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Will I kill my annual seeds if I put them out now?

15 years ago

Ok, if I'm totally wrong about this, please tell me. I live in zone 5/6 NE Ohio, and I thought I'd go ahead and start putting out some of my tender annuals in jugs the end of the week. I want to put out

larkspur

sweet peas

sunflowers

pumpkins

zinnia

impatiens

pansies

calendula

nastartium

snap dragons

foxgloves

I know it's early, but this is my what I was thinking:

*the whole idea about the jugs are that they are supposed to be warmer than if sown in the ground...

*in my area the ground probably won't freeze again, aside from frost

*it takes weeks to get sprouts anyhow doesn't it? Most people have told me that I need to keep the sprouts warm and not the seeds. So if it gets too cold I can blanket them, which I am ok with doing.

Does anyone know if the seeds themselves will be killed from a dip down to 20 or 25???

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Comments (6)

kiddo_1
15 years ago
quilt-mommy - so funny, we both posted basically the same question for the same zone at the same time. great minds - haha. I want to put out MY annuals too!

Kris
mnwsgal
15 years ago
The seeds will not be killed by freezing temps. The concern is the sprouts as you said. Note that the back of many seed packets says to sow x many days/weeks before last frost, expecting germination after the last frost.
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carrie630
15 years ago
Larkspurs are not considered tender ... I usually direct sow them here in the fall and the seeds sit in our coldest temps - lows can be 15 at times - and then germinate in the spring with flowers a bit later.

I also wintersow them - I mean as early as December (when it's freezing) and they germinate when they are ready. i just don't like transplanting them because they have long roots so that's why I direct sow them.
sheltieche
15 years ago
leave zinnia and pumpkins for later. Rest is fine. Pumpkins are best started later or direct sown- they grow too fast.
Zinnia will germinate at first sunny day and then kill over when the cold night hits.
karendee
15 years ago
This helps me a lot, I have pumpkin seeds for this year. Some I got in a SASBE and the rest I harvested from some really neat small pumpkins I bought at a farm. I know they may not look just like what I bought but I like surprises.

I also WS'ed Larkspur, I did several containers of them.
Karen
quilt_mommy
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh thanks everyone. I already put out my pumpkins but not all of them so I'll wait for the rest, and we'll just see what happens with the ones already out. I did zinnias in Feb. and didn't realize those were tender! LOL* Oh well, if the croak it's no big loss. I put out lots of perennials so I am hoping to still have a good turnout. ;)

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