We're still waiting for the right timing for concrete to start the garage. Yesterday, we spent some time in the yard, clearing the garden a little more, moving some bricks and rocks so I can use them later, and a little more general yard cleanup. It felt good to be in the garden, looking at bits of green.

I look out the window and think I'll need to start pruning and cleanup in a couple weeks. THEN maybe I won't snack so much.

I think I have chosen a place for my WS bottles. On the E. side of my shed.
It gets great AM sun till about 2PM--it is sheltered from the West and North winds--
It is open enough so that rains can water my bottles too. I hope

The bed has a lot of dried leaves up against he shed (insulation?) and I laid down
a bunch of the little, wood trellises that Mandevillas come on--hoping this will act as a slight
elevation for the bottles, so they don't sit right on the soil.
This bed also has 2' high plastic fencing all around (rabbits!) which may help keep critters away.
This is the bed I grow my Tomatoes and Cukes in.

I COULD also put the bottles against the house foundation on the E. side of my house in the bed
...also facing East and sunny--but there are too many plants that will need to emerge early--
and I do not know exactly where--so I better not chance it. Easier accessible, though....

I think I have thought of most things.....anything I missed??? I am so new to WS'ing....hope it works.

Will go outside and take a picture of these sites. Nothing exciting to look at this time of year.
Just a minute.................

1--Here is the bed by the shed

-2--Closer look at where I would put the bottles


3--The bed in E. side of the house...has many unseen plants in it.

UGH! I forgot how to post multi-photos here on ATP so they are all one group.
Used to do it...... G.

Gita - I do a lot of winter sowing and find that there is no magic to it. I use all types of containers with drain holes, fill them with potting mix, and sow the seeds. I then place them directly on the ground or patio, and some end up on my patio table. I avoid sheltered locations and place them in the open. This allows for exposure to the elements and maximum fluctuation of temperatures, which is a key factor in many seeds breaking dormancy. Pampering them can be counterproductive.

By the way Gita, I'm glad to see that you have found your way to ATP. Welcome

I've read that wintersown containers do best if kept in the shade. They tend to get too hot and sprout too early in the season if kept in too much sun, especially in my very sunny back yard.

Those old articles for wintersowing at DG are so helpful! I hope Sally and Jill's articles stick around for a long time.

SSG - I now longer bother to use closed, vented containers, so that is not an issue with me, but I WS mostly natives that germinate best with fluctuating conditions.

David, is there a reason you don't use closed/vented containers anymore? I need to use them to keep the squirrels away. I'm surprised the squirrels in your woods leave yours alone!

SSG - I started winter sowing using gallon milk jugs as is so commonly recommended. I found them to be a lot of work to prepare, and the slicing them open provided an excellent opportunity to visit the ER. In addition, that method used a lot of potting mix and I didn't need 100's of seedlings of most plants so I went to smaller containers. A local restaurant supply house sells sleeves of quart deli containers and lids. I would drill holes in the bottoms and lids, fill them half way with potting mix and sow, covering them afterwards with the vented lids. Then I got to thinking "What happens in nature?", and decided to omit lids and found it to not be a problem.

As to the squirrels, the area I place our winter sowing containers is surrounded by 100's of landscape pots of various sizes, and any squirrel activity in the patio area is directed there. In addition, I invert mesh bottomed plastic flats over some of the pots to prevent birds from pecking out surface sown seeds, and perhaps this helps with the squirrels. Lastly, we focus our bird feeding on a different side of the house and this results in the squirrels ignoring the patio area.

In my yard, it's also the feral cats, not just the squirrels that like to dig around my pots, so I should continue using covered containers.

I do think the worst part of winter sowing with vented containers is prepping the gallon jugs. Good idea to use drills for drainage holes. I've been making cuts with a sharp utility knife. Probably not the best idea.

Try the quart deli containers,. Remind me and I'll bring you a few to the spring swap. You can germinate dozens of seedlings in one of these and use much less potting mix. Quick and easy; label, fill sow, and put on the lid. No knife angst either.

Thanks, David---SS gave me some help at the Swap. Now I just have to find how to marl some Threads
as "Favorites". Not sure--but they show up on top as "watched"???
Mostly--I look for names I know--and then check out if there are new posts.

Hmmmm.....I have 5 milk gallons filled with soil (1/2 way) ready. I will try to use these as an experiment.

I am NOT super serious about WS--but thought i would give it a try. May end up with too many plants.
I will try to seed just a pinch of this and that...

You say you put yours directly on top of soil. Would this not mess with drainage? Slugs?
That is why I thought I would put my jugs on top of the little, old trellises--see pics above.
I could just put them on the ground--as most of that is covered with leaves. What do you think?

