What am I planting out!?! Heck, I only have alyssum sprouts!! Although, I just checked our weather, and no more freezing nights for a week, so I should be seeing more. Still waiting for pansies & petunias; I had so few gloxinia seeds and didn't know if they would wintersow, so have tried them indoors, but nothing yet. :o(

Planting out... I'm so excited for you! Have you ever used the mini cloches that Trudi does, rather than mulching? Due to winds in my area, my mulches tend to blow off (especially because I do all container gardening), but I can at least use some garden staples to keep down the water-bottle tops; I just don't know how much they will protect from freezing temps.

That is a good question. I have some sprouts that are getting big. I am a newbie and so scared to plant out. I did poppies yesterday and so far they look pretty good.

Below are some seedlings I am not sure if I should wait for them to harden off or plant them out and let them fend for themselves. So far I have had the tops on the containers for all of them. I only removed the tops for the photos. Should I uncover for a while then plant out or just plant out now?

Nicotiana (sp?)
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Millet
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Cleome
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Cleome and Larkspur Mixed
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Coreposis (too small but wanted to share)

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Sorry to hijack your thread. I am so nervous about planting out.
Thanks
Karen

I did chamomile and poppies and transplanted a daylily to the front!

:)

Dont really have true leaves on anything else yet. The dianthus are just starting to make them tho.

It's a really cold 45°F here today - wind chill at 37&degF. We actually had some snow flurries eralier this morning.

I don't really have anything big enough to plant out yet; I have newspaper spread all over the dining area floor and I'm getting pots ready. Maybe by next week .... ??

PV

It's sunny but cold here again today. I'm planning on getting out the last two bottles of poppies and that's it.

All the veggie transplants made it through the night just fine--which is what I expected. I have them under FRCs. And the "hotties" in the hoophouse made it OK, too.

All the herb seeds I WS'd are sprouted except for the rosemary. Not one sprout. UGGH. Of course, that's one I use a lot. The rest are going in two self-watering window boxes, so I made drag them inside to plant.

I can't deal with this wind...

Prof

Well, I could have gone out today in the blizzard and planted my quarter-inch tall sprouts, but decided against it, lol.

It's been too cold and nasty here for me and the sprouts. I only have a few things that are plant-out size yet anyway.

I think someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that it's spring. When she remembers, it will be too late and she'll go from 35 degrees to 80 degrees in one week. Then I'll be complaining it's too hot to plant out, lol.

Glad for all of you folks who are having nice weather! How bout you send some this way? We sure could use some!

:)
Dee
P.S. We didn't really have a blizzard, but some really really wicked flurries - almost a white-out, lol. The only good thing is I knew it wouldn't stick - or at least I hoped it wouldn't, lol!

pvick, newspaper for?

lindalana, I'm also in zone 5a. Weather.com is saying that we will have 32F average for the rest of the week. I have many sprouts. Should I start planting out? Or should I wait late April?

Also, I don't have leaves to cover them, what are other ways?

Karendee - This is your first year? Wow - you did really good!

Cleomes are tough to get germinated, you have so many!!

Not in your zone, but if you are expecting frost, I would wait a bit...

How is your back?

carrie

I've got self sown cleome sprouts, but not a single sprout in any of the containers. What's up with that?

I planted out a few things this morning. Planning to head back into the garden after I get off work at 6. Out for lunch right now. Later!

55 and sunny. Tomorrow will be in the 70s again. WOOT!

neil - the newspaper is to keep all the dirt off my floors as i prep my "permanent" pots for anticipated plant out ...

btw - how are your coleus seedlings doing?

PV

Since I have plenty of stuff growing in my garden it is pretty easy to see what is actively growing right now. I have bunch of primulas blooming- I am figuring it is safe enough to plant out my seedlings, I have lots of columbines doing real well- columbine seedlings out they go, my hardy geraniums go gangbusters- geraniums go out too.
Karen
as far I as your seedlings cleomes can go anytime they are pretty hardy and I DS them, as well as larkspur.
V1-
I always have leaves so never used anything else but some straw could do as well- anything fluffy and light will do.
At this time my zip code does not show any cold spells, only occasional drop during the night to 32. What that means that for an hour or two during very early morning air temps will drop to 32F. Soil being heated during the day will keep higher temps with no problems. Hardy perennials specially spring blooming ones have built in protection for such temps and have no problems growing outside.
I have been doing it for while and have to do plantings this way- my gardens are too established so I have to give seedlings best fighting chance to survive. Would suggest waiting another week but do not hold too long for tough perennial seedlings- they grow much better when planted out.

