Some of mine sown at the end of January just sprouted.The temps have just got warm enough here for anything to happen,hold on they will be there soon!:)

I just saw my first sprouts today. Only 2 containers, and they have the best sun in my yard. Yours will be pretty soon, but if you move them into more sun, that may make it sooner. Once it heats up you may want that part shade again, though.

You haven't done anything wrong. Those seed will germinate when the "boss" says it's time to do so. Mother nature will do her thing and you will have an abundance of seedlings.

As stage rat said, you may want to move them into direct sun to speed things up. My containers always go out into full sun. Only place I can put them and be close enough to the outlet to water them when they need water. I have never moved them from direct sun to part shade either and they do fine.

All of my containers are still sitting on top of snow and are all still frozen right now as well.

No worries, this is my 5th year WS and have never had a problem with not having germination or tons of seedlings. Sometimes I've actually hoped that the some of them wouldn't germinate. You know the feeling, just too many containers, too many seedlings and got to get them in.

Fran

Thank you everyone for your advice. I've gone ahead and moved them to full sun, in the hopes that this will speed things up a bit! This is my first time WS, so I'm worried that something isn't right. I guess I just need to have a little patience...

Still early for you, I'm warm zone 6 & only in the last weekor so started seeing green. Once you spot one though, they will really start popping!

bellarosa: Your time is coming very soon. Because you are in a colder zone, you can expect most things to sprout considerably later than those in warm zones.

Germination is not only dependent on length of time they're in soil. It will be affected by moisture, length of daylight, and local temperature.

If you read germination information for any seed, either on the net or a seed packet or a book, you'll find something like
"germinate @ 70 degrees for 7 to 10 days" or something similar. Many factors will affect that. If you plant a seed outside in natural conditions in your winter where it get short days, 15 degree winter weather for months, it just won't sprout. It will wait until it's own conditions are met, or at least something close.

Karen

bellarosa, I'm a Zone 4 and have no sprouts yet either. :(
I'd be worried if it was my first time! This is only my 2nd year of wintersowing. Last year I had a few sprouts after mid March, and then we had a cold snap, you could say, of temps well below zero that lasted for 3 or 4 days,(I can't remember) and my poor little sprouts didn't handle that very well. So even though I am SOOOO envious of everyone's sprouts, I keep telling myself it just isn't time yet. It is hard though, when I go out and peek into my jugs and see no green, not to wonder if something is wrong!! I'm hoping by the end of next week I'll be seeing green. We just need warmer temps and more sunshine.

Karen

bellarosa, I'm in zone 5. I also have no sprouts. I've done this for.....6 years? I can't keep track. Don't worry. We still have ice and snow. Once we have a few days where it doesn't drop below freezing at night and the sun shines all day, they'll start popping. And the annuals will take their time, even after that. Relax and admire the amazing wisdom of Ma Nature.
Martha

I'm in zone 5 also and have no sprouts and do not want to see any until the weather is considerably warmer. I checked yesterday and I believe that I saw the very beginning of germination on my california poppies and I think it's too soon. It's supposed to get pretty cold where I am over the weekend and if they are beginning to pop, they'll freeze. I may have to move them to my basement for the weekend.

Anyway, please don't be too concerned, it's much better if we don't see sprouts yet in our zone.

Linda

I don't have any sprouts, either, and after the horrible spring last year, I'm glad I don't have any!

Next year, be sure to WS some Dianthus; it always comes up super-early :))

If you work during the day, don't put your jugs in full sun...it is just too hard to concentrate on work when you think they could be par boiling on a nice sunny day. :))

It won't be long now, really!

Lime

Well thank heavens for this thread as this was my first year and I was really worrying because folks in colder zones have sprouts. I will just keep the faith and hope for the best.:)

its ok, i only have a few, first time here too!! but when it warms up enough they will just pop out and you won't know what to do!! LOL i should be preparing their beds!! LOL
the one's that have been popping are the broccoli and brussel sprouts and just vege's i should say!! and angi,, i think the purple is the purple bush beans. LOL

It's a bit early for zone 4. Most of my containers have been frozen solid until the last two days. I think last year my earliest germination was in mid March then early April with most germination the end of April first part of May. Seems that we have had a colder March than last year.

