are no wholes in the plastic containers, rainwater can get in if I let it. Then they freeze because there are not any holes.Then when it defrosts and water from the bottom,I pour out most of the water and close well leaving a tiny breezeway for them; just enough for a tiny bit evaporation. I water usually from the bottom,in other words I pour the rainwater into the "draws" from the top not touching the soil in any pot..This way it takes longer for them to get water I cant drown the seed or seedling and I water less,every few-several days until about late April or May(except for occasional HEAT WAVE *lol)

I check on them every now and again (sometimes days in a row ) I'm not enslaved to them but keep track sorta like the laundry, you just know when you have to get it done*lol
This has worked with success,for several seasons.They are like mini greenhouses,actually they work wayyyyyy better then my mini greenhouses! Less evaporation because less air space.
I love my outdoor setup

If I didn't answer your question tell me I'll try again.

Kale

 

[Melissa]

Yes, I understand...you put water in the crisper drawers and they draw it up from the bottom. I might have to try that with some of my containers I have hanging out in the garage. I will use a clear rubbermaid like container to put them in. Cool idea!!

 

[Kale]

Thanks, glad you think it is cool I did it that way to grow lots of Dianthus that 1st year to encourage my daughter, she likes to plant and leave alone, not much of a dirt player I just drag her along. She grows drought herbs. Less work for her.
She favors all the perennial Herbs she grew from seed. When she buys them she doesn't consider them hers because someone else planted the seed. And thinks anyone can put a bought plant in the ground and it will grow. I tell it simply is not true. But she still continues to state that the plants that were bought aren't hers!
One year she was all pickled out because her herbs took longer to germinate then my veggies. She is a very impatient gardener; I'm working on her, and will continue until I'm goneI (may) have several years to get her hooked and not be afraid of bug skins*lol
Al she has to do is get more perennial herbs to grow from seed to make her veggie bed
more loved.
OH, I tried it in the container you speak of, you will have to water a bit more then I using the crispers.
And If I were to use a clear container I would put the pots on the bottom of the covers and flip the container over (make a few holes, not too many just enough to let a tiny bit of air in (and perhaps water ) and easy to cover holes if need be) the tops aren't clear and you need the sun to get in also it would hold too much water, if the colored top were the bottom the water would run off, thus prevent drowning seedlings: Id even put it on a tiny slant,(maybe even a small rock in the center to have a little down movement on either side) with no plants (pots) in the lowest point in case water accumulates there. You know your weather, if rain isn't much you should be fine. Unless you only water and don’t make the wholes big enough for rain water. Just make them on the sides.


Kale

 

[Melissa]

I was thinking of just putting holes on the sides for air circulation. The container I am thinking of using is completely clear. Its actually harder plastic than those rubbermaid ones. I am thinking I will have to use a drill to make the holes. Hoping it won't crack the whole thing. Or, or, or....I could put holes in the bottom and top and sides and just fill the whole thing with mix and plant the huge amount of columbine I have. No...then I will run into the whole mess of having to separate them like I did last year. I am going to stick with the holes on the sides. No holes on top so it won't be taking on any water and then just water it occasionally. I am still going to plant the mess of columbine seeds I have but use all the garden center containers I have been collecting for years. I love trying knew methods. I will take pictures and let you know how it goes!! You think about an inch of water on the bottom should do?

 

[Melissa]

Kale's Method

Here is my attempt using Kale's method.
I planted all columbine
Red Cardinal
Red/Purple
Harlequin Mix
Native
Blue Star
Green Apple
McKana Giant
Mixed kinds (envie says 50 different named varieties)
William Guiness
Mrs Barlow
Blue Barlow
Black Barlow
Pink
Purple
White Songbird
and
Orgami Rose/White

You can't see them very good from the picture but I drilled holes in all four sides close to the top for ventilation. It has about 3/4 inch of water in the bottom that drained out of the containers. It has 8 6packs, 4 4packs, and 5 pint size singles in it. If they all germinate and grow, that will be 69 columbine plants. Woohoo, I think columbine are my favorite. I am trying to do a garden of astilbe and columbine. It also has a rhodie and azalea in it. That is where I put the blackberry liles I started last year also.
Okay, here are the crumby pictures I took. Give me a break I tried to take them while it was sleeting...yuck

 

[flwrs4ever]

Hey everyone, computer has been down.......BUt I am so happy to say I have over 70 containers done.....and still going.

Mel, I love those containers !! What a great idea, look forward to hearing how you make out with them !

 

[Melissa]

Yeah Kym!! Glad to see you are getting a good start on the WS. Good luck with it!!

 

[JenD]

When using milk jugs, soda bottles ect., do I keep the lids on or take them off? I'm just a little confused! Looking at info to many places I guess! I started a few today. This is my first year trying this. I started:
Blue Eyed Grass
Blackberry Lily
Candy Lily
Penstemon 'Chocolate Drop'
Beauty Berry Bush
Blue Wild Indigo

 

[flwrs4ever]

if you mean lids as in the "caps" that come on the bottle when you buy them, NO, you take them off, that gives you a way for the snow and rain to reach the dirt.

Once the sprouts come, and the heat, then you remove the top of the containers to allow more air circulation.

Hope this helps !

 

[JenD]

if you mean lids as in the "caps" that come on the bottle when you buy them, NO, you take them off, that gives you a way for the snow and rain to reach the dirt.

Once the sprouts come, and the heat, then you remove the top of the containers to allow more air circulation.

Hope this helps !

Yes, that helps! I did mean caps..oops! Thank you!

 

[Kale]

what do you use to mark your containers so you know what is what??

what do you use to mark your containers so you know what is what??

I found markers will fade and although I had a back up written in a log they were of little help. I knew what I sowed but hadn’t a clue as to which container was which. I did draw a plan for the position in relation to the others on where they were. Example, I put them in rows of say 4 and wrote what was in each row, but by the time I was done I had rotated for the sun; and ended up with anticipation as to who was in what container. I found that plan although rather exciting, frustrating just the same.
Soooo,I came up with a plan that would assure me that I knew who was in what container. I numbered them! Large black marker all over the container. They were annuals and perennials so it wouldn't matter so much if the ink somehow seeped into the plant although I do not believe it did, I am not a marker scientist*LOL
I mark large numbers above the soil line. I write in a book 1 daisies,
2 coneflower etc..I know I will not misplace the plant name with the number written on them.. I will know who is where and I can move them anywhere I want. I will find 1 all over the place and just get my log and refer to it oh! Number one was daisies! It works marvelously!
Hope that help you somewhat.I have searched for pics and like always an hour or so later I end up looking at pics of roses *LOL and never found them but, I am sure you can understand what I said...

Kale