I plant out perennials and hardy annuals when the temps are no longer going below 30 at night. How do I know when that time has come? I go by temp trends and *feel* (intuition and past experience), but I'm not always right.

In my zone, that is roughly between the end of March and the 2nd week of April.

I plant out all my other seedlings/sprouts between April 15 - April 30, depending on how the weather looks. Warm weather sprouts can go into the ground much later, but I use this as a *not before* date.

I don't usually sow HOS. I am just too nit-picky about sowing what I need, and using what I sow. So, if I use milk/water jugs I plant only 4-5 seeds in each one. Four or 5 plants in one gal water jug is easy to separate and plant.

The few times I have sown and planted HOS, I scooped out a HOS approx. 1" x 1" and planted it into a hole I'd already made, then firmed the soil around it and watered it in well.

I am a slave to the weather channel. We have it on first thing in the morning, and I always look at the weekly outlook- highs & lows. Once the temps start staying above 40 or so at night, I start the plant-out (this is a personal thing, as I see that recluse uses 30. I don't have enough info to know which ones are hardy enough to take the lower temps, so I just use 40+) If the temps dip after that, I'll toss a cloche over them for the night. I also like to use the 15-day forecast over at accuweather.com, but obviously if the weatherman can't get it right for 2-days out, it's unlikely that they really know the 15-day outlook. But I'm only looking at the temps, so knowing that the earth's orbit is relatively stable (wink), I can rest assured that they may at least have THAT part pretty close.

Planting out: It depends how thickly I sowed them. Unlike recluse, I "sprinkle and go" with many many containers. This might mean entirely too many seeds in a container, but I've found that it makes for a good show when planted out HOS. If I got super-good germination and a totally green container because I sowed WAY thick, I'll do WAY small HOSs. Some of my annuals like Marigolds and Zinnias I don't do HOS, but most things I do. They can duke it out after they're in the ground.

HOW you plant out is very much relative to how detail-oriented you are. If you're very specific about how you do things, it may throw your whole world into an uproar to try and do a plunk 'n run technique. Of course, depending on how many containers you got out there, you may find yourself plunking, running, and drinking heavily due to the stress of HAVING to do it at some point ;)

I prepare the soil and then I plunk and run , with a method to my madness. Meaning I know where I want a certain plant to go.Don't sweat it too much or as mmqchdygg You will be drinking or in my case popping Zoloft trying to keep up!

The Garden Pooter!

I do a lot of containers and I found it easier to plant (mostly perennials) into a holding bed first. They are easier to water when planted (and it's easier on the eyes after looking at hundreds of pots)! I put some annuals in there too if I have too many or not sure where they are going immediately.

My holding bed isn't large and I don't give the seedlings much room. I just dig a trench and line the seedlings up in the trench, back fill, tag. It goes fast. It's easier to get a handle on what germinated for me. Then when I want to plant a bed, I just go out to my holding bed and make selections from there.

I pay attention to the rain in addition to temperatures. We get some hefty downpours in the spring. I try to keep my uncovered containers grouped so I can toss a tarp on them. I haven't lost any that have been planted in my holding bed due to rain. I did lose my poppies one year due to cold because I planted them when they were too young.

How I HOS is dependant on how the plant grows.

Bachelor Buttons...lots of big hunks, close together. They hold each other up more. I'll put maybe three hunks (of about 2-3" diameter) 3"-6" apart from each other in a space about 6" diameter.

Plants that have a width of a foot or so, I make the hunks a little smaller, 1-2" or so, and plant them about 4-8" apart from each other. I tend to plant more closely than not.
Alyssum? I just pack it all in right next to each other, with no HOS more than two inches apart from the other.

Hope that helps a little :-)

Linda