Thanks Karen! I did use vermiculite and half soil last year for my salvia...thought maybe you were using it for winter sowing. I read something a few years back about someone using it for w/s and not putting any holes in the containers just wetting it once. I wondered if anyone ever tired that.

I don't know but I can't see why it wouldn't work. You'd have less evaporation with no drain holes, therefore the vermiculite stays wet. I do know that those geraniums were swimming in water. I was really shocked that they came up. If I had poked my finger in the vermiculite, water gathered.

Tell ya what. I still have some winter sowing I need to do today. I'm going to try that with one of the pots and I'll let you know how it does around March or April. Most of my things are up by then and ready to go in ground.

So is the vermiculite method basically the same as the WS method except you use just vermiculite and am I right in thinking this would be better for very small seeds?

Well, not really Leslie. With the vermiculite, you moisten it, put it in a pot with a lid and no holes and then set it in a window. Then wait. Once germinated, let it grow about 3 days, I take the lid off for a day and the next I pot up. And yes, it's great with small seeds. Coleus seeds are small, I planted three the other day. One is up and waiting on the other two now.

I also add 1/4 strength fertilizer with the epsom salts when transplanting. I water the dirt first with the solution, plant the seedlings, then water again with the same solution. So far, fabulous!

I really don't know if ya'll can tell how much water is in this pot. This is the coleus I started. I started it on the 3rd. By the 10th, nothing. I added another 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. It's three days later and all 6 coleus have germinated now. They are tiny so I'll let them grow on a bit in the vermiculite until they are large enough to transplant. I will also add 1/4 strength of fertilizer to this pot since they have to grow a bit longer in it.

I'll try and find the article I read about w/s in vermiculite...

chelle said:Now, this method is fairly new to me, but it's one that I'm using this year. I'd originally intended to link to an article posted on the website of an expert, but it's not available at the moment. Here's the short version, as I understand it.

Items needed:

-Bag of vermiculite. I like to see the assurance that's it's asbestos-free on the label, but I think most brands are pretty safe these days.
-Clear or opaque containers with lids, and without drainage holes. We won't be adding water after sowing, so drainage isn't an issue; we want to maintain moisture, not allow it to escape.
-A bucket or tub in which to stir and moisten planting mix.
-Labels or masking tape to mark the variety.
-Water. If you aren't mixing at the kitchen sink, a jug with a hole drilled in the plastic cap works well for directing a small stream of water right where you want it. I have many of these that I use to store rainwater. I much prefer the results I get if I don't use water from the softening system, but that's just personal preference.

Optional-

-Large, clear tub to store multiple varieties together in one place. Rocks or bricks may be added to it to help anchor it in windy storage conditions.
-A spray bottle for ensuring good surface contact for tiny unburied seeds; just a spritz or two will do it.
-Clear packing tape to water-proof your labels.




Fill your mixing container about halfway and stir in a bit of water at a time. You don't want to create a dripping planting medium, just one that will clump up momentarily, yet release when jiggled.




Fill your container about halfway with moistened vermiculite; at least three inches worth, but leave plenty of space between the surface and the lid for sprouted seedlings. I'd say that any container less than 5" deep may not be the easiest to use. You'd really have to be quick to get those sprouts out of there if there weren't enough headroom.
Use another container to firm the surface, add a few seeds and cover appropriately. A light sprinkling of vermiculite for small seeds, a bit more for larger varieties. Dust-like seeds won't need to be covered, but if you're concerned about good surface contact you might spritz these sparingly with your sprayer. Apply lid and label, and you're done.




Set your containers in a spot that offers protection from wind, yet still provides plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. A porch or unheated greenhouse would be ideal, but if those aren't available you might try setting your tubs in the lee of a building, under a group of conifers, or within a grouping of deciduous shrubs.



As spring shows signs of its imminent arrival, be sure to check your containers often, and be prepared to up-pot seedlings weekly as sprouts begin to appear.


The ideas behind this method of sowing originated from ATP member @JonnaSudenius. Thanks, Jonna!

