Welcome c. I'm a newbie this year myself, but the folks in this forum have been so welcoming I feel like an old timer already. The thing that helped me the most in getting started was reading the FAQs. They will give you a solid foundation, answering many of your newbie questions. After that, I suspect you'll have specific questions which everyone will chime in on. Also, when you have a specific question try using the search feature. There is a wealth of information just waiting to be read.

Welcome! You're going to love it here!

Welcome, Cyumickey! Lots of us are still using the winter sowing technique that is described in the FAQ's even though it is not winter anymore. The benefit will be that you don't have to worry about the wind or rain carrying your seeds away, or birds eating them, etc., since they will be protected in the containers.

There are certain perennials that need cold to germinate, but it sounds like you are doing mainly vegetables, so you shouldn't have any problem.

I am in the process of starting a new vegetable bed too, and the nice thing is that the seedlings are already started, so when the bed is ready, I can plant them out.

I hope that you give winter (spring) sowing a try. Once you do, you'll be hooked like the rest of us!

If you have ever heard of the nusery Annie's Annuals in Richmond, CA, you will realize that your climate is so perfect for starting many WS babies. The nursery ONLY winter sows, and everything is started right outside. Isn't that cool?

GGG

Thanks everyone! I've already found some great WS containers! They are the clamshell quart containers from Trader Joes that tomatoes and things come in. Drainage and venting already built in! I also dug a 1/2 gallon milk jug out of my recycle bin...

I do have a question, though. If you put your containers in a flat tray or plastic bin, do you have to raise them up a bit so they drain? I don't know if that made sense, but I was wondering if I should lay some disposable wooden chopsticks on the bottom of my tray and then put the containers on top?

thanks! :)

c

Hi! So nice to see you're joining us.

You won't worry about bottom drains if you put them on the side of the container ;-) Just take a sharp steak knife and add one stab per side, close to the bottom.

TJs tom containers may have too many holes..you don't want to have too much drainage or ventilation because the moisture will drain and wick away to fast. You can tape over at least half of them with duct or packing tape.

A favorite cheapo of mine for sowing toms is to use a styrafoam coffee cup. Put a hole in the bottom with a pencil and you can write the name on the rim with a ball point pen...like a bic. I like bics because the ink doesn't fade fast. And if it did, the name is still scribed into the cup. You can nest several cups into a tinfoil tray--add drainage to that, and then slip it all into a big baggie or even a grocery store bag. You need to put slits in that too. Or you can cover the cups with plastic wrap held on with tape or rubberbands. RBs may need replacing in a month or two because they break down in UV rays, but you'll have germination so fast that the point is moot.

Use the link below to get some ideas of how I do it, but you can flex it to adapt any way you want with whatever you have on hand.

T

PS--if you need tom seeds hit the tomato SASE link on the page for the addy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Toms with WS

thanks! I was eyeballing the styrofoam cups we have here at work after I read your article... :)

I'll definitely tape up some of the holes in the TJ containers, too.

thanks again!