I mean my thought on it is that mother nature takes care of the seeds normally out in the wild without our help. Though when we start confining them to a small amount of soil like some containers that also means a small amount of moisture. If not left to nurture or water who knows what may happen since the same elements are not being provided out in the wild. Does that make sense??

In other words seedlings need moisture, containers seem to dry out faster than plants that have roots established in the ground.

I may try it just to see what happens, but like I said before I wouldn't try it with expensive or rare seeds. Also you could always try and have them in some kind of pan that holds water. I have always grown seeds in spring and I always put my pot or container in something that holds water. I can water one day and the next it still be bone dry. So that is another suggestion, I still do not know if it would work, though there is my thought.

Becky

I like trying new things or thinking outside of the box. Tonight my new idea is using an old parmesan cheese container. I am going to use it and I think it will work. I mean it already has the vents needed in the top. LOL

You really don't want to winter sow in seed starting mix - it has no nutrients for the seedlings once they've used what is in the seed itself, is very fast draining. You don't need a sterile medium outdoors where things are sterile only about a millisecond anyway...and it costs more.

Covering....one of the things I was concerned about with your leaving containers unattended until May...the height of the seedlings. Depending on what you are sowing, some things are going to need tops removed for 'head height' before you are home in May.

Carolyn, your enthusiasm is admirable! But, this will be your first year?.... unless you have seeds to play with, extras you don't count among your 'must have' plants...you might try what has worked most often before straying too far from the FAQs, you'll have a better idea what will work for you then.

That's not the same as potting soil, or potting mediums, products formulated for growing PLANTS in pots that we use to WS...almost all of which are basically soilless and contain no soil for the reasons you mention. Actual soil (and again, potting soil is really not soil at all) is going to compact and not provide the right aeration, drainage in a container no matter how wonderful it may be in your garden beds.

Confusing, I know. Potting soil isn't soil. We are starting seeds, but not in seed starting mix :)

Becky

Winter sowing to me personally is the same thing out in the wild confined to a recyclable container. If I misunderstood that then I am in the wrong place entirely!!!

How many people seriously need 100 plants of one variety unless you have plenty of acreage?? I know I don't!!

Oh and per faq's Trudi also uses Jiffy seed starting mix, ;)!!

Morz are you growing the gardens in the containers or you just starting seeds??

Karen

If you are going to be back in early May you can wait to sow your annuals then using winter/spring sowing. Annuals usually germinate and grow quickly. Also most perennials do not need cold stratification and many germinate in a few weeks so they could also be sown in May.

Regarding your suggested method, why not skip the cups and just direct sow and still cover the seeds? I have done that with using 2L tops over the seeds. The tops contain the seeds and help keep them moist.

I don't know your spring weather but if the temps get too high seedlings covered with 2L tops or other plastic can get too hot and burn up. Sowing in a semi-shaded area will help prevent that as will having vent holes in any plastic used to cover them.

Direct sowing and using row cover sounds like a workable idea.

To me gardening is a big experiment so I would try several techniques. Whatever you choose to do, please let us know the results.

Good luck.

Oh, I use soiless potting mix, Pro Mix is my first choice but have used most any with good results.

Uh, no.

The seeds don't sprout immediately, so they don't grow through winter. They remain dormant through winter and germinate at their own right time. For some, like many of the evergreen perennials, they will sprout at the end of winter and will survive with freezes and thaws.

After seedlings sprout they don't grow quickly above ground--sometimes it may even seem like the seedlings are in stasis--they're hardly growing at all, but you don't see what's going on below the soil where the seedling roots are growing long and strong.

If you want to WS in November and come back to green seedlings in May I think you'll be very dissapointed. I would only try this with very big and deep and huge patio urns because they will hold enough soil to remain moist for many months once they defrost in early spring. I would not cover them with plastic but instead leave the containers open so that the air under the plastic doesn't super-heat and cook seeds or seedlings.

Hope this clarifies and helps,

Trudi

PS--you can always try spring sowing when you get back north.

I should of said something like if it grows in nature or normally with NO human help then you can winter sow it.

I mean me simply I take winter sowing as we use the containers in order to just not mix up the seeds or not lose them etc etc... I mean think about it if the basis of winter sowing is anything that grows naturally with no help then why do we make it so difficult. To put it simply it is confining nature to a more controllable element then what it is in the wild.

We worry about our soil, well out in the nature do we put potting soil down, do we worry about seed starting mix, or does it simply grow where it got blown or where it got pooped from.

Some make it so difficult, umm sorry it shouldn't be like that.

I used the starting mix remark in my previous statement cause I was insulted that someone would say I need to go do some reading before offering advice acting like since I am new I know nothing. Granted I did it as a don't jump in my tail, cause I will jump back. Sorry for that also!!

Though I still say simplify and common sense!!

I remember one commercial grower saying he used a cold frame, with a screened top. The screening allows the rain to penetrate, but it softens the impact of a heavy rain, which might wash away seeds down the sides of containers (I have that problem sometimes, even with milk jugs and 2 liters).