Any and all mistakes in representation or misinterpretation herein are entirely my own.


Currently, it's zero degrees where I am, and I'm sowing next season's hopes and gardening dreams in the comfort of my home; how great is that?!

Have fun sowing!

Wishing you all the best gardening season ever next year!

Chelle

I can't find the original article but I found this...same concept but only outside... The thread "Sowing Seed In Vermiculite Using Lidded Containers..." in Winter Sowing Annuals

Lol, I just found it and read it. I'm doing this to everything today. By george, this flippin solves my watering problem! Thank you so much! We have been having very dry winters for the last 3 years. I have to water mine to keep them moist. With this method, I'm done with that. Sowing in vermiculite works. I had to get creative with the coleus and it's moisture level, but it is also inside and we've been hitting 5 degree temps in the mornings. Window sill is cold, lol. But, with this method outdoors, my germination rates for some things are going to go through the roof. I just feel it, lol. At any rate, I'll report back in this thread.

Wow. Thank you! I just happened to have a "broken" huge bag of vermiculite that I got for $15.

@luvsgrtdanes, vermiculite works just as well with winter sowing. I did about a dozen to try it last year. It worked great...I plant 3 to 4 hundred containers each winter.and I thought it was a great idea. The problem for me is that I can't get them in the ground fast enough if I used all vermiculite. If I to have to pot them all up soon after sprouting, i"ll to use my cups with soil instead. I might do the vermiculite for my annuals this year and plant right out.

That's my problem @ishareflowers Lisa, I wont be able to get them planted out...I still have some in jugs from last year! Good idea for the annual though

Thanks Lisa for the information. I had talked to Val and she said that ws'ing in the vermiculite only wasn't good. The plants were weaker than had she used soil and did not fare as well during transplanting nor throughout the growing season. So today I sowed some lavender in about 2 inches of soil and then a 1 inch layer of vermiculite. Should I have mixed them together or is the ratio wrong? Also, I'm always ready to plant out by the end of March, and definitely the first April. Timing is not bad for me, moisture is my problem. We've had 3 dry winters in a row and I'm hoping this solves my watering throughout the entire process. I'm going with what you tell me since you are already doing this.

Now ladies, I did not have a good experience with the vermiculite/ws'ing, but that doesnt mean you might not But I DO think they have to be planted soon after germinating. I just dont know. The "process" came from a lady oversees who does it all the time, so she must be successful. I'm not sure what the secret is. I just didnt want you to do a bunch and be disappointed

http://r.search.aol.com/_ylt=A...

UGH....her site is down.

@Karenholt, you don't use any potting mix, only vermiculite that has been dampened.

Well I know Jonna does it straight vermiculite but with the problems Val had I thought I would see what happens with it. The ones I sow inside no big deal but they aren't living in vermiculite for a month or more either. I am going to do a couple with straight vermiculite. I suppose I have to compare them, lol.

Ok, if ya'll think my reasoning is wrong, please tell me. I'm posting because you may see something in my logic that is wrong. The one problem is that Jonna says once they spring up, you have to pot up. So ws'ing in straight vermiculite is fine, but does lead to val's problem of weak plants. I thought that adding 2 inches of soil would solve the problem of potting up and make the seedlings stronger. Therefore, to me, that is a better winter sowing arrangement. I'm looking at the soil is going to draw moisture out of the vermiculite, but because the moisture has no where to go it kind of sits there and redistributes when needed. Plus the container is making more moisture to drop onto the vermiculite keeping it moist. Seeds germinate and don't have to be immediately potted up or planted. Tell me what ya'll think.

That's how I did my salvias inside last year. They weer a bit leggy by spring but did okay. They seemed to stay moister than the others in just the pro mix. I think it would work fine

Ronnie,
If WS works so well why do things inside? Is it because you have a short growing season or do you mean the annual salvias?

Leslie I do both because of our shorter season and some of my special seeds I won't take a chance on if I only have a few. Begonias, impatiens, pentas, coleus and some petunias usually get started inside. I'll do some milkweed inside and out just for a head start.