No those temps are way to cold, but if you take the container in at night, IE a un heated garage should work. Take mine into my hay trailer at night after they sprout and back out side the next am.

Another trick is to toss a blanket( not plastic) over the container. I prefer the unheated hay trailer due to it is shortage distance to the containers.

ML

Looks like it's going to snow tomorrow. So I guess, I can keep it outside since snow will server as an insulation.

I remember, I saw 33F on my outside reader last night. The leaves that I saw this afternoon were fine. So looks like they can take temps like this?

oh no, my external temp reader is saying 26F right now :(
I'll look at them tomorrow.

Some varieties can take a little cold. Some can't handle any. And it matters what sort of container they are in. The air temperature outside might be 28, but the soil could still be above freezing. I wouldn't chance it too many nights and even snow might not protect them if they are really young. I would move tomatoes inside if snow is coming.

I am in zone 5, Kansas where the snow is falling or about to fall. I have containers outside, snug under their plastic covers. Tomatoes are included in the mix, and I saw a tiny sprout yesterday. They are sitting on my concrete patio. This method of winter sowing is designed to start plants that don't need coddling. I don't plan to recover or move anything inside, that isn't "winter sowing". In the past the only thing I have had die was a flat of Cosmos that touched the plastic top, my fault for not watching more carefully. Do what feels right for you but my planters are staying put.
Trowelgal

My cosmos froze last mon and tue so if they froze so would of a tomato sprout. My tomatoes sprouts are due in the next 10 days here. Some time around 4/7 they will show up here. Then they get baby sat for the rest of the month. Grow mostly tomatoes here in my winter sowing so it is all jugs in idea.
Resowing the cosmos this weekend.
ML

Thomas,

This is the flat. I'm going out in a few to check out those that sprouted few days ago.

{{gwi:368307}}

They are still looking good! WOOHOO!!!

It's 35F right now. Hopefully, we won't have anymore consistent lows. I'll monitor the temp so if there will be one, I'll bring them inside.

Thanks.

Wintersowing is different things to different people depending on their growing zone and condition.. For those of you in the colder zones, when the plants sprout in colder weather and they are insulated from the cold by snow cover, then they will never get below freezing since the snow acts as an insulator. For those of us who garden where the temps can get vacillate wildly from balmy to below freezing and where we have no snow cover, any tomato plants that germinate when it is unseasonably warm and begin growing and then are subjected to below freezing temperatures will freeze and die unless we protect them. Winter sowing does not confer different cold temp. tolerances to a tomato plant that begins germinating but where they germinate and the weather patterns/conditions of the area will dictate whether the plant dies or makes it through just fine. If everyone was able to wintersow the same way, you wouldn't have people on here who have lists of things that they start earlier say closer to the winter solstice and others that they wait to start much later in late winter to early spring. Although I enjoy wintersowing some things and take great joy in it, I think those that believe that this technique confers some special properties such as extreme hardiness to plants that are winter sown vs. conventionally sown need to understand that there are basic biological principles that are not changed by the sowing technique. A plant that is a heat lover will not take sub-freezing temps unless it is given some insulatory properties either by snow cover or the containers that the seeds are sown in.

Thanks nckvilledudes for the clarification. Glad I decided to bring in my 2 baby canna sprouts. My intuition told me they wouldn't at all like the cold temps that are coming my way. My tomatoes haven't sprouted yet so I think they will be fine outside.

-StlGirl

No problem StlGirl. Below is a link to another thread where someone left her seedlings outside and the weather got cold and she lost some of her seedlings. As someone in the thread pointed out, some of the seeds may not have sprouted so it is not without hope that there still may be some that germinate later when the danger of colder weather won't be as likely to cause the loss of the seedlings.

Here is a link that might be useful: Other Thread

Makes sense that if grown-up plants won't tolerate the cold, then their little babies won't either. However, my maters have been resistant to about 28 degrees, as long as it's dry (no frost). Unlikely if you have a lot of condensation on your jugs, so if it's not too much trouble, just take those babies to the garage. Why risk it?
Does anyone know if tomatillos will WS? They seem a close relative to tomatoes, but they also are native to parts that are much more temperate than where I live. I sowed some with my 'maters this year (okay, first time I've WS'd at all, to be honest!), and will report back; but I was wondering if anyone had some feedback? I have seen mostly flowers WS, but I am hoping to start my entire vegetable & herb garden this way...

Our temp last night was somewhere 16F-18F. I was really worried. It snowed this morning and the flats got covered about 3 to 5" of snow. However, it melted quickly. I went out to look at the tomato seedlings. They are still fine. :D

I also saw other sprouts like Burgundy Gaillardia and Reseda Alba. I couldn't read the other labels though. LOL :D

I am with you mayberrygardener. If you have taken the time and trouble to get things to germinate, why risk it? Of course, tomatoes are not something that I wintersow. Our temps vacillate way to much to take the chance on them. Mine are up and growing well inside under fluorescent shop lights. They are doing so well this way that I have had to pull extra seedlings that have germinated out of the pots to prevent overcrowding. Same for green peppers, eggplant, dill, and fennel. I have heard that fennel and dill will self sow in the garden, but I have never grown them before so will see if they do selfsow in subsequent years.

I'm growing dill and fennel for the first time too. And I started my tomatoes indoors. I tried a few outside. I haven't seen any sprouts yet.

The indoor grown tomatoes are in the hoophouse now. They'll stay there until Easter when I plant them out.

I put my WS Brandywine toms in the garden yesterday. I had faith and did what Trudi said, put them in with water bottles surrounding them for some protection, they don't even have their first true leaves yet! I did start several indoors under lights, and they are doing great, I think that if I didn't have those that I would've been more hesitant to transplant my WS ones.

You can also use a ring of milk jugs filled with water ( if painted black they may hold in extra heat too ), and circle the plant. I do that and toss a towel over them at night with a jug with the bottom cut out of it placed over the seedling. It will give you quite a head start on the weather.

ML

interesting...what does water do? I read this before from someone who put his palm tree outside. He put black color on the water in the milk jug. Thanks.

The water bottles retain the sun's heat. It only affects them a few degrees. It can keep frost from landing on them since it melts the frost.

You can also purchase these.

Wall O Water