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| I skipped winter sowing last year and I'm trying to remember the three previous years that I winter sowed. I think we had a lot of 'warm ups' over the winter and one year some of my seeds sprouted early and then froze when it turned bitter cold again. So I was wondering if there are some seeds that are safer than others to put out this early, that might have less chance of sprouting early? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by countrycarolyn (My Page) on Tue, Dec 21, 10 at 3:35
| Seeds that need 2 seasons to germinate, or in other words seeds that need a substancial time of cold, will be my first ones to sow. |
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| How does one tell which ones need substantial period of cold? Research, research, it that the only way? Any special tricks or tips? |
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- Posted by countrycarolyn (My Page) on Tue, Dec 21, 10 at 11:11
| Research is one of the best ways, at least that is how I do it. If there is an easier way I have yet to figure it out. |
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| Hi PM2, Last year my little box of WS seeds was not planted until Feb.9th. Everything came up - but really late. If I were doing it this year, I'd not hesitate to put in hardy, tough seeds like rudbeckia (any of those that you like and mentioned in the NE forum) because they took so long to get large enough to plant. I mean months - like July when it was too hot. Finally got them into a new garden while they had green leaves, but only this year will tell if it was worth it. Personally, I'd celebrate the Winter Solstice and plant! It's all one big learning experience to me. Kindly, |
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- Posted by prairiemoon2 (My Page) on Tue, Dec 21, 10 at 14:15
| Thanks carolyn and msirie...the researching reminded me of how extensive the FAQs are on the Winter Sowing Forum. Of course, Trudi has this question covered and so many others. Hi Jane, yes, I thought I would at least plant a few containers just to celebrate the Solstice even if I wait for the majority of seeds. I was just checking my list of seeds and really I have more annuals than anything else. Dicentra, Rose seeds, and Hellebores are about the only thing that are not annuals. Allyssum and Zinnias come up in less than a week in the spring and don't need that cold spell. So maybe I'll just do the perennials and herbs and leave the annuals for March. I haven't finished making my list, so maybe there'll be more. Thanks! :-) |
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- Posted by prairiemoon2 6a (My Page) on Tue, Dec 21, 10 at 14:27
| Jane, I planted out my containers pretty late the first year. Some seeds sprout much earlier than others. Dianthus was the earliest for me. I think the second year, I read that Trudi separates into 'hunks of seedlings' and plants them out when they are really small and I did that and they did fine. I am sure this year, you'll find happiness with what you planted last year. [g] What did you sow last year and what are you planning to sow this year? |
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| I have absolutely no idea, lol. But whatever it is, I already own the seeds! The ruds, penstemon, and things I cannot remember did come up last year and were planted eventually, but it was a hectic year and they went in last fall. We'll see. This year I will concentrate on eatables mostly and start things indoors to put in my greenhouse come early March. Good luck, PM2 :) you'll be bouncing in flowers next year! |
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- Posted by littleonefb (My Page) on Thu, Dec 23, 10 at 0:31
| PM2, Unless you have seeds that need warm-cold-warm stratification to germinate, going into year 8 now with WS, you can sow your seeds where we both live in MA as late as the beginning of February without any problems, even ones that need some cold stratification. We've had such crazy weather over the winter in MA the last several years, that it can get very risky to sow seeds this early. Several years ago, I had seeds out by the end of Dec. and it got so warm in mid Jan, that a lot of them germinated and then mother nature through her warmth out the window and brought back "real winter" and I lost all those seedlings along with all the seeds that where in the containers. I know this happened to a couple other WS that live around where we do, PM2, and after that experience and the crazy Dec and Jan. we have had since, I don't do any WS till the beginning of Feb. I had kept very concise records on when seeds where sown, when they germinated from earlier years and compared them to the first year I didn't WS any seeds till the first week in Feb. and found no real difference in when they germinated. It had always been within a week or 2 of the same dates from year to year and this has been for the past 5 years. My falls are just to busy for me to get things ready to sow anything in Dec. and I'm still filling orders from my business till the day before Xmas and January I'm busy doing some other things for the business and just getting time to organize. February works out great for me and the seeds don't mind. Perennials are out in February and then wait till mid March and the biennials if any go out then. From the first week in April on, the early veggies go out, lettuce, spinach, peas, snow peas etc., then the early blooming annuals. By mid April the toms are out, the peppers, cukes and first round of zinnias, marigolds etc. By May 1, everything is out, including the tender annuals and odds are, a bunch of seedlings have been covered overnight to protect them. Memorial weekend on becomes plant out time and getting ready for my plant swap, and by the second week in June, most of the seedlings are with their respective "owners" and mine are in the ground, all except the few perennials I hold onto till the fall to plant. Fran |
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