Southern Spirit Hunters
Gardening => Gardeners Chat => Topic started by: barleychown on Feb 20, 2009, 10:45:52 PM
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I really like the concept of winter sowing. What could be easier than parking your seeds outside to be left to do their own thing? :grinnnn: I did some winter sowing last year in ziplock bags, and was pleased with the results. This year, I wanted to try it again, and in milk jugs. So I saved jugs almost all year. :rolleyes1: My first piece of advice...be sure to rinse them well. I have a spray bottle with dilute bleach in my kitchen, and added a squirt or two to each jug after washing them out, and it really helped.
For a basic rundown of the whole idea, try this website: http://www.wintersown.org/ The owner, Trudi, is very good at explaining the how's and why's of the whole process, and keeps really nice records of what germinated where. I spent lots of time reading there last year, and everything I learned came from there. :ThumbUp:
This it the pile of milk jugs I have to work with:
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2F2009gardenandpets001.jpg&hash=a45b16343fa05c330df9e6bea59fbee7366d795c)
And after I cut them...I left them joined with about an inch under the handle.
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2F2009gardenandpets002.jpg&hash=12b4f60fbe61728acca525d3061bd9fc00622842)
Bent open with holes poked into the bottom for drainage:
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2F2009gardenandpets003.jpg&hash=0737a56fdc34b47096f09614e8b4abae9f0476ab)
Filled with soil, and ready for seeds:
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2F2009gardenandpets004.jpg&hash=534894bacac92bff2e22999c60cb7e5e92b6f2a2)
Lined up waiting to be finished:
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2F2009gardenandpets011.jpg&hash=39fb030cf8aa0de0dc486544e0917841b2520180)
Ready for the winter rains!
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2F2009gardenandpets013.jpg&hash=227b4258b227ce41b79b54fcdd12fc5cdb0b3b5f)
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Your winter sowing and mine are two different things, Sarah. Even in the dead of winter any seedlings I tried to grow like that would fry without a lot of shading during the day a lot of the days. And probably freeze at night. My problem is keeping seedlings damp enough without cooking them under plastic.
I will be interested in watching yours grow.
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Sarah, are you going to tape the milk jugs closed? You sure have a great collection of things growing out there. How many seeds per jug?
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I am going to save some milk jugs now, I like your idea ... but for me, I have to wait months yet to try and sow anything, we just had another 2" of snow overnight and it's still going and then the temps are going to drop, argh! I cannot wait for warm weather! :tapfoot1:
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Tina, I will probably cover these jugs with shade cloth before leaving on vacation, just to be on the same side.
Triss, the next round I sow I will be taping them shut. I planted 30 of 55 yesterday, and only sowed the hardy things like coneflowers and black eyed susans. And, I would have even taped those, IF I could have found my duct tape. Seems to have grown feet again. :rolleyes1: I'm not worried about the current ones, as the tape is more to hold them together in the winds and snow, neither of which should be a problem for me.
Yezitis, that is the beauty of this method! You could begin sowing NOW, during the snow, and just put them outside. The seeds will come up when it's time for them, not immediately. :ThumbUp:
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Sarah, are those types of seeds that could also be direct sown? Or would they not stand up to any colder weather? I really need to get some things started.
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Yezitis, that is the beauty of this method! You could begin sowing NOW, during the snow, and just put them outside. The seeds will come up when it's time for them, not immediately. :ThumbUp:
Problem is, we get warm days where they would start, but we aren't free from the last frost here until May 15th(and sometimes after), so I would be pulling these things in and out of the basement till then ... Last year I even lost all my impatients because we got a cold spell after the 15th and I had to go back and buy more... get's expensive, that's why I am trying to start all my own flowers this year ...
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If it needs to be stratified it will work for winter sowing I know that. Those are the ones I have out on the deck.
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it's the replanting in the ground that kills me. I've got some tomato seeds I'm going to start soon.
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I'm going to start my tomatoes around the first of March. This is the longest I have ever held off starting them. But then I keep my place much colder than my landlord used to keep the apartments.
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This is such a great topic. I would like to try some of the milk jug planting. I could propably find time to do it if I stayed out of the arcade.
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it's the replanting in the ground that kills me.
I've got a confession to make. I STILL have young plants in plastic bags from last year. I have a whole host of excuses, but it boild down to just not enough time to get them all put where I wanted them.
I plan to do one or two each time I'm outside this spring. Maybe then I can stay on top of it. :Blush:
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how did you do them in zip locks?
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I snipped off the bottom corners of a gallon ziplock, filled each bag about half full, wrote the name on the bag, and sowed the seed. As things sprouted and warmed up, I used clothes pins to hold the tops open. Worked pretty well, but I did have to spend time keeping them open, and keeping them from falling over onto the growing seedlings.
After dealing with it all spring/summer, I then read that some have used cardboard "collars" inside the bags to hold them open and upright. I can see where that would be a huge help.
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http://www.wintersown.org/
that's a great site.
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thanks. I think I'll go with a hot bed or jugs.
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Well i did it, i broke down :BigGrin: and am trying it this way.
I have planted quite a bit, so i hope it works, i have used a mish mash of containers and flats, so here's hoping :ThumbUp: :ThumbUp:
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My fingers are crossed for all starting these this way. I would love to see an updated picture from Sarah.
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:9536: Planted some more seeds today :9536: :9536:
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Success! :yay_jump:
This is what I found today while puttering in the gardens. Keep in mind, I have done nothing since putting the seeds in...the rain did all the watering for me.
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2F2009087.jpg&hash=5ddd4a9ca110a2fae6cfd0f4c4fee47b67adaae1)
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Awesome!!!!