My seedlings (started in jug) were frosted to stiffness in 28 degree weather the other night and they LIVED!!! Amazing! Now the temp is above freezing but we have frozen stuff falling out of the sky. I'm assuming everything will be fine. It's been very warm lately for a while and yesterday it was above 60 so I'll bet the soil is very warm and protecting the plants as it radiates heat. At least, I'm hoping. I know some things are not supposed to transplant well, but I'm wondering if transplanting small seedlings negates that. I don't know, this is my first time to wintersow. The roots of these small seedlings are all healthy but small. I wonder if that makes them amiable to trasplanting. It would be nice to hear somebody with knowledge of this chime in. My morning glories all had their true leaves and were 1-2 inches tall. They seem to be happy and growing well. They do germinate fast if nicked, so I would think direct sowing would be nice, as well. My first year to grow them, but the ones I nicked literally showed germination in 2 days in a jug.

I hope you get a LOT of answers to this question, because I'd like to know if there is anyting I shoud be doing, too! I have cosmos sulphureum aka 'Bright Lights' and moss roses, Feverfew and Cleome. I don't direct sow, it's just that once you have these 4, they will naturally go to seed and come up in the spring. The thing is, I'm not sure I should recommend sowing in fall with these. I have always* let a these go to seed and they come up, but not by the millions. I always have just enough. I would think that I would have millions and millions of plants based on the sheer numbers, but I don't, which leads me to think I get about 10-15% germination from them? I imagine some seeds are eaten, but I'm not sure what happens to the others. It's like those darn poppies! They are impossible for me to get going. I have tried off and on for 20 years, but I expect once I get them in my garden, they will come up on their own. It's probably the diffeence between the 100 seeds in a pack and the 1000s they will self sow. Lime

Thanks Bill. Great info. Are you saying that the Zinnas, yellow cosmos, gomphrenas, tithonias, wild madagascar periwinkles will reseed in the spring from seed dropped the previous season? I get alot of vinca reseeding. I would like to get some cora vincas and drop the seed in the fall along with others you mentioned. Instead of collecting the seed and putting them out in the spring I would rather put them out in the fall. Another interesting plant is:(from the ufl trial site). "Helenium (Helenium amarum) This crop is listed as a Florida native and has not been evaluated in our best-of-class trials before. Gold class. ÂDakota Gold was uncontested best-of-class with outstanding overall performance. Foliage was very full and uniform, and flowers were numerous and evenly distributed over the plant. The plant centers opened up very slightly late in June. This plantÂs bright green foliage was unique compared to any crops weÂve seen thus far, and should make this plant a very striking focal point in the landscape." That is from the University of Florida test garden site (link below). The seeds are super expensive. From geoseed the price is 100 seeds $13.15. And Geoseed is the least expensive. Alot of sites like it. Not sure I like it. But if I spend $13.15 I will learn to like it. Yahoo and Google have good pictures of it under images. Bob Here is a link that might be useful: UFL

FWIW, I think you have a lot of different crops which require different methods for best results. For example; Okra needs warm, damp soils to properly germinate and the plants never seem to do well when transplanted...best wait until, maybe, mid- May and direct sow seed then. Potato eyes will rot if left in cold damp soils and they should go in later as well...they actually do better in a barrel slowly filled with a mixture of straw and compost than in the soil. These could be planted sooner using this method as the soil stays warmer and they are less likely to rot. So; greenhouse plants best set out after tax day: Eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, basil and parsley. Excepting potatoes, plants in the deadly nightshade family and herbs take to transplantation well and you can really get a jump on the season using plants from your greenhouse with this group. Direct seed now: turnips, peas (sweet english), onion sets, carrots and beets. Cabbage and collard plants would be best set out now (so they will have time to mature) before hot weather and there is less liklihood of bolting before they are really ready. Direct seed after tax day: corn, beans, field peas, melons, squash and cukes. Cucurbits do best when planted in succession (two week intervals) as later crops tend to not be as affected by borer beetles. These guys sprout quickly, easily and would just be a waste of greenhouse space. Direct seed first of May: Okra, cured sweet potato and potato eyes (in barrels). As I say, FWIW, this is what I have been doing and it usually works out.