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| The past couple of days we have had our first real defrost of the winter. I went out and checked my first attempts at Winter sown seed. They are swamps! They are not "under water" but most are wet enough they resemble cake batter. I have to assume that I didnt punch big enough holes in the containers. Only one showed any sign of having germinated anything. The spinach had several completely white wormy looking sproutlings laying on their sides.
If I open up the lids and let them dry out, do you think there is a chance of anything actually sprouting? or am I likely to have drowned everything? Is this a regular occurrence when there has been 8 inches of snow on them? I realize that there is always a learning curve, and I didnt commit anything precious to this trial. But I was so excited about trying this easy method. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a 5b/6a N CT (My Page) on Thu, Apr 7, 11 at 20:53
| Couldn't help but chuckle when I read your post--that was me last year, my first year to WS. I took the tops off my containers too early and they all turned to mud when we had torrential rain for several weeks. I ended up hauling half of them inside my garage to dry out. No matter how wet they got, the seedlings were fine. I put lots of drainage holes in the bottoms of the containers so even though the soil was sodden, it was draining. That must have been the deciding factor because most everything sprouted and thrived. Give them the benefit of the doubt and see what happens--what have you got to lose? WS seedlings/sprouts are tough as nails. They get extra protection in their containers they wouldn't get if they fell naturally from the plant to the ground. Give Ma Nature a chance to help them along too, same as she's been doing the past few million years. |
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- Posted by buturfliis_mom z5chicago (My Page) on Thu, Apr 7, 11 at 21:00
| Not too much has sprouted in zone 5, so you may still be okay. Add some more drainage holes. Most of the seeds are still laying dormant waiting for a number of warmer days. I would wait and see. Even that spinach might be fine. Regarding the snow amount, that does not make the containers soupy. Your container should drain relatively quickly. I have found that 9 slits in my milkjugs does not work as well as two or three holes. I use a steak knife to punch the holes in the milkjugs, and if I just give it a twist, and open up that slit, they seem to drain better. Be careful to not overdo it, as we are coming up into the time when you have to start watching them to make sure they do not dry out. Seems complicated, but it is really not. Most seeds are very forgiving, they are survivors... |
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| Cut more drainage holes in the bottom. A serrated steak knife will poke right thru. Add a few holes about an inch up from the bottom, on the side of the jug. Karen |
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| Thanks - I'll go out this morning and see if I can enlarge the drainage holes. I poked lots of holes in the containers to start with (mostly those thin clear plastic mini do-nut/cookie containers from the grocery store) but I just used an awl so they are the size of a nail hole. We are supposed to have rain this weekend, so maybe I'll throw a piece of plastic over them so they dont get additional moisture for a while. I guess if I think about it, most of my beds are pretty muddy right now too, due to 2 ft. of melted snow, and I am not worried about them. |
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- Posted by buturfliis_mom z5chicago (My Page) on Fri, Apr 8, 11 at 17:29
| Not too much has sprouted in zone 5, so you may still be okay. Add some more drainage holes. Most of the seeds are still laying dormant waiting for a number of warmer days. I would wait and see. Even that spinach might be fine. Regarding the snow amount, that does not make the containers soupy. Your container should drain relatively quickly. I have found that 9 slits in my milkjugs does not work as well as two or three holes. I use a steak knife to punch the holes in the milkjugs, and if I just give it a twist, and open up that slit, they seem to drain better. Be careful to not overdo it, as we are coming up into the time when you have to start watching them to make sure they do not dry out. Seems complicated, but it is really not. Most seeds are very forgiving, they are survivors... |
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| I punched bigger drain holes in them this morning, and realized I had been over reacting a bit. Only one was really soupy, the others are just wet. When I got home this afternoon I see on little Aubrietta sprouting ! Thanks for the cybernetic "hand holding" |
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