For wintersowing? Geez, understand I've been wintersowing for 7 years, this will be year 8. Some years I've done as many as 80 some jugs, but some favorites would be
Perennials
rudbeckia hirtas
coneflowers (echinacea)
gaillardia
columbine
digitalis
verbascum
butterfly weed (A. tuberosa)
lobelia cardinalis
maltese cross
salvia
snapdragons

Hardy annuals
bachelor buttons
poppies

Annuals
alyssum
petunia
tomatoes
zinnias
marigolds
nasturtium
salvia

I've tried lots of others. Any specific questions?

My best recommendations would be
Sow perennials and hardy annuals in winter, tenders in spring, or close to spring. Protect tender seedlings frost late frost.
Use large containers, soil 3" or deeper, allow for headroom
Maintain moisture and Adequate drainage.

Karen

As to the database Xeramtheum posted, that was our results from GardenWeb. It was a compilation of results to which all interested parties could contribute. Many of us contributed over a period of years. If a particular plant wasn't listed, it doesn't mean it won't work. It simply means that no responders tried it AND reported it.

Karen

It's a most excellent tool - I've had it for many years and can't remember who sent it to me. Ya'll did an awesome job! You should be proud.

It's also on GWeb's FAQs.
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/w...

That was my motivation for doing a spreadsheet in my early WSing years. Emailing a spreadsheet to the person compiling results seemed the easiest option.

Karen

It sure has saved me from a lot of failures .. thanks for your efforts .. they are appreciated!

I'd caution you not to put too much emphasis on other people's results. Just because some in your zone aren't successful with a certain plant, it doesn't mean you can't do it.

Karen

Hey Madam X - both Donna Creation and I send you well wishes!!

Deanna

You can also use a sharp knife to slice little wedges out of the lower rim of plastic cups. That let's you cut any size or shape of hole that you want.

Or a soldering iron or wood-burning tool or a big nail heated in a gas flame.

>> in the past I used cell packs which were a pain because of irregular germination - I'd have to be digging out individual seedling to transplant into a pot

True, but the inconvenience is reduced if you use the tear-apart six-packs. Then you only need six cells to sprout close-together-enough. And sometimes you can double-up two six packs if each has one empty row, by nesting the full row from one pack into the top of the empty row from another pack.

When I use solid prop trays (plug trays), I cut them into 3-4 slices. For example, 10 rows (50 cells) become three slices with 3-4-3 rows.

Sixteen rows (128 cells) become 4 slices of 4 rows each - 32 cells per slice). Each slice gets just one variety, and usually germinate close enough together that I can pop out all the vigorous ones in one session, and ignore the rest. I expect late-sprouters to be less vigorous. But then, the most tricky things I start are Salvia and Delphinium, since I gave up on Penstemon. And Salvias and Delphs are not very tricky if you pre-soak them. And the seeds are not so precious that I can't waste a few.

I'm guessing that you start some difficult seeds that sprout over a range of weeks, and maybe "late-sprouting" does not mean "weak and sickly".

Big clippers worked great for the plastic glasses.

You aren't talking about the very clear hard plastic, are you?

I never used those- too hard to cut. I've used the Solo-type cups, or styrofoam. I used to use a lot of yogurt cups, but I've changed brands. I don't like the Oikos greek yogurt cups as well as my old Dannon ones. I'm still re-using some of the old ones, though.

Karen

Roses we're talking about the squishable plastic cups.

Rick I was using the 6 cell packs - as I said, I'm hoping this new way will keep me from having to transplant into pots before they need to go into the ground or where ever.

The first picture is from last year on the 2nd of February. The second picture is what my potting bench looked like by March 1st and I hadn't even started the Morning Glory's yet. I think I grew about 30 MG's last year. They are always the last to get started because they pop up very fast and grow extremely fast then try to hug everything in sight. Trying to extricate individuals from each other and their victims without damaging anything is a nightmare. And yes I do start the ones that take the longest to germinate first.

I've also tried the using knives, pencils, screw drivers, pretty much anything I can find to punch holes in cups. The clippers or sharp scissors are the best way in my experience .. you don't really want to poke a hole, rather just cut off an edge at the bottom.

I always use a piece of wood under under the object I'm trying to pierce. I've drilled big holes into the wood. When there's no resistance under the container, it's much easier to pierce. I use whatever is there- an ice pick, a closed pointed scissors, a serrated knife. Once a knife pierces, I twist it to open the hole wider. I also often poke a hole on the side, about an inch from the bottom.

I think poking into that piece of wood has saved my fingers often.

Karen

When I used to use things to poke holes I used a piece of wood too! But only after I started bleeding .. Lol!

Xeramtheum said:When I used to use things to poke holes I used a piece of wood too! But only after I started bleeding .. Lol!

That reminds me of a funny thing that happened at a garden club meeting a few years back. We had folks from Tom-boy Tools come in to demo their power tools (designed for women). I decided to make a workshop out of the demo and everyone made a wood trellis to take home for their garden. Everyone was so focused on drilling holes and securing the trellis together, we didn't notice that in our "zeal" we drilled holes into the tables. Our club replaced the damaged tables to the Community Centre and a few of us ended up with great folding tables, complete with drain holes, for an excellent price. It still makes us laugh.

Box cutter works great for me.

That is funny Joanna .. I've done the exact same thing before!

Xeramtheum,

I see you found a solution for carrying around a large number of pots! I tried using "1020" trays but they are much too fragile and the sides aren't high enough. Web flats - same thing. Also, none of my pots and trays quite "fit" - there's always wasted space.

Indoors I can use cardboard boxes lined with plastic bags, but outside, they dissolve in the rain.

The Dollar Tree is a most wonderful place for garden stuff that isn't garden stuff. Everything from containers for holding multiple pots to small pots themselves and even those cell packs .. couldn't live without it!