I would sow the onions from seedman. They can take the cooler weather. I'd wait for the petunias until closer to spring. The bean will prefer really warm soil and may rot if you sow them too early. Arugula should be fine now too. Not sure about the grass.

From Swallowtail, sow everything but the amaranthus. I lost a container last year from sowing it too early. Thankfully, Carrie360 had lots of self sown babies and I adopted a few.

The monkshood does best if sown when fresh, so get it out there ASAP! Cosmos should be started nearer the last frost. Lupine, delphiniums, violas and pansies should be okay going out now. Pansies are just a larger crossed variety of violas. They resow readily here, but tend to revert to the parent plants.

Use the very best soil you have for the delphinium. Watch the moisture. Try to ignore it. A watched container never sprouts.

wow that is a nice list of seeds!

I need more containers. I might get some more of those take out soup ones. I had bought some last winter and they do ok. the plastic is a little weak but most of them survuved. They are clear with lids and all. Real cheap but I lost the site I got them from. Best thing is they stack well.

Take a pic of yours I am curious to see how the lids look etc...

Karen
Karen

None of the ones listed are here yet but I'm prepping for them! But they all ship pretty promptly. So I'll sow the onions and arugula, everything from ST except amaranthus, and the monkshod the minute I get my dirty hands on it! Even the lupin (an annual kind) I'll WS that, too. Direct sowed some last year all flopped and died, it's an annual kind, and just curious about it.

Petunias (blue wave) I sowed just one pkt prob too early. The cosmos, all other petunias, amaranthus (both kinds) will wait until the end of March or early May. Even though I've read the faq more than once and multiple posts, can't remember every detail how people were successful with what so just started sowing madly. Will know better next next time.

The delphiniums I will winter sow two kinds this year I have from ST, but that special one, one seed per cup and might wait timing wise like I did successfully for my delphs last spring.

Will sow all the pansies and violas ASAP except maybe hold 2 pkts back for next year, bought a lot of what I hope are blue because if all the different kinds I sowed grow and reseed, they will cross like you said. I want to keep the blue ones true if they turn out that way for me, don't want them to cross. Have already sowed lots of violas and have some Challon? pansies I don't particularly like (bonus), will sow when I get to it.

The runner beans my inclination are to direct sow when frost past as I successfully grew some Scarlet ones years ago, didn't fuss too much about water even, just about every seed germinated, and they go pretty deep IIRC. But I thought my grandson might have fun sowing them in some of my cups (later then) and then planting somewhere himself and watch them grow.

Saved your instructions, so appreciate the advice, wish I'd asked about some of the others sooner.

Now one more teeny weeny question. Just mixed up a big batch of soil and have to burn some more drainage holes which seem to be much better than slits like I have done in the past in the BOTTOM.

BUT should I put about 4 slits in the top of those lids to snap on the cups or burn a couple holes instead? I have been burning holes in the tops of most, and they're a good 1/4" diam and may let things get too drenched. You have your cups uncovered in the hoophouse; I have to cover mine, they're white and about the translucency of a milk jug only thinner.

Well one more question. Do you plant your love lies bleeding in the soil or container? The seed photo showed a container high enough so they could hang. The other amaranthus looks quite different.

A watched container never grows. Maybe that's why . . .I can't help the temptation to peek when it starts warming up, haven't looked at one thing out there yet.

Thanks much; obviously you and some others have lots of experience.

Karen, thanks. As to containers, maybe you can check neighbors' recycle bins or ask on Freecycle? The only thing with Freecycle is safety, and if some offer not too many but many offers, too much driving and flurry of emails to coordinate. The store sold me back 2 liter bottles a couple years ago, at 5 cents apiece when I ran short. I sowed one clam shell where the soil is more shallow, will see if those turn out. I don't know if IL has bottle and can deposit or not.

Maybe get some plastic cups and cover with ziplock (I think they're kind of expensive) or even baggies and set in a cardboard box, whatever you can scrounge. I don't recommend trying to tie plastic over a largish container holding smaller things, but maybe you can figure out something easier to cover the whole batch and use cups uncovered like Token for now.

"Take a pic of yours I am curious to see how the lids look etc." I'm going to try to get two trays of 18 each done tomorrow and set out; will get you a photo asap and post it to this thread.

