Well this was my first yr. but I havent found it too bad, just doing a few daily. Making freq stops. if I feel like it I do it, if not I dont.

What I would do is figure the number of containers you can comfortably handle. IF it 10, carefully go thru and figure out your top 10 plants you HAVE to have, and stick to it. Only save that number of containers.What I did was also combine up to 4 different plants in one jug. I just divided the sections out by laying in strips of blind material.Then as it came time, just removed the sections that were ready to sow. It worked for me.So then you could essentially sow 4 times your set limit.but still have the same number of jugs.I sowed 230,I am finding that is probably the max I can comfortably work with dealing with the fibromayalgia.
Good Luck
Tammy

Can you actually discipline yourself to only a few? I start out that way and I end up with the whole deck full of milk jugs. Of which I have none planted. I have managed to plant a few of the plants that begged to go home with me! Sure glad this is pretty much my only "habit."

This was my 5th year wintersowing too, and it was pretty much a bust.

I really wanted to change my flower beds from the usual jungles like this to something easier to maintain
{{gwi:383903}}

I spent weeks last fall yanking plants and moving others, and pulling hundreds of unwanted volunteers. Weeks and weeks. So this year I only sowed 20 jugs. In April, after many were just sprouting, they got blown away in a windstorm (6 to 8 jugs/bin)
{{gwi:350970}}

My first attempt at tomatoes ended up like this, and there was even a brick in the bin for resistence to wind
{{gwi:334749}}

I started from scratch with toms and some have 1st true leaves while others are in seed leaf form and haven't opened and shed the seed coat. Only 2 zinnia sprouts in 2 jugs full. Only 2 Yvonne's salvia. Only 2 rud cherry brandy sprouts, only 2 Yvonne's salvia.... Most everything was a bust this year. And I spent many weeks again in early spring pulling unwanted wintersown volunteers, generations of them, which blanketed my beds{{gwi:351149}}
I have had to hoe out hundreds of bonariensis again this year (3rd year), larkspur, nigella...

Fortunately I invested in fluorescent lights last year and filled my gardening needs this way thru winter. Last year I bought wonderful trailing coleus from Rosy Dawn and propagated them and a few geraniums by cuttings. I started out like this
{{gwi:370523}}

Now, I have started so many generations of coleus, and bought a few more, that my house is overflowing with them. Overflow plants that won't fit on my lighted shelves are covering my porch, a few in just windows and more in the garage. I have given away a lot of them to delighted friends. Fortunately I also started a few seeds under lights- zinnias, alyssum, coleus, hypoestes,...so I'm not totally without annuals. But I have no Yvonne's salvia this year and no marigolds...and might have to go out and buy crappy tomato plants.

So, yes, I know that wintersowing usually works well, but those seeds and seedlings are at the mercy of Mother Nature and sometimes she's not kind. I had 4 great years of wintersowing but now I've had my first really bad year. I'll wintersow again on a limited basis, maybe a dozen jugs, but won't put all my eggs in one basket that way again. I'm loving my grow lights and shelves.

Karen

For me I'd sow many multiples of the same stuff.. and only keep the ones I want and PLAN on giving LOADS away right in the Jug . That way I am sure to get some for me..and have back ups in case Ma nature takes her PMS out on my Jugs.
I also think I am adopting Tokens hoop and pot method.for WS
I know it works good for him and I am hopeful i can modify it to work in zone 6

Wendy, my first thought is to start shopping NOW for a helper. I can't see my way clear to wanting to sow less, but I can totally relate to the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. Personally, jr. high/high school kids come to mind, with your supervision, of course. You could ask the guidance counselors at the local high school - some of the kids may have a particular interest in agricultural science, and would be eager for material to put on their college applications even if the pay wasn't so great.

I am finding that the pain in my knee is discouraging me from doing many containers that I want to sow. I know that I will be challenged to plant out the 200+ containers that I have already done.

Drippy, that sounds like an excellent idea. Lots of young kids are looking for jobs now adays,
Tammy

Last year, my first WSing, I was overwhelmed with the plant out. I asked DH what I was going to do when I am too old to "do this". He said, "our kids will do it"!! NEVER thought of that!

They do love to smell the flowers, cut the flowers to create bouquets etc. It seems only right to have them help with the earlier steps in the process. When the nest is empty, I'll find another kid(s) to help me - GREAT IDEA!!

Wendy I can sympathize, my knees are shot, and my back hurts as soon as I get outside and bend at all. I cut back drastically this year, only 8 containers where as normally I did over 100, but I have filled my yard up nicely with all the years of winter sowing, but I only have 1/4 acre.

Alberta

I have tried to be really disciplined the last two years, doing only what I want. But it always ends up that I get a few bonuses with trades and there go my plans. Last year I was down to 77, this year 59, but I invested in another fluorescent grow light and added a whole bunch of veggies so I'm back up there. I also did my Yvonnes Salvia, and Texas Red indoors, squashes, gourds, pumpkins, and melons. During late winter I started having knee and back problem and I have taken cod-liver oil (UGH!!) and some leg exercises (lunges and squats) and I seem to be O.K. I've been digging for a couple of days and can still make supper after. Today will be the real test - first day of planting out - lettuces and bunching onions. We'll see how that goes.

