Topic: Winter sowing

[barleychown]

Because I have so much space in the back yard to fill with perennials this year, I was looking for a cost effective way to propagate lots of seeds, with as little trouble as possible. In past years, I have lined up 4" pots in the spring/early summer, planted seeds in them, and tried to keep them moist enough to germinate. While that method works, it does take quite a bit of time and attention.

While surfing the net, I came across a method called winter sowing, and thought I'd give it a try. The methods and logic behind it I can understand, and agree with. The main questions and ideas are discussed at this site : http://wintersown.org/

This is my progress so far:





If you look really close in the second pic, you can see sprouts! 

[Triss]

Looks great Sarah.  The only question I have is that I thought that the bags were supposed to be closed with a limited amount of air let in so that you get more of a greenhouse effect?

After reading that site, I started a few as well, not near as many as you, an in my vitamin water containers.  I cannot wait to see what happens with them.

[barleychown]

They were closed a bit more, but they were a pain in the butt to keep upright. I figure it's late enough in the season for them to be open, anyway...and next year, I'll make the little cardboard collars to go inside the bags to hold them upright.

[Triss]

Ahhh ok, gotcha.  So what kinds of things do you have growing in there?

[barleychown]

Well, each bag is something different. So far, 90% or more of the bags contain perennial flowers, with a few tomato bags in the mix. Sunday I plan to start more veggie seeds, and some of my annual flowers.

[Triss]

Do you have them labeled or planning on being surprised?  And do you have a way to cover them if the rain gets bad?

[barleychown]

I labeled the outside of each bag with a paint pen, so the sun wouldn't fade it, like it would permanent marker, and there are holes cut in the bottom of each bag, so it can rain all it wants...it will save me from having to water!

[Triss]

Very good.  I had to label mine with a permanent market cuz I could not find a paint pen around the house.  I hope it will hold up until it is time to plant them.  If not I will be surprised.

[Penny]

What a great idea Sarah.....very cool!

[barleychown]

I have lots more sprouts today! 

[Wrennie]

Wow, that seems to be working really well for you!

[Triss]

Very cool Sarah... so nice to see it working.  No sprouts for me yet but I do have another half dozen containers that I need to plant and get outside.

[Patty S]

I finally got myself in gear & started on my winter sowing!  
         
These are the heavy gauge ziplock bags that our rolling tobacco comes in, which might be a little sturdier than the store bought ones, so I don't think I'll need to clothespin them together to keep them from flopping over.  I could only find 15 bags, so at least that's a start, but am hoping that I'll find more stashed around here somewhere.

I'm sort of upset with myself, cuz I had a huge box of these bags in the garage not long ago, that I was saving... for.... God only knows what!    The last time I got on a garage cleaning kick, I listened to Keith about throwing things away that have no "obvious purpose", but now I wish I had them back!

I've just got to learn not to listen to him!   When he came home from work & saw the wagon in the living room, he said, "You brought DIRT into the house again?" I explained what the bags were for & told him that some of my friends were doing the same thing this year.  He just shook his head as he walked out of the room muttering, "Your friends are strange.  Very strange, & so are you... very VERY strange!" 

Phooey on him! If that's the attitude he wants to have, I won't bother telling him that I only brought the bags inside to put seeds in them, cuz I was getting cold outside, & will be taking them out to the deck after dinner.

[barleychown]

  "Your friends are strange.  Very strange, & so are you... very VERY strange!" 

I'm strange? Very strange?    YAY!


Don't worry too much...mike said about the same thing, until he saw all the sprouts. Now he's asking where the heck I'm going to put them all.

[Triss]

I like strange Patty!  Looks good and those bags you are using do look a lot sturdier than baggies.  Cannot wait to see how they do. 

No sprouts in my containers yet.

[landofoz]

I did a ton of wintersowing last year.  We had record high temps in March (90's and 100's) and then a freak 2 weeks of snow and -7 temps in April which promptly killed everything off!!  Wintersowing is so much fun, though, and my girls absolutely loved doing it.  Don't ask me why I haven't done it this year -- probably spending too much time babying my peps and toms!

[Bonnie]

That's a really cool web site. They even give you free seeds. (not that I need any Patty fixed me up in that area)

[duh]

Next Winter definitely next winter I'll be winter sowing my little heart out.  I plan to have really great plants next year.  This year will be all about prepping the soil.

[Triss]

I checked out all my containers yesterday and not a single sprout yet... I hope they get growing soon.

[Triss]

Sarah, a question for you.  Several of my containers have sprouts in them now.  I took the lids off of them for the day but am planning on putting them back on for the nighttime since it got cool this evening.  Any thoughts on when the lids would stay off and also when the tops of the bottles should come off and the plants grow out in the sun before I put them in the garden.  Most of what I have growing out there are starting to get their first sets of true leaves.

And how are all of your winter sowing plants doing?

Patty, how are your plants doing?

[Patty S]

Triss, are you starting your in bags?  I ask, cuz I read back & couldn't find where you said what kind of "containers" you're using, & you mentioned "lids".

Most of mine haven't shown any signs of life yet!   Several of them have though, & I have Cosmo, Datura, Love Lies Bleeding, Lupin & Hibuscus sprouts coming up in my bags. 
     

BG & I hauled all 2 dozen bags indoors for a few days, when we had that Arctic blast, but I'd left our bags all the way open, from the beginning.   I guess I should close the bags up a little bit, so the ones that haven't germinated yet will get the greenhouse effect.... after all, that's part of the reason we're doing this, right?   There was a statement somewhere in the article that Sarah posted the link to, suggesting that seeds know when to germinate, so I'm holding out hope that they haven't rotted in the bags already!   (Ummm... it's been 6 weeks since I started the first bags though.  Maybe I should start over!)

Wait... On second thought, why don't I just plant things right in the ground at this point?!

[Triss]

Patty, I decided to use juice type containers from the Vitamin water I drink.  I cut them in half and drilled holes in the bottoms and the lid as well.  Then I taped the bottles together after I planted them.  About half have started sprouting of what I started.  I will take pics tomorrow.