I don't recommend buying the lids like I did. Maybe you can find a local source like a restaurant supplier or McD's might give you a few xtra here and there. If you go that route, be sure the lids will fit. And that was extravagant to buy online like I did and pay all that shipping, but wanted them ASAP.

Those daisy trays may have turned out to be the best deal and wise purchase for the future, will hold other things than cups. They're pretty sturdy but not so tough I don't know how many winters outside they'll take, prob intended for greenhouses. A few breaks can be patched with duct tape. I wouldn't put in and try to carry anything very heavy in them.

If they're outside, I would cover them with something, even if you just toss a sheet of plastic with slits cut in it. That'll help them heat up a bit and germinate sooner.

I have 200 lids, will use those first, buy or exchange for the cups they fit, by then be fit to be tied, but a good idea about the sheet of plastic and have plenty of different weights. I could do the plastic with those cups that lids don't fit and can't return. Sow later stuff in it and hold down with bricks. That way should give me enough head room until it's warm enough I don't need it or can recover quickly on cold nights.

I told one of my kids if I buy any more seeds to commit me or something like that.

Very neat info! I will work on begging for more containers. I have not bugged neighbors yet.

Home depot had some clear plastic shoe boxes for 99 cents last time I was there in Dec. I may take a trip over and see if they still have them. I could buy a few of those.
I hate to buy but at least I might get more than one year out of them.

Karen

Those disposable lasagna pans are good for wintersowing too. The tops are somewhat flimsy, but if you support the bottom of the pan when you carry it, it will last a couple years.

Karen, here's how it is, was going to sow two up and set outside B4 taking a photo but snow's coming down, and I may not plant until late this afternoon or tonight.

Pics aren't the best, why on the stove? Stuff on everything else and it has a light so I don't have to use the flash lol. Big plastic storage box half full of potting soil ready to go is on the counter now.

The lids come stacked in plastic in two columns just like plastic cups. The only thing is that they may only be good for one winter because the edges or whole things might crack from the weather or taking them off.

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Aliska, if you have a GFS - Gordon Food Service near you, you can take your misfits to them and they should be able to help you find cups to match your lids (they have a manual on what fits what). They also have a "clearance" section that has all sorts of stuff, who knows what you will find.

And the bulk stuff comes in sparkly huge clear containers!!!!

kterlep, Gordon Food Service sounded totally unfamiliar so I looked in the phone book, none in the IA IL metro area. We don't have Costco either, never have.

When I do bother to do something, I make too much of a big deal out of it. If I can find a local supplier or online that doesn't cost a fortune in shipping, I may continue with the lids. But after seeing floodtheleast's great slideshow tutorial, I can use baggies and use up my mismatched cups that way and just slit the baggies with my xacto knife. Regular baggies are far cheaper than what I spent on getting those lids. That was ridiculous if you really think about it unless I can use them in enough subsequent years.

Then after seeing the tutorial, I had to get the burner out again and put smaller holes in enough lids for two batches.

There is no law that says they have to fit in the daisy trays perfectly, granted the neat look is appealing, and it might make the lot a wee bit more stable. But I can just fit the others in whichever way they will go with the baggies and be done with it.

Maybe there is another supplier and I just haven't looked or called enough.

All in all, it's going to be much more tedious sowing into the cups but best and timesaving in the long run for plants I don't want HOS. Otherwise, I may just cut up some more pepsi bottles as I'm out of milk jugs. That is the most efficient of all, cut all around, one notch, slide together, slick, but still have to burn drainage holes which makes more fumes because the plastic is thicker in the bottom.

For those into mass sowing, a woodburner with different tips might be a good investment, tag says $16.99, in a way have already gotten my money's worth out of it compared to before. I think the hot knife tip that came with it would work for juice bottles some are having trouble with, have a few of those. It might be fun to try some woodburning again, was never very good at it.

If anybody is interested, it's called Creative Versa-Tool, got it at locally-owned True Value hardware store, comes with 11 interchangeable points and some solder. Says it does woodburning, leather crafting, soldering, stamping, paper crafting, hot knife cutting, pattern transferring, embossing, stencil cutting, personalizing. Wondered what all those tips were for and you can get additional ones.

I try to be very careful with it because it could be a fire hazard, and a burn would be painful indeed. But I don't bother with leather gloves.

Mine looks like this, OMG it's $29.99 now. They have others at the link.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Walnut Hollow Woodburning, different choices