chelle -- the stuff i bought is the finer vermiculite. when i was a kid, I recall mom using it for certain house plants -- it was much chunkier.

Terese, I'm thinking that the fine stuff (that's usually marketed for seed starting) would work well under cover, in flats or open containers that are exposed to moving air, but I'm just guessing here. @Trish, had I read somewhere that you start your tomato seeds this way, or do you use the coarse grade as well?

kqcrna said: I still remember her photos...
@jvdubb you should post a few photos from your first year WSing...

Karen

Ok Karen, per your request











You know Mom, just because you have the space for all that wintersowing doesn't mean you have the TIME for it!

And with that I'm now going to start my WSing for this year right now. I'll post a picture when I'm done and you can bet it will be A LOT less!

chelle said:Terese, I'm thinking that the fine stuff (that's usually marketed for seed starting) would work well under cover, in flats or open containers that are exposed to moving air, but I'm just guessing here. @Trish, had I read somewhere that you start your tomato seeds this way, or do you use the coarse grade as well?

I don't recall ours being graded, and the original bag is long gone (huge bag). Based on your pictures, I would say it is medium. It is certainly not bigger chunks like your coarse, but isn't so fine as to sink coins.

BTW- I didn't mean to rub it in about our weather. I knew I was running the risk of getting tarred and feathered!

I have been somewhat circumspect about that, too, Trish.

Oh Jennifer, those pictures are so funny. I imagine they could inspire the most serious Doubting Thomas.

I remembered those pictures well!

Karen

Thanks Trish.

The differences in weather north to south is amazing this time of year, isn't it? I'll admit that I do feel a bit blue when I hear about the growing season starting for y'all in the south already, but then I remember that here we can still go outdoors without biting and buzzing-in-your-eyes bugs!

It's a fairly nice day here today, if you discount the freezing rain. Schools were delayed three hours, but now the ice is starting to loosen a bit and the buses can run.

Back to winter sowing...next up for me are about 10 different penstemons and gentianas, followed by a few campanulas and then a few rather difficult species that I expect will take a year or two to sprout.

Happy sowing everyone!

Well it's not so toasty here ... low last night was 25°. For some reason I got up about 3 hours earlier than usual only to discover that one of the greenhouse heaters had apparently broken! It was 36° inside! Thankfully I always have 'heir and spare' heaters and thermostats.

Jennifer that is a LOT of jugs!

Chelle, if it helps any, you can feel a bit smug when July and August get here and those of us in the south are holed up in the house watching everything turn brown and crispy.

lovemyhouse said:Chelle, if it helps any, you can feel a bit smug when July and August get here and those of us in the south are holed up in the house watching everything turn brown and crispy.

I'm right there with ya, Debra. My skin doesn't tolerate July and August very well anymore. Between 10 and 4 (at least) I must be under cover. I'm afraid that many more shade sails are in my future.


Does anyone here have any germination tips for Campanula calaminthifolia? I'm assuming it will be similar to others of its type, but I'm really short on info.

Jennifer, thanks for posting those pictures!

Oh my Jennifer I can see how you would have been a bit overwhelmed

Karen

To be fair, the growing season hasn't at all started for us. That's one of our challenges- plants get very confused when it is 75 now and freezing next week. We still have weeks of cold weather ahead of us- not as cold as ya'll...but we won't be gardening outside, I assure you! Meanwhile, I am taking full advantage, for sure. We scramble at every warm weather day, because we're trying to get everything done before the heat sets in

Ahhhh-= the joys of being a gardener

We have the same thing with confused plants in 70° weather one day and 20° a few days later. It just happens a few months from now...

Karen

Karen

Just so you know, I have no intentions of trying to match Jennifer's WS!

I have every intention of trying to match it!

We'll be the judge of that Arlene, thank you very much!

I finally sowed my first 5 jugs today, and a few were old seeds. We'll see what happens. I'm not planning to do much this year. I'm waiting until closer to spring to sow a few annuals like marigolds and zinnias and tomatoes.

Karen