We need Mary to chim in on this one.
I know what you mean wendy, I am only 62, and I used to be able to spend 10 hours working in the yard,now, I am lucky to do 6-7.
I had surgery two weeks ago, still managed to plant out over 150 containers, with a neck brace on.
I keep starting new flower beds, WHY DO I DO THIS? I still fell young enough, but my body is shot,daughter was here last week, her and the grandkids did a little weeding for me, she says, "Mom, why do you keep starting new beds, you can't weed the ones you have, she is right, but I will kepp going on,till I can no longer go on I guess.
Wendy, can you sow just as many as you always do, only start them in nursery pots,and then have a sale mid summer?It will keep you doing what you love,and make a little spending money on the side.
Seems many of us here, are in the same boat,concidering the alturnitive, I will keep planting, and deal with the pain,just me though.
Told my hubby, when I go, put a shovel and dirty gloves by my caskit, I will need them,:0)
cAROL

cAROL, are you looking for me?? I'm old and "hippy" but I never did the LSD thing, that was the generation after mine.

I only sowed a few things this year, mostly herbs, and it's a good thing too...right now I'm sleeping in a rocker-recliner while I try to recover from a pulled muscle in my butt. It's getting better though, and I will be mattress shopping in a few days for one that doesn't have to be flipped.

Meanwhile, I still have to plant out the Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy starts and the daisy starts which are from last year's WSing plus some perennials I can't live without like Lemon Verbena and Pineapple Sage, Rosemary and Bay from Artistic Gardens, can you tell I love plants that have fragrance?

So I'm sure you can imagine how my beds look, the warm wet spring has grown a record crop of weeds which will become food for my compost bin. However, I am not done sowing, it's still not too late for tomatoes, they sprout very quickly this time of year and I plan on only short season varieties. I still do the WS method even though winter is over. I will also be harvesting and drying herbs for next winter, I love doing that. I stop when I'm in pain, rest a while, and then go back to it again. Last week we watched the derby, mint juleps in hand, made with mint from my garden and some good bourbon, yum!

Mary

Can't call myself a hippie. I was a goody two shoes and have never even seen an illegal drug. I finally rebelled at about 19 and started going out with some church friends. It was a very safe group of people to party with - but I came in hung over to work three Saturdays in a row, throwing up in the bathroom. The boss switched me to Wednesday mornings instead. After about six months of that I met my future husband and all that ended. Six months of 'rebellion'. Kind of a failure, I guess.

My problem is, once I start outside for the day, I don't stop until I can't move. It's always...move one more plant, weed one more section. Then the next day I am good for nothing - which is actually today. It's raining out so between my aching body and the rain, I am doing laundry and paper work ... very slowly.

I told DH by the time I get all the gardens the way I want them, it will be time to start turning them back into grass because I won't be able to take care of them.

Or maybe I'll just move into a smaller house and leave all this for someone else. LOL

LSD vs WS? Hmmmm. Didn't do LSD but I would think that WS is better. You can grow your own psychedelically colored garden, the high is much better, is legal, and lasts a lot longer. Is WS a drug? Ask anyone who's doing the Happy Dance!

T

Yes Mary, I was talking about you,:0)For age advice,:0)
I have never done the lsd thing either, or any drug for that matter,I think you shound do the sowing in pots(flower pots, that is) teehee
cAROL

If you can get a copy of April Country Living, there is a cute article about an aging gardener, an excerpt from her book "Gardening for a Lifetime". She talks about creating a garden that eventually becomes impossible for her to maintain. It made me laugh, and I thought of all of us here who will probably do the same thing.

Mary

I truly enjoyed reading all of your posts, even though I don't qualify for the "hippie" definition (too conservative) and never could see the sense in doing the drug thing, but I sure do agree with all the discussion regarding gardening when you are "not so young" (I can't call myself "aging", I just can't do it!)

I can tell you that I have a plan.... really, I do.

I figure that by the time I can't plant the flowers and high maintenance things in the beds in front of my fir trees - the trees will have grown so large that I can just mulch the area underneath them! Plus, I have discovered that If I get a hosta bed truly established, and don't mess around in the soil (which would distribute and plant weed seeds), I actually have very little weeding or work necessary in that bed.

So, while I lament the lack of sunshine over much of my garden area, I know that it will allow me to keep doing the work I LOVE so much, for a much longer time. I do think that with each passing season I TRY to remind myself to "simplify" - but then I see another plant.... read another post.... see another beautiful, crowded, cottage garden like I love so much and the plan to "simplify" goes right out the window!

So, while I have a plan.... sticking to it will be next to impossible!!!

BettyLu

Wendy,
When you say "pot ghetto" is that another drug reference? I'm assuming that is the area around a new medical marijuana store. By the way, can cannabis be winter sown? I didn't see it in Trudi's list in the FAQs.

Grateful gardener, it's called weed for a reason so I'm guessing that it could. :) Next year's ws project?

Caryl

You guys better watch out! Throwing all those drug references around - never know who's "listening"! LOL!

I came of age in the Hippie times, but never went that route - my parents would have been horrified, and I was a good girl (yep)! But I guess I qualify as "old" - at almost 61, I find myself breathing hard and aching just tending the pots that are 10 steps away from my living room door. How will I ever garden successfully when I get to plant stuff in real ground?

Scary ....

PV

Love reading all your comments,makes me smile today
cAROL