Unusually consistently cold here in SW Ohio this spring, too. And the local TV weather guy just said 65% of days in March we've had rain or snow. That translates to lots of cloudy, cool, wet days with very little sunshine. It's supposed to warm up after tomorrow, so maybe we'll all see more sprouts after that.

Karen

No sprouts here yet either in an East coast zone 5. Which is okay, we are still getting cold nights and temps are below average. My containers are also in morning sun. With this weather, I don't want them to sprout yet.

And as Limequilla points out, it depends on what you sow too - I sowed two types of sweet Alyssum last week, and maybe those will sprout soon?

Well this is my first year winter sowing too. I was also starting to worry, But guess what? I saw my first sprout today!!!! It is pink peoney poppies. I'm sooooooo excited!!
I have ice on some of my containers. We are suposed to get a little warmer this week.
Linda

Congrats crazy! Aren't first sprouts exciting? As I sow more today, I will do a little happy dance for you.

You guys are so supportive and sweet! I just checked mine again and I do have little sprouts of lettuce coming up. YEA! *Happy dance* So thats encouraging but I am still a little worried bc some of what I sowed awhile ago that others in colder zones have some coming up of the same plants and I don't. But I will just go back to compulsively checking them and keeping the faith.:)

I am in zone 5, yet I think I get sprouts before a lot of people who are in warmer zones than I am, so I would not worry. They will sprout when they are ready...until then, just sow some more!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was worried. This is my first time too. I sowed most all the perennials in Feb, and I did a ton of annuals yesterday. I checked the perennials, and didn't see any sort of action, so I was bummed, but this makes me feel better. They're getting plenty of moisture and sun, so I'll just wait. I have more annuals to do yet. It is somewhat stressful, because you think about the money you spent on the seeds, and you want it to work. I'm sure it will.
Minnesota is a land of extremes, but I'll wait patiently, LOL.

Zone 5 microclimate here. Only sprouts so far are the 55 day broccoli and the feverfew for the Ws'd containers.
Looked inside the milk containers and they had ice crystals this morning. I know I wouldn't be growing green with ice crystals, lol.
I usually see most germination here in April for Ws'd containers. In the mean time wanting green the blue fescue, marigolds, maters and eggplants inside sowed keep me happy and last night sowed 9 different kinds of zinnias under lights,they should be up in 3 to 5 days

No sprouts here in NW Ohio, but we haven't had much in the way of sunshine and warm temps either. Highs in the upper 30's to upper 40's on a 'warm' day, with lows in the upper 20's to low 30's. First time WS here too, I keep checking everyday, especially the dianthus to see any signs of green to no avail. With April approaching, I'm sure the temps will start to finally get warmer and I'll start seeing some babies wake up!

Karen

This is my first year as well. I have only 2 containers starting to pop up but I'm glad of that. It's too cold at night still and I don't have room to bring all of them in at night. I uncover the 2 during the day and recover them at night. So far so good! lol

Today I saw few sprouts of butter curnch lettuce, bok choi and some others from brassica family.

This is first time I have winter sowed and I am excited now.

First year WS for me. I am in NW IL. and have no sprouts yet. I WS'd 80 jugs and am so anxious to see some activity. We have only had one day that reached 50 and most nights get below freezing so far.

It is hard to be patient when so many are seeing wonderful green activity, isn't it?

Bellarosa,

Check your jugs again tomorrow. I believe you should see some sprouts, possibly a lot of them if you had sun this past weekend or Monday. About 1/3 of my jugs germinated, and I know you're North of me, but I believe you will be surprised. WARNING: It takes a magnifying glass to see some of the sprouts :), but they are there!

Lime

I take it back, I got some LETTUCE sprouting in Box #138. Holy cow! And that was old seeds too.

I do believe the spinach seeds are putting some roots out and the cucumber seed is "opening up", you know what I mean.