I thought you seed folks might be interested in this:
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/...

hate reading that

Yes, it's sad. Thanks for the link, Kathy.

Karen

Our options are dwindling!!

kqcrna said:Is anyone planning to do any wintersowing this year? If so, it's time to get serious about collecting containers and stockpiling the potting mix. The mix can be hard to find or get in January.

Karen

I started this thread with the quote above, reminding wintersowers to get potting mix, on Sept 4. I finally got my ProMix yesterday, Oct 7. But at least I have it available for winter. Now I have to ask my friend to save me some gallon jugs.

As I'm cleaning up the yard for winter, I look around, and I know I can't sow much this year. My yard is pretty full.

Karen

I've been stock-piling gallon jugs since last sowing season... i do buy the occasional Distiller water gallons and use A LOT of vinegar ... those are really sturdy jugs.

Like Karen -- I am getting very limited on space so i have to be more selective in what I sow.

The past few days I've been going thru the seed basket and i'm giving away any seed that I do not plan to sow this winter ... it's been tough, but i'd rather them go to a good home than sit in that basket for yrs.

I'm thinking the majority of sowing will be Penstamon, Salvias, Agastaches. I have a lot of Zinns, marigolds and amaranthus ... some I may just scatter and hope for the best.

That's my plan anyways... Probably wont get started until the end of Feb ... though i may 'get the itch' and do some perennials in early Jan...time will tell.

Thanks for the reminder to get the potting mix, NOW! I just happen to have two full bags from last season, so I'm about halfway there. Will pick up two more bags, soon.

I guess I need to decide in a hurry which seeds I'll be sowing. Speaking of which, I HAVE NO SEEDS!!!!! AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH.

According to my plan, I'm supposed to have the following plants/shrubs growing in my edible landscape design:

Torenia
Begonias
Clematis
Impatiens

Azaleas
Camelias
Hydrangias

Society Garlic
Marigolds
Daylilies
Nasturtium
Caladiums

FERNS: Holly Ferns, Autumn Ferns, Sword Ferns,

I've got to get moving!

Okay, I've started my very first winter sowing seeds = Primula 'Candelabra' mix.

Did I start too soon?

not too soon if it's cold enough not to germinate now

Could I ask ya'll to review my list to see what germinates in early springtime that I should start after the winter solstice?

Our avg. daily temps are slowly dropping down into the mid-60s for daytime, and 38-48 nighttime. We'll have this going on the rest of the month, and into December most likely. After the winter solstice (12/21??) the temps will average into the 50s during the daytime and into the 40s-high 30s at night, through January-February, and start warming up again in mid-March.

We've had an occasional freaky freeze as late as mid-April...

Thanks!

I'd wait until the coldest winter weather, after solstice.

Linda, I haven't done everything on your list, and I'm in a much colder zone than you. Just know that tenders that don't tolerate any frost (begonia, impatiens, marigolds, zinnias) can sprout fast in warm weather. A few really warm days might make them germinate kind of early, then cold weather could be the end of them. Even here, I don't usually sow my tenders until around April. I know they'll sprout fast.

I have tried some heat lovers like coleus, and they were just too slow at putting on any size. I won't use the method for coleus again. I do zinnias and marigolds every year though, and they do great here because they're fast growers. I can't really relate these things to Texas weather, but you might want to hold off on those very tender ones until close to YOUR spring (maybe around March1?). Just a guess on my part though.

Karen

Thanks!

Hey, Gymgirl: I soundly second Karen's advice. It's a little difficult for those of us in a very different zone to make recommendations, but her general advice is very good.

Keep us posted on your progress. We'll be admiring from afar while we wait for our opportunity to start seeds in our zone.

Some other possibilities for edible flowers include: Chives, cheddar pinks, lavendar, shungiku, borage (also a good for attracting pollinators), violas, bachelor buttons, calendula. For tea-garden plants: mint, lemon balm, lemon hyssop, dragonhead, fennel, dill, thyme, lemon verbena, stevia.

Thanks K, and Moms!

The waiting advice makes good sense!

And, thanks for the add'l edibles, too!

Linda

It's getting colder here - just got all my containers ready by drilling holdes and cutting the tops of milk jugs. I might even do a couple to get started. Never thought I would look forward to cold weater before! Wish I would have bought more potting mix. I have to run and get more before things start freezing.

Has anyone wintersowed the blue poppies? Meconopsis betonicifolia (Papaveraceae Himalayan Poppy)?

I have not. But they generally don't do very well here. They do well in the PNW, and in the northeast too, I think. Typically, they like rich, well drained, acid soil and cool growing conditions, none of which are found around here.

Karen

Hello everyone!

I'm a first-year gardener and going to try to wintersow for the first time this year. I've checked out various websites and I think I'm ready to start after the holidays!

My question is if there are certain plants that are easier to wintersow for a first timer like myself.

I'm interested in:
Joe Pye weed
sunflowers
various alyssums
candytuft
liatris
thai basil
foxgloves
black eyed susan vine
california poppy
sponge luffa
some kind of coreopsis and yarrow
periwinkle/vinca flowers
impatiens

But that's a huge list! And I don't have that many containers, so I'd like to edit it down to the ones that I'm most likely to be successful with. For some of these plants, would it be easier to just sow them in the ground after the last frost?

I don't have much experience with WSing, but I can tell you about two or three of them. Okay, 4!

Seeds that are very easy to sow in place, as long as you can keep the soil they're in damp for at least a week:
-Sunflowers - *very* easy.
-Alyssum (in fact, I have problems every time I try to transplant these, dunno why.)
-Basil - has to be warm for these to germinate, easy in place or start indoors.
-California Poppies (you might want to double check your state invasive list - I know they're on the list somewhat further south - NC or SC or somewhere.)

I don't know about all of them, I haven't tried them all.

Joe Pye has a reputation for being tough, but some folks have done them with no problem.

Definite"easy" for sunflowers, alyssum, candytuft, liatris, basil, foxglove, cali poppy, foxglove, basil, BES vine, coreopsis, and yarrow.

I don't know about impatiens, vinca, or luffa sponge. I've never tried them. I generally don't WSow things that I know need a LOT of heat. It can be too cool for them to do much in my zone in spring. Your zone might be OK.

And a general rule is thumb is that anything that reseeds for you can be wintersown.

Karen

That's a good hint - I have some Nigella seeds coming, think I'll give 'em a WS try.