I only have a few milk jugs, and since this is my first year with wintersowing, I'm not sure what to do! Do the seedlings do okay when you pluck them out of the milk jug? I'm worried about shocking them too much, I guess. Also, don't you need to scoop out a few seedlings together, instead of one at a time? With my luck at growing things from seed, I'm trying to find the best possible way to get them into the ground after I get them growing. I'm a loser at growing most things from seed.

Natalie, I have direct sown in paper pots. Not WS so to speak because we don't get winter like most. But I use paper pots all the time. The most important thing to remember is, make sure the soil is wet/damp enough so the paper gets wet too. Then trim any excess paper above the soil because otherwise that will wick the moisture away. Your paper pots could be put in a large covered tub or some other enclosed vessel. I don't think they would dry out any more than other WS containers and I have never had a mold problem. My pots didn't disintegrate until much later, usually I end up tearing them off of the plants as I set them in the garden.

I think it would be worth trying.

Have you considered trying the vermiculte method for WS? That may open your options for containers.

Thanks Arlene! I was going to put them in a large covered plastic container, so I think they will do okay. And, if they fall apart, no big deal. I'll just scoop the blobs of stuff up and plant them! I've never tried to wintersow before, so I haven't tried the vermiculte method. I just got a late start on saving milk containers. Forgot to do that all year!

I agree with Arlene. Paper pots retain enough moisture if they're nestled snugly together in a flat, grow pot or tub. They hold up long enough also if they're nestled snugly together. The only ones I've had dry out or fall apart too soon are the ones that were sitting around all by themselves. That being said, I don't leave mine outdoors in heavy downpours or sitting in the open in snow, so yes, these are probably better to use for up-potting, rather than open container winter sowing.





Winter sowing in vermiculite is awesome! I'm even using some smaller clear plastic containers this year...like 14 ounce cups. I'll cover the tops with Press and Seal, or wrap them with plastic, then set them inside a big clear tub for their time in the cold. They just sprout in the vermiculite, so they'll hold safely in a small container for a very long time. There's no nitrogen in the vermiculite so they don't extend growth until they're potted into growing media, or placed in the garden. This gives us much more freedom in placing them elsewhere...at our own pace. No tangled roots or stretched-out seedlings.

Last year I started using the vermiculite method. I really like it. I still use other methods as well to start seeds but I really like sowing in vermiculite. It is fast, cleaner and I seem to have better germination, especially with fussy seeds. And I like you can use any size, shape sealed container. I use a lot of the rotisserie chicken containers, hummus containers, fast food bowls w/domes, etc. Some are a bit shallow but I tend to transplant my seedlings at a very small stage. They get scooped out of the vermiculite gently and gently pulled apart to pot up, usually in paper pots. My DH rolls the pots for me. He usually does well over 1,000, but then, I use them for everything! Usually by the time they deteriorate the pot is filled with roots so the soil pretty much stays put. Like I said, it's important to not let the paper be above the soil line!

Thanks for the great information! Arlene, I need to borrow your husband. Mine has no interest in rolling paper pots for me.

Natalie,
I am posting this link to winter sowing because it answers some of the questions I had about it.
My big worry here would not involve the cold weather so much, but the warm weather. There is a lot of similarities in "winter sowing" and using a cold frame. By far the biggest danger when I use my cold frame (there is some danger from freezing weather) is the heat build up. If I am not around to open up my cold frames my plants will fry even in the winter when we have a lot of days that get up to 70 degrees sporadically.
I am a little concerned about Natalie saying " I was going to put them in a large covered plastic container". There would have to be lots of drainage holes in the bottom of the container(to keep plants from drowning) and lots of vent holes in the top (to keep the plants form frying and to let in moisture when it rained), or you would have to be physically present to open up the container on warm days, close it on cold days and that defeats the purpose of winter sowing. I think of winter sowing as being pretty much "set it and forget it", but still even using the typical milk jugs, it seems on warm days extra venting would need to be done (I know it does here as the weather begins to heat up and the plants start to put on leaves.
I am not saying that winter sowing cannot be done in paper containers, but it just seems milk jugs and soda bottles are a better fit design wise for "winter sowing". When the milk jugs and soda bottles are placed outside, the lid is left off, for air and moisture.
To answer the question about transplanting the seedlings, if the container is sown with hundreds of seeds they would have to be dug out in groups, but if only say...1 to a dozen seeds are planted and the seedlings transplanted when they are small it is easy to dig the out one at a time. The point being that for some plants one method is better than the other, but they both work.
http://www.bachmans.com/files/...

Thanks Larry. My plastic container has lots of holes for drainage, and holes in the top to let heat escape, and moisture in. I'll check out the link in a minute.

Good points, Larry.

The sealed container with vermiculite w/s is different in that the containers are only to be stored outdoors in the shade, and completely out of direct sunlight. No heat buildup occurs this way and the seeds stay colder longer, so they won't as easily sprout too early.

Pricking out individuals is a snap because the entire plant, roots and all, are typically very short.

For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, here's Jonna's article on the subject. http://www.seedsite.eu/article...

chelle,
Thanks so much for the link, that is really interesting. I may just try some of that. It sounds almost fool proof, and very simple. Yes, I am going to try that!

All of these will require up-potting, but they'll go gangbusters as soon as you do. As an added benefit, they'll wait for you if you run short on time, when life gets in the way. These sprouted first of May or so, and didn't get up-potted till the end of September! I planted them out a couple of weeks later, and they're doing just fine.

For regular wintersowing in potting mix, and milk jug, I never prick them out or pot them up. If seedling are so thick as to resemble a chia pet



I usually dump the whole blob out into a flat, on it's head. Then I flip them over, cut them into hunks with a knife, (like a pan of brownies), and transplant a hunk. I've been doing this since 2006, and I assure you it works just fine. Don't sweat it.

This blob of marigolds made many pretty clumps of flowers.



Karen

Thanks Karen! I do well with blobs!

When @RickCorey sees those chia pet seedlings he gets palpitations.

Karen

Try different ways of sowing seeds!
You learn by doing!

kqcrna said:... If seedling are so thick as to resemble a chia pet
...
I usually dump the whole blob out into a flat, on it's head. Then I flip them over, cut them into hunks with a knife, (like a pan of brownies), and transplant a hunk. I've been doing this since 2006, and I assure you it works just fine. Don't sweat it.

....

GAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!

(head exploding)

I'm sure you're re right, and some day I'll take a tranquilizer and try it myself, but until then the thought of chopping through seedling roots makes me flinch and shudder.

Sissy Rick

@Woofie said she thought I was an axe murderer in a former life, or something to that effect.

Karen