OH! Maybe I can lean the window screens I saved in front of them to shade the containers a bit?
Mostly--I worry about not enough water/rain/snow getting to them...It has to drip through the top hole.
Not very big....Hmmm--I could cut the tops back more to make the hole bigger?
As I said--this will be an experiment.

As far as containers--the produce dept. is loaded with ideas. So many of the clear, vented top and bottom,
containers seem to be ideal. Big and small.
Think the ones 2lbs. of grapes come in. 2lbs. of Strawberries. The cubes that Artisan salad mixes come in.
Pastry and cake containers--(you have to vent these) 2 liter soda bottles--etc...

OK. Have to get some breakfast. Thanks for all your ideas. Gita

My first time WS. Kinda nerdy, mostly fun.

Thanks, David! Gita, produce containers are easy in that you don't have to poke holes in them, but there isn't a lot of room for the seedlings to get taller before you transplant them.

Gita, you also had to "watch" threads on DG. Otherwise they don't show up on your home page when there's a new comment. It's the same thing here.

I can't remember if your midatlantic forum was marked as "watched." Go to the bottom of this page where it says "Mid Atlantic Gardening Forum". Click on it and it'll bring you to the mid Atlantic page. If it says "watch this forum" then click on it. If it says "unwatch this forum then do nothing since that means you're already watching it.

It's the exact same set up that you had in DG. You can choose to watch a forum and within each forum you can choose to watch specific conversations topics.

Lisa, it's a bit addictive!

Here is an article I've written for ATP, but has yet to be published.

I often find it difficult to find time to transplant winter sown seedlings with all the other gardening chores of spring.
chores of spring.

Winter sowing flats
I often find it difficult to find time to transplant winter sown seedlings with all the other gardening chores of spring. So I came up with an easier way to hold the seedlings till I have time. I take a plug tray and put it into solid tray with drainage and place that in a frame style market pack tray. I fill the plug flat with seed starting mix and sow 1-2 seeds in each cell. I then take a second frame style tray and invert it over the 1st attaching it with 4 small zip ties to keep birds and chipmunks from disturbing the planting. The tray is then placed on an outside flats bench for the required cold period and germination. After the seeds are well sprouted you can cut the zip ties and remove the protective frame. Since each seedling has it's own cell, transplanting can be delayed and will be easier.

I found it very easy to cover the surface of the flat with snow to hold everything in place before putting the flats on the bench. It's much easier than trying to wet dry seed mix.

I also find it is better to mark your trays with row numbers using a silver Sharpie an keep records in your garden notes rather than depend on tags which can become lost.

Nice, Ric!

To add to SSG's info, if you post on a thread, you will automatically 'watch' it, just as in DG.

Thanks all for trying to help me. But i till have problems getting back to the Thread i was typing on--in case I had to stop.
There are so many "X"'s on top--I don't always know which one to click on. So--I sometimes lose my post.
I try to watch what shows up on top as I click on something. Then I know what to un-click.

I have had this problem long ago. Missing something here.....
I just need time to get comfy with how things work. It can be frustrating....Working on it......

Gita

I'm sure you'll figure it out with a little time Gita.

My main project for the early spring is to build two bases to place rain barrels on at the end of each of my large beds. I will be installing spigots on each of them in order to connect soaker hoses to them. That way, when I get pressed for time, I will just open the faucets and let gravity take its course. This is another experiment that may need tweeking but I think it will work. I usually have an abundance of water every year from the various rain barrels I have connected to my garage roof. The only problem is my beds are not close to the garage. I get lazier as the summer progresses and the heat kicks in. Not to mention the mosquitoes that come out due to our proximity to several waterways.
I also have two adjustable A-frame wood structures that I bought from a garden center that closed that I want to lacquer and use as plant stands in my garden area. I have crates that they hold so I figure I would grow smaller vegetables in them and save space in my gardens for the bigger varieties.
I really like to dabble and push limits where I can in order to get the most out of the space I do have. I use various methods to augment my garden beds such as two hydroponic towers which give me 28 pots to grow lettuces, spices and even peppers. My main garden beds are completely organic as I adhere to practices I've picked up over the years. One real good source for these practices has been the Rodale institute in Kutztown, PA. Well, I have gone on way too long so I will cut it off here. So, Happy Gardening everyone!

WOW, Craig, I'd love to see pics of your garden!

I can't wait for tomorrow! I'm going to stay outside as much as possible.

One main yardening activity I need to do is weeding. The winter weeds have gone wildly out of control.

I'm also going to call Behnkes to see if they have their witch hazel in yet. I missed out on buying Arnold's Promise last fall at 50% off because I couldn't fit it in my car!