Another WinterSowing Newb with questions..

13 years ago

Hi there! I am brand new to the forums and WS (and gardening for that matter), and trying my hand at this fascinating hobby for the first time. I have diligently read through Trudi's site (Thanks for the seeds, Trudi!) and have been stalking this forum for a while, so now I have questions:

I started by sowing Rudbeckia and Echinacea in milk jugs on Solstice, then on to other perennials (as time has allowed) into milk jugs and 2L bottles.

Since I live in an area that is abundant in "liquid sunshine", I don't expect to have difficulty with watering these babies all through spring. Last year it rained all through June and part of July! Gotta love Oregon. Sigh...

I think the biggest issue I may run across could be that my containers may be too wet. I am unsure as to how to tell. Anything I should look for besides the obvious lakes they could turn into? I have about 5-7 drainage holes on each of them, if that helps. Should I make some more?

Also, I work nights. Come spring, I will be going to bed just as the noontime sun hits. I am concerned that my seedlings might fry because I won't be able to monitor the temp inside during the day. I have the containers on the east side of my house, up against a low retaining wall. I assume that this would be considered "part shade" because I believe they only will get morning sun..? Are there any other "night owls" in this forum that have some tips on avoiding this problem?

Of course I have a zillion more questions..But I figure it would be a faux pas to introduce myself to this forum by asking each and every one, lol!

Anyway, suggestions welcome here. You all are amazing, and I would love for some of that to rub off on me!

Thanks,

Steff

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Comments (6)

mnwsgal
13 years ago
Welcome to winter sowing. Sounds like you have made a good start.

Re: containers may be too wet

If your containers are draining well you do not need to add more holes for drainage. If they stay damp you are okay but if they stay sopping wet more than a day or two you may want to move them into an area where they are protected from the rain or cover them with plastic.

Re: seedlings might fry
The east side of your house should give you afternoon shade so your seedlings should be okay. If you aren't worried about frost then go ahead and remove the top. If concerned about frost you can add some holes to the tops to allow more air flow or remove the tops before you go to sleep and replace them before night temps drop.
kqcrna
13 years ago
Good answers above.

Also, if you do need more drainage, add a hole or two on the sides, about and inch up from the bottom. A serrated steak knife works well on full jugs.

To avoid frying, keep them in mostly shade, which they probably will get on the east side of the house. If necessary you can shade them with things like old lawn chairs or upside-down laundry baskets, or move to another side of the house. I keep mine on the northeast side of my house where they get only an hour or two of morning sun. Once you have sprouts, add more vent holes to the top or remove tops completely. In your area you probably won't be getting many late frosts.

Karen
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tomva
13 years ago
Hi Steff,Welcome to the forum..I also work at nite and had to adapt a few changes..during the cold nites and warm day periods..First I watched the 7 day forecast and had a pretty good handle on what the weather would be..I made the two liters by cutting four slits in the bottom part then I could fit the top onto the bottom,no need for tape and I could uncover and cover them quickly..same with the milk jugs I would leave a bit of plastic for a hinge then open the top and place a rock in the top this was also for opening them quickly and closeing them quick..my tender annuals and veggies I made a bit of a coldframe out of a plastic shelving unit laying on its side and covered this with plastic and stapled one end of the plastic to a 2x4 then I could wind the plastic on the 2x4 to let heat in and out..and I could cover and uncover a lot of seedlings very quickly....also if you dont have enough shade for them u can place something over them like a lawn chair,picnic table..something to shade them...TomVa
morz8 - Washington Coast
13 years ago
Hi Steff - If you haven't encountered floating seeds in the last several days with the amount of rain, you aren't going to and your drainage is fine :)

The E exposure you are using for your containers sounds good, you've clearly done some reading and are well prepared. One advantage to night work will be that you can check for sprouts in daylight before you go to bed, you won't be leaving for and arriving home from your job in darkness, only able to check for sprouts on weekends.

Do as TomVa suggests and watch the forecast, if anything alarming is looming that you might question, post and there will be an answer for you.
countrycarolyn
13 years ago
Steff if you need anymore seeds take a look at my list I am offering a sasbe currently, everything on my list is up for grabs. I am trying to mark it out as the last is requested by putting (spoken for) next to the plant name. So in other words if it doesn't have (spoken for) next to the name I still have some seeds that need to find a new home.

Feel free to choose as many as you like!!
steff442
Original Author
13 years ago
Wow, thanks everyone for the warm welcome and the excellent tips!

Yeah, I figured a good place to start would be to check the weather forecast. But you know how that goes, especially in Oregon! Hehe.

I have done my homework for sure. I figured since I have NO CLUE about gardening, I better read up on it first to make sure I know what I am getting into. The internet is a wonderful resource for that! ;) Sounds like I'm going to be alright with the setup I have now.

My BF got me the Sunset Western Garden Book for Xmas, further enabling my new obsession. He has no idea what he has gotten himself into, lol!

Anyway, Countrycarolyn: I would love to take your 'Cherry Parfait' Dianthus off your hands if you need to find them a new home. I tried to look them up, but my search yielded results for every Sweet William in creation. Are they red and white? Either way, I love all Dianthus...Just let me know what I need to do to nab some of those! Thanks so much.

Thanks again everyone for the advise and warm welcome!

Steff :)

Another WinterSowing Newb with questions..

Comments (6)

mnwsgal

kqcrna

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Another WinterSowing Newb with questions..

Comments (6)

mnwsgal

kqcrna

Related Discussions

tomva

morz8 - Washington Coast

countrycarolyn

steff442Original Author

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steff442
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