Well, Mayberry, I'm in Colorado too, but this past week I've planted out two kinds of poppies, five kinds of lettuce, and two kinds of wallflowers. I've been shoving the top half of the container into the ground over the sprouts, like a cloche, and everything has been fine ... so far. Of course today the winds are gusting to 45 mph, and there is rain/snow in the forecast, so we'll see how everything fares.

Lindalana, I agree with your planting out philosophy completely. I think most of the sprouts that have died on me were from planting out too late, rather than too early. Once it gets hot here, it's a searing, sprout killing heat, so it's better to plant early, and provide a little extra protection, so that the roots can get established before the heat stress does them in.

Bonnie

Carrie, thanks so much! I am so glad that I got something difficult to sprout! Woohoo! I just love gardening. My back is getting better. It still hurts but I can move around without screaming ;0 thanks for asking!

Thanks Linda for the advice! I will stick some out this weekend! I have several containers so I can plant out some.

I guess I am weary because all seedlings I have planted out from indoors in the past I have killed. (Well except hot pepper, plants and I killed about half of those)

Thanks for the info everyone! Happy planting.
Karen

Thanks lindalana. That means I really have to double time to finish all the beds. :( I still have 250-350 sqft to dig. OUCH!

pvick, the coleus aren't doing well. I'm not sure what I did wrong. The cotyledons before are much larger than the real leaves. It did show nice leaf on the second weak.

I sowed like 25 and only 6 or 8 remaining fighting for their lives but I don't think it will survive in 2 weeks.

Should I winter sow coleus instead?

My coleus was sown a couple weeks ago. They've sprouted, but I haven't taken the lid off yet. I moved them into shade. I also have impatiens in that container.

v1 - sorry to hear about your coleus. Hope the last few make it.

I've never WSed coleus, always grow it inside, so I can't really be too much help there. Someone here does WS (or rather, spring sow) coleus - can't remember who. But I do know that coleus will not tolerate temps below 50°F, so maybe you should wait a bit before trying them outside.

PV

I tried coleus last year- sowed in spring. They barely grew. This is a picture at plant out time- if you squint you can see a tiny seedling behind the white label.
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They didn't do anything until late summer. By Aug and Sept. they were pretty- but summer was over.
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I took cutting from those and overwintered them in the house. I've also started a few seeds inside the house this year and they're doing well. I don't think I'll be doing them outside again. It works- just too late for my liking.

Good luck with yours. I hope yours do better than mine.

Karen

I've just planted out poppies and a milk jug worth of alyssum so far. Well I did put some catnip into two pots and tucked by one maple. Oh and nine little chinese houses.
We had a snow storm yesterday but highs in the fifties today so I jumped on the chance to put some hardies out. The poppies and alyssum were out during the storm and seem fine, oh the catnip too. My kitty was checking them out this morning.
I have perennials to work around and lots of shade once the leaves come in so I need to get those babies out there now. Pity my toddler doesn't understand.
No more freezes for a week just lots of rain. Hopefully I'll get to do more after the holiday. No cleome yet either. Lovely sprouts you have karen.

I've only planted a few poppies.

Most of my stuff is still tiny. I'm not even sure many have a set of true leaves yet, and I can't handle them well when they're that tiny. It's just been too cold for most things to put out much growth yet. Also, since so many of my labels were blown away this winter I don't know exactly where some of the perennials are located. I have 3 butterfly weeds which haven't shown up yet; they are always late risers.

I know the perennials could handle the weather fine if I'd plant them. It's ME who can't handle the cold weather. My hands just won't function normally in cold wet dirt and cold water. My bad leg doesn't do so well either.

Karen

The coleus is very pretty though. too bad it took long to get big from WS'ing.

I love coleus so much but I killed the ones I tried to keep alive in my basement. I may just buy some this year.

Karen