If you had access to a greenhouse, would you wintersow?

15 years ago

I've recently moved back to my parents' neighbourhood and purchased a house on acreage where I have grand plans for my gardens. My parents have a lovely little glasshouse which is unheated except for a bench with bottom heat. They start all their tomatoes, peppers, and other veggies in there and the plants do really well.

I had been reading about WSing so I decided to try an experiment with some seeds from trades that I had lots of. I started them on the same day both in the greenhouse and in WS containers (in late Feb). So far, NOTHING has sprouted outside, but the following have been up for a few weeks inside and are growing beautifully:

Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

Malva moschata

Aquilegia

Penstemon 'Husker Red' (I think - there's only one and it could be a weed)

Plus I have a whole bunch of other things that I started inside and didn't bother WSing. The one thing I'm really hoping for in a WS container is Primula japonica, because it needs cold and can be very tricky. I put half in the fridge for a cold treatment, and WSed the other half. We'll see which works better.

So... what do you think? I love being in the greenhouse on sunny days when you can almost watch the seedlings grow. But there is limited space - I only get what's not taken up by the veggies. Should I keep WSing? Will I get sprouts in my WS containers? I'm beginning to wonder...

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Comments (12)

nancy_drew
15 years ago
You bet I would still winter sow! Even if I had a greenhouse, there could never be enough room. I like to keep things as natural as I can and w/sing does that for me. Why pay for heating anything when it isn't necessary?

I would imagine that I would use the greenhouse for things that I could not grow outside, house plants, orchids, zone 8/9 things.
donn_
15 years ago
Grin! Every time I see the name PEI written, I spend the rest of the day humming, whistling and singing "Bud The Spud."

"Well it's Bud the Spud, from the bright red mud,
Rollin' down the highway smilin',
The spuds are big on the back of Bud's rig,
They're from Prince Edward Island,
They're from Prince Edward Island."

Don't judge by the germination of Columbine. I have volunteers already up with several clusters of leaves. They germinated over the winter. Others will continue to appear right through the summer. I haven't sown any in years, but I found some seeds from a gorgeous white Rocky Mountain variety I intend to sow shortly.

{{gwi:235943}}

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I'll be building a nice big greenhouse (~400sf) when finances permit, but I doubt if it'll completely replace winter sowing. There are too many other benefits to WS to stop entirely.
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rosepedal
15 years ago
Yes there are plants that I grow in mine too that are not my zone...I ws like crazy....If I would have known about it before I bought it I probably would have never gotten it...But I do love having both too...:) Green in the winter in zone 4 is necessary for me...Too much white stuff and a very long winter too...Barb
ms_minnamouse
15 years ago
I'd still winter sow but I'd get that greenhouse heated and put all kinds of tropicals in there! Why not have the best of both worlds?
nancy_drew
15 years ago
Whoa! Donn! Those columbine are beautiful!! They would look lovely next to my Red Star and Blue Star! Yep! Those go on my wish list for next year!!
lgslgs
15 years ago
I'd winter sow outside and put a hot tub in the greenhouse - then relax and soak and watch for the containers to sprout. :)

Lynda
mayberrygardener
15 years ago
If I had a greenouse... Ah, yes, I would still wintersow. WSing has its advantages, but then so do the early starts for things like tomatoes, peppers, and other plants that like a little head start. The only sprouts I have (just spotted them yesterday--YEAH! I have babies!!) are alyssums, but I saw a nice 'mater--WITH FRUIT ALREADY--at the greenhouse the other day and I know that they're gonna have the ripe babies before I do!

Although, I love Lynda's suggestion, too!
sheltieche
15 years ago
sure seeds will germinate faster indoor or in heated greenhouse. Depends what are you looking for and how much acreage you want to fill. I do some indoor/ greenhouse because I have established gardens and tiny seedlings will get lost if I plant them out with WS. So if I need something badly I could do it indoor. I do my annuals in greenhouse as our season short. Still WS presents different offers and ease of growing. Does not have to be exclusive.
mnwsgal
15 years ago
I had great germination winter sowing primula japonica seeds last year. Looking forward to seeing them bloom this spring. Thanks to lindalana I have more that were winter sown this year.
rosepedal
15 years ago
I agree yahoo for lindlana...I have ws many of her seeds...:) Barb
dirtbert
15 years ago
I do have a greenhouse (only heat it in the early spring at night) and I ws like crazy too. My greenhouse is 10x18 and I'm always running out of room in there by May. I ws anything I can to leave room for the longer growing season annuals and veggies in the greenhouse.
Of course, there are always some annuals and perennials I want to be sure I have so I'll start a few seeds in the greenhouse. It's only my second year ws'ing, but I did this last year and my ws'd plants did much better than my greenhouse started ones did (for most perennials). They are stronger and don't need the hardening off like greenhouse plants do.
But I wouldn't give up my greenhouse for anything! It's the only thing keeping me "hanging on" lately with this bitterly cold spring :) Well, the greenhouse and the lights I have in the basement with seedlings under them too! HA I'm a seedling-a-holic.
terrene
15 years ago
In your case, in that the greenhouse is off site, it seems it would be more difficult to monitor the seedlings. I would probably WS in containers as well.

If there happened to be a greenhouse on my property, I would probably not WS much, if at all. Why cut and fill and mess with containers that are supposedly just mini-greenhouses anyway? But, unless I were running a commercial operation growing plants, I wouldn't spend the money to buy a greenhouse, and I certainly wouldn't heat one, when WSing is free. Someday I will probably make a hoophouse or cold frame and sow entirely in cups or small pots.

If you had access to a greenhouse, would you wintersow?

Comments (12)

nancy_drew

donn_

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