6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
One other thing about the winter sowing method - for us northerners, it really is not worth the effort. You are only gaining a few weeks at best, over direct sowing into the garden and if your growing season is only 3 months long, waiting until August for flowers is just not an option.
I sow my tomatoes so that I can plant them outside in WOWs at least a month before my last frost date. That way I can actually eat some tomatoes in July. With winter sowing, I would be lucky to have green tomatoes before the first fall frost.
There ARE advantages of winter sowing verses direct sowing though, Kay. Direct sown seeds can get blown away, washed away, eaten by birds or bugs. By sowing them in a container, you may not gain a lot as far as the bloom date, but you have more control over the germination process as a whole. Tomatoes and peppers are about the only things I may sow some of indoors. All of the cool season veggies and herbs will be WS, along with all of my perennials, and annuals. The annuals won't be sown until March or early April, and yes the blooms will be a little behind the nursery bought plants, but the plants will be stronger and many will bloom well past the first frost. For those of us that don't have room for sowing indoors, or have a green house, wintersowing allows us to still grow from seed.
Primgal, I hope that you won't give up on growing from seed. It's just a matter of finding a way that works for you. We are all learning as we go.
Happy sowing,
Bonnie
My notes on Torenia say takes 12-15 weeks to set out so... if start both at the same time transplant the impatiens in a 4" pot so will have enough room to stay healthy.
Traditionaly the range of dates is to allow for differences in container size, soil temp, light etc.
Would suggest you read winter sowing forum FAQ for easy way to start many plants. For me lettuce, spinach could be started early outside but toms , peppers and eggplants do need to be started indoor due to my summer quite short. You are in warmer zone than me but am not sure about your summer. You might want to try to grow early growing toms, peppers and eggplants- like Stupice, Siberian toms or smaller eggplants which need only 55-60 days to ripen instead of usual 80.
Hi jimla - There are many ways a cold frame can be incorporated into your garden. It all depends on (1) the exact nature of your cold frame as there are many very different ones on the market, (2) your weather, and (3) how much work and/or monitoring of it you will be free and willing to do.
For example, a frame that is portable, well insulated, and open on the bottom can be used to plant things in-ground both earlier and later in the year. It is used to extend you season on both ends in other words. Cole crops and leafy greens are really good crops for this. It will require close monitoring during the day as it can get quite warm inside so an auto-open vent is helpful.
While heat loving plants like tomatoes and peppers would do fine in it during the day, they would likely require some additional heat at night to maintain a minimum temp of 50 degrees - depending on your weather.
A cold frame that is totally enclosed, including the bottom, is used differently so we would need some additional details on your type of cold frame - size, insulation, venting, portability, etc.
I have linked a good set of discussions below - just scroll down to the links banded in blue - and I hope this helps you. Good luck! ;)
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Cold frames discussions
Even sterile soilless mixes can get infested with pests depending on how long they lay around exposed - some dealers store them outside for months before shelving them for sale. But I agree with calistoga - the odds are that you got weevil infested seeds and as directed cold stratification and then scarifying them will usually sort out the good from the bad.
Dave
Hi Garden,
I feel the same way. I don't have the time or interest to "worry over" plants. I've never sowed seeds indoors. I plant hardy native varieties that establish theselves readily. Wintersowing works well for me- I make the little flats and forget about them till I want to plant them out. But, I also take the same approach with the cold frames and other methods, too.
It sounds cliche, but every garden, and gardener, is different. I am sure you will find the best approach for you. I did do a lot of reading in the wintersowing forum, and the meadows forum, along with this forum. The main thing I learned is- when done in small batches- seeds are cheap! That gave me the courage to experiment more widely.
I am also working in large areas. I have several acres I am working to restore as best I can.
I'm in MI, too.
Let me know if you want more information, I'llbe glad to share whatever I know.
I'll look forward to rading about your progress in the fourms. :-)
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WEATHER!!!!!!!! What's up w/ the temps????? It's in the 60's here!!!!!!!!!!
Snow is gone in the Detroit area. . . . Wonder how it is up north where this seed is going.
If I can catch this weather before another snowstorm ~ I'll be gold!
If not sown in potting medium or seed starting mix of some sort, your seeds should be in a tiny plastic zip lock, small container of some kind, with a bit of moist sterile sand or moist vermiculite.
They can't be allowed to dry out again now that you've soaked them. I use the zip locks with vermiculite or will sow and wrap the pot in saran wrap before putting in my fridge.
I use one plain 40 watt cool along with a full spectrum in each shoplight, to save money, since I have 6 fixtures. I have complete success keeping the lights no more than one inch or less from seedlings. I even use the warm spot on top of the fixture for paks that need warmth to germinate.
susan...I like the idea of putting the packs on top of the lights that need starting. Never would have thought of that.
I was wondering how I was going to increase the soil temps the 5 or so degrees needed for optimum temps. This looks like it might be the way to do it.
Mark-
Mike, first, your tumbling toms are hybrids, you could find yourself growing other tomatoes from saved seed.
You're getting good germination, so your seeds are viable - the problem you are having must have something to do with your growing conditions for the seedlings and not how you cared for the seeds.
I'm not sure what you mean by bolt. Lettuce, basil, spinach will 'bolt' meaning flower and set seed (often turning the leaves bitter for eating) when exposed to warmer temps or with age. I wonder if you aren't seeing damp off, or transplant shock, something with your repotting process?
I have ordered from Morton horticultural products- they are wholesale but prices are reasonable so I am sure will end up spending all. They have your requested sizes.
Mojogardener's site he referenced is an excellent source, I hope you look it over. Al