Finally sprouts in some of the milk jugs

ryseryse_2004

11 years ago

Here in NW IL we are having a very late spring. This is a very good thing since last year everything happened way too quickly and then the frosts came and destroyed many things (apple crops, etc.). I was wondering when I would start seeing some of my jugs with sprouts.

Today I see some just starting to poke their heads through and it is so exciting. Tulips and Daffodils are starting to come up out of the ground and I see peonies breaking ground here and there. Spring is coming!!!!

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Comments (7)

tempusflits
11 years ago
I'm in WC IL. Things started popping here this past week, so I'd say you're due! I envy you your daffodils. Mine are fading already. Wish those things could hang about all summer. I love their yellow color.
Edie
11 years ago
I just saw my first sprouts today - the bachelor buttons. Love those early sprouters. :-)
Enjoying my crocus, squill and snowdrops. My daffodils haven't started yet either. I've decided I need to add some yellow crocus this fall. Such a happy color, and I'd like to see it sooner. My crocus are all white.
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No you don't need to thin them unless when the time comes you plan on removing and potting up individual seedlings into their own cup/pot to grow on some more. Otherwise, most of us plant out our seedlings directly into the beds when the seedlings are in the very early true-leaf stages...sometimes in the seed leaf stage (I'll plant out sunflowers in the seed-leaf stage because they are just big enuff to handle!). You can either lift out seedlings with a fork/spoon while (or dump out entire contents and pinch off seedlings as you work)keeping some potting mix around the roots and plant out individual seedlings or use the HOS (Hunk-o-Seedling) method. IMO I only use the HOS method with certain annuals that just perform better crowded, otherwise I separate seedlings and plant out individually or pot up. I don't start potting anything up (if I do) though until May because it's not necessary until then even on things that germinated in late Feb/Mar. because growth is much slower in cool weather. I only pot up stuff I plan to give away or because I want a bigger plant before I plant it out. How many you get depends on how many germinate and how many are injured during the process of removing and planting. I've had some containers literally carpeted by seedlings (those really tiny seed types), but I do a thinning as I plant and may only end up planting out 10 say out of 50 seedlings! I could probably save more but I'm in a hurry when I plant most times and no way would I have the room anyway for so many of one thing! LOL! Big seed or easy seed to handle I like to sow in neat rows in my jugs...that way it makes it much more easy when it comes time to remove and plant..maybe 1/2" between seeds. Don't worry, you're doing just fine :) Vera
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Since they have been growing outside all along, they do not need the traditional "hardening off". Just be sure to shade newly planted sprouts from sun as you would any newly transplanted plant. When to remove the tops? Depends...if the weather is hot enough to worry about them getting fried the tops need to be removed or more holes have to be cut in them to make for more air flow. Otherwise there is no hurry. They can stay in the covered container until you plant them out or until they get large enough that they are outgrowing the container. Once it looks as if most of the seeds have germinated I remove the tops as soon as possible to make watering easier in the spring. Sometimes I need to replace the tops or cover them with something if there is frost expected. If you are concerned about the sprouts drying out leave the tops on until they have gotten their true leaves or they are larger.
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I have been a "lurker" on this forum for a long time. When I saw a number of Zone 4 Minnesota responses on this thread I decided it was time to join in the conversation. I have been gardening in our small suburban backyard in the Twin Cities for many years. Last year when we removed two large overgrown blue spruce trees from the front yard I decided to move my garden to the front. What an experience! I discovered my neighborhood in a whole new way. It has been a lot of fun. I used to try to start seed indoors. We had florescent lights under the cabinets in the kitchen and over tables in the basement. It was inconvenient and in the way and it drove my DH nuts. It was a lot of work tending those "babies" taking them outside to harden them off and then bringing them in again when frost threatened, etc. And the success rate really wasn't all that great in the end. Then I discovered this forum a couple of years ago and decided to give it a try in a small way. It worked! Now I have winter sowed for a couple of years and I continue to be amazed at the results in our COLD climate. It's so much fun to experiment with new things. I grow herbs, salad greens and many flowers, both annual and perennial. Last year I did two raised bed gardens at the nursing home where my mother-in-law is a resident. It was wonderful to see staff, residents and their families enjoying them. I've learned a lot from all the postings on this forum and I am grateful. Many thanks. Oh! Beginning April 12th I found little green sprouts in many of wintersown containers. It never fails to give me a thrill. Thanks.
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docmom_gw
11 years ago
It's snowing here again. We're also having the worst flooding since the 1940s. Thankfully I live on a hill, so the water is not an issue for my house. But, the cold is putting a serious cramp in my wintersowing. I don't have a single sprout in any of my perennials, and I haven't even sown any annuals because it's too cold and I don't want the seeds to rot. Tomorrow I plan to put out my annual jugs. Otherwise I won't have them sown in time to have them included in the container count. Wish me luck!

Martha
tempusflits
11 years ago
Martha, I feel your pain. We had heavy rain Wed/Thurs and now temps are to dip down below freezing tonight. I'm sorry about your snow.

Spring will come. Spring will come. Spring will come! In the meantime, I have lots of sprouts, I'm just not sure if that's a good thing right now.
tepelus
11 years ago
Same boat here, Martha. No sprouts, it has just been too cold, and any warm days we have had were short-lived. Too much rain, now cold and snow again. Maybe by June we'll finally get warm. Maybe then my seeds will sprout. I only have one type of annual seed I want to start and I've been putting off sowing them because of the weather. Maybe I'll go ahead and sow them and see how they do.

Karen
docmom_gw
11 years ago
Karen, I finally sowed some zinnias because I just couldn't wait any more. I have lots of seeds that I collected off my own plants last fall. So, if I lose any of these, I have plenty of seeds I can still sow. Hang in there northerners. Our day will come.

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tepelus
11 years ago
Finally saw sprouts yesterday in two of my jugs, Dianthus 'Vampire' and Gillenia trifoliata, a native wildflower I sowed in the fall since it needed a warm, cold, warm cycle to germinate. So happy to see these little guys. Now the rest need to start showing me something.

Karen

Finally sprouts in some of the milk jugs

Comments (7)

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Edie

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