I am in the same boat as you, I am in VA, Z7 and mine have been under snow for two weeks now but there is a siting of jugs as of today.... and I set mine out 1/19.... I am worried, someone want to put us at ease? lol

Just because you are z7, doesn't mean that your jugs will sprout at the same time. Some z7s are still covered in snow while other z7s may be having gorgeous weather. Don't worry, if you plant it...it will sprout! lol.

We had several days in the mid 60s just a few weeks ago. Today it was 57. Your zone 7 is probably different than mine. My containers also sit on concrete where they receive dappled sunlight most of the day. They heat up quick. Two liters, which are clear, will also warm up faster than milk jugs that are translucent. There are so many factors that change germination rates. Our snow lasted all of a day.

Connietn, you are probably on the same weather schedule as I am right now. We've had it COLD - I'm getting some germination but not a lot. This weekend is going to be lovely here, I expect to see a lot more popping up. Today I had a million and one cipollini onions pop up today, but not much else.
Dianthus and hollyhocks are usually my first and they are awake and up. The rest are still sleeping.....

I think GGG has had more rain and snow than we have this year.

Remember, the zones are based on average winter lows and don't account for fluctuations in a single given year.

I'm in zone 7A - officially in the foothills of NC, but still considered the Piedmont. I just moved my containers to a more sunny place (because even if I have to move them back to more shade at least I feel like I DID something!) I noticed I've got two tiny little sprouts in container #4, which after going inside to check revealed itself to be Chrysanthemm Robinson's Red.

I'm a newbie too, and my first round of containers didn't have good enough drainage holes and with the torrential rains we kept having some of my containers didn't drain very fast for a few days. I'm hoping I didn't lose any from a day or two of standing water before I fixed the drainage holes. I put out some agastache too that I probably should have waited on that I'm not sure will make it too. But have faith - you'll have sprouts before you know it! Spring is almost here!

It's been pretty cold here too. More snow this year than I ever remember (well, since I was a kid anyway). Today it was fifty-something, and sunny, and ohhhhhh, the spring fever is really bad now! I guess it has just been a little too cold yet for them. Thanks for the reassurances!

I only have a few sprouts in northern AL, zone 7B - and we've had very little snow. But as I am used to not seeing anything until late March in MA - and where I was, a lot of folks consider 7A (although I'll always swear it was a 6B) - I am not worried yet. Connietn, if you get the same weather they have predicted in the greater Huntsville area, I am betting you'll see a few sprouts by next week.

Samantha, my Robinson's Red container is just full up with sprouts. The whole thing is covered with green. Nice big first leaves too. It's looking especially hardy. I can't wait to see those bright red flowers with the yellow centers.

only thing sprouting here is the icicles!

:)
D

Also in zone 7 in Tennessee (Chattanooga area)...finally had a couple of days of NORMAL seasonable weather (the last weather segment I caught, the TN valley has been more than 7 degrees below normal for the month of February). The only sprouts I've gotten thus far are cold-weather veggies (broccoli, radishes, lettuces, spinach, red onions, celery) over the past couple of weeks, one English daisy pretty early on (which I'm convinced is a fluke, since the other English daisy containers have done nothing, and there's only one sprout in the one that has a sprout), and poppies.

We've had at least four days with snow this year, including two of those days with at least an inch of accumulation, and my entire yard was under snow for at least a week at one point, which is highly abnormal.

I definitely have spring fever as a result of the weather the past couple of days! I was so happy to go out to run errands without having to put on a jacket today!

I have fewer sprouts this year than the same time previous years due to all the cold but I'm not worried at all. A few more days like we had this weekend and they will start popping up.
The ones that sprouted a few weeks ago have been covered in snow 3 or 4 times since sprouting and are still strong and healthy looking.

UPDATE!! It has been in the fifties here this weekend and for the first time since sowing, I could see all the jugs, cuz the snow is gone for now. AND lo and behold, ONE jug has sprouts.....bachelor buttons... that is one out of 80, lol, but it is one none the less...... this is exciting !!

heartzlink - thanks for sharing the good news! Congratulations on your BB sprouts!! Don't forget to do the happy sprout dance!!

heartzlink,thats what I had sprout first the bb's then malva zabrina,blue flax,bee balm and poppys,in that order..maybe it will help you since we are pretty close to one another..