As long as you can cut them, they should work great.

Karen

Just wondering if someone else had tried them. I've been seeing more jugs similar to this one in the grocery store lately. I'm going to give them a try, at least.

They'll be great, I promise. Shoot for about 3" soil depth.

What are you going to wintersow?

Karen

Going to try some salpiglossis, and a package of seeds that I don't remember the name of but I remember they like cool temps, some more blue poppy seeds, schizanthus.....got a list somewhere, just gotta find it! Mostly just going to WS the stuff that seems to self sow readily to free up room in the GH. Oh, and Cosmos for sure.

Cool. No perennials?

Ha! I'm still trying to figure out what I can grow as perennials here. Be interesting to see what comes back from last year, when I tried a few different perennials in some places.

I used clear packing tape.. and set them up inside where it's warm.. then put them out.. even with our freezing temps I have to cut it to open the jugs.. no way it will rip off without busting up the jug

I tried to WS some salpiglossis last year. Not a sprout.

Karen

That surprises me, Karen. I got quite a few volunteers last year from the previous year's plants. That's why I thought they'd make a good candidate for WS. Hmmm, maybe I'll do both.

As I've said, I generally do have some small percentage of WSown stuff that doesn't sprout. Don't know why. I think I only sowed a few seeds, because I didn't have garden space for many, if any.

KarenLast year was hot as hell though, and severe drought. Maybe they got too hot or dry before sprouting? I might have some leftover seeds from last year. If I find some, I'll try them again.

Most stuff did great, though. (Like the allysum picture a few posts above, in full bloom in the jug. )

Karen

I find some varieties (like Kew Blue) of salpiglossis has low germination %, indoor or ws. I do find that there is better germ % if the seeds are covered with soil when sowed. One time I dumped the soil out of the no germination cells (indoor starting) into the flower bed and they germinated there. I have also seen them self sow prolifically from a container (the year before) at a friend's garden into a limestone pathway that had landscape fabric under the rock.

Hmmm, I did two varieties WS this year. I only half covered the seeds. I did Kew Blue and another variety I can't think of at the moment. Salpiglosis is one of my top favorites. I hope it grows! That is one I will be bummed about if it does not. But I guess I will remember to dump the container and watch for signs of life if the WS doesn't work.

I'm not one to hold onto WSown jugs very long, either. I just get tired of falling over junk. Once May comes and weather warms, I'm anxious to scrub the outdoor furniture and porches and start enjoying sitting there and enjoying the weather. I dump unsprouted containers then into beds, thinking of it as a "strategic dump". Sometimes I get a late sprout or two.

I've known people who have used the method for difficult-to-sprout things, mostly shrubs and trees which might take more than a year. They might wait years for sprouts. No such patience here!

Karen

I believe that's call the "curse and stir" method of germination.

Yeah, that's about right.

Karen

I think one important step in breaking dormancy of difficult seeds is to let them hear you say: "Oh THESE seeds will never spout. No chance, no way, no how! I give up!"

THEN they sprout. It worked with me for Penstemon, after many months. But they never got past the 1 1/2 pairs of leaves stage.

That's how I got my first Lisianthus. Didn't know what the heck it was, either; had to post it in plant ID because I'd forgotten I'd planted any!

This year I indoor sowed the Lisianthus way back in the beginning of January. The seedlings are still tiny specks in the pro mix, but I'm determined to keep them alive. I'm torn between leaving a dome over them or not. Can't decide whether keeping them domed for so long will cause a problem. They're to small to benefit from bottom watering. The lights are so close that they would need constant spraying to keep from drying out without over watering. So far, I still think they're worth it.

I removed the cover on mine once a day for fresh air exchange and extended the uncovered period a bit each time . They'll just sit there (slowly growing roots) until they're exposed to hot conditions. Then, they'll take off like little rockets. The seedlings that survived to bloom for me were the batch I grew on the very dry side, early on.

Seed started Lisianthus blooming by mid-July in zone 5.

They're just beautiful, Chelle. What a lovely blue area.