That's about how I started, only in the basement. Still start a lot IN THE HOUSE and just put in GH after potting up.

Okay, I'm finally getting around to starting my lettuce today. At least doing 3 plug trays, 288 each. I'll have to do more since I have so many varieties, but three is enough for today. We may have to go out of town for awhile so I don't want to get anything started that doesn't have self watering. I did plant more broccoli and some cauliflower yesterday.

Rita, isn't the melon Sugar Cube one you recommended? I got a free pack of seeds from Harris so I'm going to try them this year.

Arlene, Sugar Cube us the one that I love and was growing last year. I intend to grow it again this year also. Congrats on starting your lettuce.

I just look outside at the snow on the ground and of course it is really cold. I can only dream of spring.

Spring will be right around the corner, after another frigid blast this week. I can hope anyway!

I thought Sugar Cube sounded familiar. I'll be looking forward to trying it!

I potted up 16 tomato seedlings from the community flat to individual drinking water bottles this weekend. Sweet Ozark Orange (SOO). It's much more efficient and a time-saver to just sow the seeds in a common flat, then separate them out after they get a first set of true leaves. I used the deep, clear plastic spinach tubs you get at the Sam's Clubs/Costco stores. Kept the lids on till the seeds declared. Then, because the tubs are so deep, just left the seedlings in there till the true leaves came on. They're a bit crowded, but comfortable, since the deep container allows for deep root expansion.

I also have a flat of NOIDS to pot up this evening. About 35-40 seedlings in another community flat. Prepped the drinking water bottles (tops cut off and holes punched in the bottoms) over the weekend, so it'll go swiftly.

Have had a small fan on the NOIDS since last week, and, so happy to report, I now have tiny TREES growing, LOL!

The SOOs will start taking field trips out into the yard starting next weekend.

Plant out is targeted for February 15th.

I feel so guilty. Other than updating my spreadsheet of seeds and thinking about working out a planting scheme I have done nada. I will be gone April 10 to May 3rd and there is no way my husband can or will tend baby plants. Just peppers and tomatoes which must get started before I leave. I may plant some flats the day before I leave and just ask him to spritz them to keep them damp. I hope he can handle that.http://garden.org/i/s/shrug.gif

Mary Stella,
Start your seedlings in the flats, but put the flats in plastic bags. I use the clothes bags they give you when you go for your annual women's exam, LOL. I just collect them all from the bin where they're thrown after one use!

The bag will hold in the moisture. Put the flats under the lights, and ask you hubby to check them after 5 days. Soon as he sees ANYTHING growing, tell him to remove the bags and lower the lights.

They might just make it, LOL!

Would you trust him to water a cotton pad sitting between the water-holding 1020 tray and your cells, pots or flats? If your seedling mix wicks well enough, that's easier than top-spritzing and it discourages damping-off by keeping the surface drier..

Flannel or terrycloth under the cells can assure that any remaining water in the tray is shared equally. Any over-watered, waterlogged cell will drain out faster than it would without the pad.

http://garden.org/ideas/view/R...

Thanks Gymgirl and Rick. I read the article on the capillary mats. I do have three set ups I bought as a unit some years ago that use that method but I can see that yours is easier and I can do it with all my flats. I will get going on more serious thinking and head out to get a bale of potting soil from my greenhouse nursery. I also need to set up some winter sown stuff that I won't worry about as it will just do its own thing anyway. Thanks again.

I think everyone finds what works best for them. My biggest problem is OVERwatering, so I like the way the mat "pulls out" perched water.

I either over or under water. Even using a moisture meter I seemed to manage it last spring. I am looking forward to trying the mat idea.

I hope it helps.

Since similar-size cells stay almost equally moist (or dry), checking the weight of the tray is another clue, besides the mat's moistness or dryness.

Been 25 years since I have seen my winter garden like this.

Oh my.

Wow.

Anything harvest-able under all that?

Snow does not hurt anything, but unfortunately we have had a record setting winter with several days in the low teens. Collards still surviving, but broccoli is severly frost bitten as are mustard ,turnips, rutabagas and winter radishes. English peas and onions are still hanging on. Cabbage survived 12 degrees, but showing stress. 12-15 degrees predicted for tonight.

Hope it warms up and saves your crops. Your garden is always awesome.

wow...I'll pray for your crop to pull through, Farmerdill.

Yeah, I understand about the insulating quality of snow - to a point.
Is any of the frostbitten stuff able to be saved if trimmed and cooked for the freezer or a can?

Root crops like turnips, rutabagas and winter radishes ought to survive underground, right, even if they lose most of their leaves. Or will you be able to wrestle them from the frozen soil and process them?

I'm so nosy (that's "nebby" in Pittsburghese) because I haven't actually started winter gardening yet myself. Not that ANY weather is "normal" anymore, but I'm a zone 5 here and could use your advice.

One year, I was surprised my endive in a 15" cubed pot lasted all year. I plan to try next year for mustard, spinach, radishes (those black "winter" ones I forget the name of), parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, and maybe some other leafies - not collards or kale.

So I'm very interested to hear your outcomes.