Molly...Aren't you in z7? I have wintersown lettuces that have been out for a couple of weeks already. I do have some spinaches in the ground, but the leaf lettuces are in containers due to some major deer and bunny action. They have all been fine despite some cooler weather last week so you should be ok with them now as Karen said.
Bev

Good news. Just checked my jugs. Still in my jammies, it's cold outside! 46°
In the blown away jugs where I tried to replant whatever seedlings I could find
About 10 or 12 pensetmon smallii seedlings look OK
About 6 rud cherry brandy look Ok
The lone dianthus seedling I found looks OK
About 6 forget-me-nots look good
About 5 shock wave petunias look OK

I think they'd be pretty wilted by now if they were for sure goners. I'm usually not very good at handling such tiny seedlings at cotyledon stage, so it will be a real confidence booster for me if these do survive.

Karen

that sounds promising Karen... lil WS seedlings do seem pretty hardy/strong. Hope they survive for you.

you still have time to redo the tomatoes, right? the few i have - have not even germinated yet.

yesterday i transplanted the ones i have in the house. I really dont know where i'm going to put the 8 that i currently have.

Thats wonderful news. Mike

Thanks.

Terese, I had just sown the toms about a week ago and they had not germinated. I dumped that stuff into the compost and replanted my leftover seeds last night. Should be plenty of time left here- I just need this nice warm weather to stay.

Still have to do annuals. I did lose some things in those jugs. I just need enough time to actually sow them. And my garden beds are still covered with those !@#$ volunteers, need to get that cleaned up, too.

Karen

Hi guys,

Yes I am in a zone 7. Days here have been in the 80's and nights in the 60's this week. Spring is bursting out all over the place. We are in for a brief cold spell of 64 on Thurs or Friday and then warming up again.
I will prep a bed for these seedlings and get them out in the ground!

Thanks!

MollyD

Karen, I just caught up with this thread and saw the photos of your "tempest-tossed jugs!" So sorry that so many tipped over--but good to hear that you managed to salvage some of the little guys. It will be good to know if the seedlings continue to do well--do let us know.
I continue to be amazed at how much sooner you guys all plan to plant out your WS seedlings than I do here on the Cape, despite our 7a zone status. I'm wondering if it's actually a mistake on my part to follow the traditional Cape practice and not plant anything out until Memorial Day (average last frost date.) Maybe hardy perennial WS seedlings can go out sooner, just like Mother Nature does to them, 'cause they're already hardened off?

Emily I suspect that your 7 is way colder than ours. What are your night time temps right now? Mine are in the 60's. Night temps make a world of difference as to what a plant will endure.

MollyD

Emily, I can't imagine that it will get cold enough to damage a wintersown hardy perennial or hardy annual. Yes, they were born out in the elements, and they are already hardened off. Only acclimating they might benefit from is opening the jug if you haven't already, or maybe giving them more sun if they've been in total shade. Other than that, they should be fine.

None of mine are big enough for me to handle yet, they're just too small for my clumsy fingers. Annual alyssum will be ready to be planted soon, but I think that's about it.

Half hardy, tender things are a whole other story.

Karen

Go for those lettuces, Molly:) I agree with Karen. Those ws things are way hardier than traditionally grown plants. I've had ws stuff out for weeks...I even planted some zinnias out yesterday. Unless we have a really freaky weather event-and that has happened-they will all be fine. I have opened the containers for seedlings that haven't been planted yet.
I hear ya Karen on the seedling planting time...I always wonder just how many seedlings there can possibly be in one jug?! I know my neighbors think I'm nuts sitting in the garden with plastic bottles or milk jugs and a stick pricking out seedlings, lol!

Bev!


MollyD

Joanne -- i just have to comment... i just LOVE the colors you chose for this forum. two of my Faves.

gotta go back out and dig in the dirt.

Thanks Terese. They are my Mom's favourite colors and that's why I chose them.

After having my wintersown stuff blown to kingdom come last week, I tried to replant those tiny seedlings. Only 4 rud cherry brandy have survived (the heavy rains this week didn't help any). Most things are still in seed leaf stage.
The penstemon smallii are still tiny, haven't grown at all, but they have survived. And the tossing around and mixing up the soil has made a few more germinate yesterday. Again, tiny, barely visible.
I threw away the whole tomato attempt and re-sowed new seeds last Saturday. The first 2 sprouted yesterday.
Liatris survived relatively unscathed, but isn't doing much of anything. Still at cotyledon stage, not all have even dropped the seed coat yet. Ditto echinacea white swan.
As usual, alyssum is doing best. They have several true leaves and are ready to plant out. Unfortunately, I don't have the beds ready to plant yet. (still yanking volunteer larkspur and nigella) but I made a lot of progress on one bed yesterday.
Other things don't seem to be doing much, not showing much growth after a rather dreary, wet week. It's supposed to be in the 70s this week, and mostly sunny and dry, so hopefully they'll make a little more progress.

Usually at this point wintersown seedlings, while not growing much above the soil, do continue to develop nice healthy roots. Hopefully I'll see a little more leaf development above this week from the sunshine.

Karen

Karen my deepest sympathies. I once grew and nurtured a whole bunch of veggie seeds into beautiful young plants. Took them to a lot I had rented and planted them in carefully prepared ground. About a week later just as they were showing signs of settling in a surprised storm (this was the first week of June) dumped 6" of snow on them killing everything. I had to buy replacements that weren't near as good.

MollyD

Yeah, Mother Nature can be downright mean to us and our plants. But, my blown away stuff could have ended up worse. At least I didn't lose all of them.

I have spent 2 days at hard labor, clearing volunteer larkspur, rose campion, and nigella from 2 of my flower beds. No more of any of those for me! I regret the day I first planted each of them. And for the first 2 or 3 years, I really tried, worked, to get those big larkspur. One more bed to clear, though I have done small parts of it to free perennials from the invaders.

That's it- I'm not planting anything else that commonly reseeds well. It has taken 5 years for this dummy to learn that. If I ever say I'm going to plant_____(fill in the blank) and it's a heavy reseeder, hit me in the head with a shovel.

Karen

>>hit me in the head with a shovel.


LOL... Karen, you are almost making me reconsider planting the Larkspur.

Maybe i'll clear a small area in the "teasel field" and plant them there. I put some yarrow and NE Aster out there yesterday.

I love all of those! I've had both nigella and rose campion in my garden back in NY without any problems. I've seen beautiful driveway long beds of larkspur that I drooled over (also in NY) and am dying to get here!

One woman's treasure I guess!

MollyD

I believe anything can get invasive.I had echineaca white swan in a garden tub(old whisky barrel), and when I got a late start on re doing the tub, I noticed hunderds of seedlings, and could not resist re potting them.At this point, I am not sure they are true, but I have no reason to believe other wise.If they are I will have white swan to trade.I think I will find out this year, because I found about four larger seedlings, that were closter to the origidal plants, but seperate,(not part of thr roots, and looking good).Those look as if they will bloom this year. I love the white swan, they are so gracefull. Mike

Mike what would you be trading them for?

MollyD