If you water them well/put snow in when you plant the seeds it lasts quite a while, but check them just to be safe once it starts warming up a bit.

Steven, I live in Georgia, I don't get that much snow but think I may give it a try. Just for the heck of it.

If you don't have snow thats fine, I can never remember which states get snow and which ones don't. Just be sure to water them well after planting and it'll be fine

Then the sun will keep them moist by condensation, Right???

Right just keep opening the bags more as it gets warmer out.

Steven ~ Do you put them in full sun? Or would shade be better or worse?

Mine are in full sun, but I check them every day once they start sprouting. If you can't check them as much part or afternoon shade would be better so they don't dry out as fast.

Sometimes it gets warmer, then it freezes and/or snows...what do you do in that case?

That's a challenge, Evelyn. Wintersown seedlings do seem to be pretty tough at tolerating cold temps, much more so than indoor seedlings. But every plant has it's own limit. Usually things hardy in your zone will tolerate the late cold snaps well. Tender ones (like zinnias or marigolds) might need extra protection, like a sheet or blanket thrown over them overnight.

Karen

Karen ~ I could not sow the seeds of summer annuals quite yet. Probably late March, even though it would be technically past the time for official WS'ing. Maybe spring sowing...??

Yes, Evelyn, that's about when I do annuals too- late March or early April. The annuals sprout fast when weather is warm, and unlike perennials, they grow fast too.

For late frosts I generally flip the jug lids closed and cover all the jugs with a sheet. For a really hard freeze I sometimes put them in my unheated garage overnight. Perennials tolerate it fine on their own, though.

I sometimes "wintersow" in summer, too. I use the milk jugs with more vents and keep them in mostly shade. It works well for perennials or biennials which don't need cold strat. They get planted out in fall and bloom in the following summer. Much easier than starting them indoors. What I really have against indoors is all the sterilizing trays and cells, it's a pain.

Karen

Do you find that roots sneak out of the holes and slits and dig into the soil under the bags?

I'm thinking of a practice halfway between direct sowing and winter sowing in containers.
This will hopefully also serve as a partial slug-defense for small seedlings.
"plastic cloches"

I have lots of small (20 ounce) soda bottles from work's recycling. I cut off the bottoms and removed the labels.
Where the bottoms were curved and hence tallish, I'm saving those for beer-saucer slug traps.
Scraps go back into the recycle bin.

I'm going to drill 1/4" vent holes up high, and maybe small ones down low, so they don't overheat as much.
Then I plan to direct-sow 1-3 seeds close together and "screw" the bottles into the soil surrounding the seeds.
Hopefully the soil will keep bottles from blowing away. If squirrels and cats molest them, I may try draping chicken wire over it all.

I'll start by leaving caps on, if the bottles had screw-caps in the recycle bin. If those seem to overheat, I'll remove the caps.

If the rain is still heavy, I may replace the caps with tied-on scraps of window screening to shrug off some of the rain, and slow down and break up big drops.

I'm afraid that with caps off and no screening, slugs may be able to crawl up the outside and get in too easily. I'll learn that pretty quickly.

(At least, slugs probably won't be able to crawl back out due to the reverse curve and clean, slippery inner surface. One slug may get one to three seedlings, but then he'll be stuck in there!)

Corey

Hi Corey! The biggest problem for me is I set the bags on the grass and the grass grows up into the bag through the holes Its not a big problem though, since all you have to do is move the bag and the grass gets pulled back out. If you are having problems with slugs try Safers Slug and Snail Bait. It works amazingly well at controling slugs and snails. When we moved here 3 years ago there was hundreds of slugs. I could pick them all out of the garden and then 5 minutes later it would be full of them again.....now there is almost none! I even through the bait into the back feild just incase they try to get close....

>> Ferric Sodium Hydroxy EDTA

I'll certainly try it. Right now I have slug-swiming-pools set out, filled with beer, and they do dive in and stay.

I've been using the Iron Phosphate "Sluggo" which is fair, and occasionally a metaldehgyde product, which is certainly immediatly effective. I don't expect either to be effective after even a light rain., and safer's claims good rain resistance.

Thanks!

Corey

Rick, just a few considerations

Slugs are soil-living critters. They can easily surface right inside your cloche, as can voles and other miserable creatures.

The cloche is likely to keep the soil wetter, and slugs like that moist soil. The cloche could easily draw slugs to the seedlings.

Karen

I buried a bunch of plastic soup containers and fill them with beer.. good part is .. they blend in... bad part is... dumping them out... YUCK

I've had really good results with iron phosphate in recent years, I plan to stick to that. I use very scant amounts but treat each bed at least twice, sometimes 3 times, beginning in very early spring when slugs become active, long before I start planting. Slugs used to be a huge issue in spring, but not since I use the iron phosphate.

Slugs apparently become active when soil temp reaches around 40°. I measure soil temp, when it hits 40, I start applying.
They've never been a problem in summer. It's generally too dry for them here in our hot, dry summers.

Karen

Arrgh! Burrowing slugs!

With frequent rain, I expect a cloche to reduce the amount of rain falling directly onto the soil, though it will wick in from the sides and below.

My problem with slug bait is that I would have to apply it 5-7 days per week ... actually, any given application is washed out in 1-4 days, depending on how heavy or frequent the rain is. I try to get some out any time I see a prediction for two days with little rain.

If they can burrow right under the cloches, I will have to put a pinch of bait under each cloche. I wonder if there is a limit to thier burrowing ... I could screw the plastic bottles down several inches into the soil.

(An 8" plant with a half dozen big holes in it may survive, but a tiny seedling plus one slug equals a fatter slug plus zero seedling. That explained the seeming self-destruct sequence of delphinium seedling I put out. Slug-snacks)

My beer saucers are catching lots of slugs. I saved the bottoms that I cut off the bottles and use them for beer. But several people havetold me that beer ATTRACTS slugs.

I'm trying to think of creative ways to use "trap" crops like lettuce or Bok Choy. Beer saucers, sure. Maybe something to keep the rain off some areas, and iron phosphate slug bait where it won't wash away. And oatmeal

I've spoken to my cat about attacking slugs, but he just yawns at me.

Corey

Rick, have you tried iron phosphate? Unlike other baits, It really does remain effective after rain.

http://webcache.googleusercont...

Karen

Dr Jerry's Elixers
For Slugs
4 oz of quassia chips available at health food stores
1 gal of water

chop, crush or grind chips and steep them for 2 to 24 hours. Strain through cheese cloth and pour liquid on Slug favorites. Stop the slugs in their tracks.

I tried a lot of his stuff last year and they work.