Hi BettyLu,
This is my first year winter sowing and I think I am up to 70 different varieties, and I will get more from the wintersowing swap. I guess its going to be sink or swim for me! I think that it will be a positive experience and should the worst happen there will always be more seeds next year...
Also I am planning on planting 1/2 the seeds in each packet so I have back up for the warmer weather.

Good Luck and Happy Planting
Heidi

Last year was my first year I sowed over 85 varieties of flowers and veggies. This year I hope to triple that!

LOL
You want get any help with restraint here. Just a bunch of enablers. HEEHEE LOL
Go all out. Don't you want to join the mile high club.:O)You have to support your zone this Spring!!!
I say you can't plant too many plants. You can always give them away if you think there are too many later.
I'd say go wild. you'll never runout of seeds to plant from years to years. You just keep finding more things you need.
Good luck with the conservative thing. :O)
Pattie

This is my first year wintersowing too. I think I'm up to about 60 so far and am getting more in the seed exchange soon. Plus I still "need" some sweet alyssium and nasturtiums.

I thought I was going to start small. It sort of snowballed. I'm completely obsessed now and I haven't even planted a single milk jug.

If this works as well as everyone here says it does, I'm going to have to give away quite a bit of stuff. My poor lot is only .14 acres!

Sorry - can't offer any restraint to you. I'm having trouble reining myself in!

Good luck.
Erika

My first year, I had 800 containers. Go for it.

This year, maybe 2-300. Maybe.

My first year I had over 3600 containers - I had planned on doing all my sowing in one year and then never again.

Somehow here in year two I'm already looking at more than 500 containers worth of stuff to sow this winter. But this REALLY will be my last WSing year, honest!

BTW - I have no regrets about diving right into the deep end last year. Until I saw all the seedlings I was rather nervous but it is a fantastic way to start seeds.

Lynda

I have only two reasons to hesitate going all out - 2 little kids. I had 150 containers last year, my first year WSing.

The sowing was only slightly busy. I sowed certain seeds each month. Watering was easy.

Planting became the time consuming task. Carefully removing the hunk of seedlings (HOS) was difficult because I wanted to reuse the jugs. My son asked if I was ever going to be done planting...can you hear the neglect??

This year I have vowed to sow in keg glasses and should be able to fit 4-5 in a milk jug. I saved 60 or so milk jugs from last year, telling myself that was my limit. After the milk jugs are full, I want to stop myself from planting more. However, keg glasses will make planting SO much easier, my kids could help - right? Then we would be bonding...it would be a learning moment...then why stop at 60 jugs??

My only problem is being short on the amount of containers for WS. I only have 20 milk jugs and 18 gallon nursery containers.

Anyone else have cheap ideas for containers that maybe I can pick up at a dollar store?

I dont drink soda from a 2 liter, and dont eat fast food.

I'm not going overboard I think maybe 60-80 different types of seeds to ws. A lot of the seeds can be direct sowed, but some of the varities I want to WS too. I have a problem with seedlings not getting damaged. I have two naughty kittens, major slugs, and a toddler.

Danielle

My first year I sowed over 300 jugs.I said I wasnt going to do that this year but I have been trading seeds like crazy.It quickly becomes an addiction.
Danielle,do like most of us do and go scavenger hunting at your recycle center.

You definitely want to be ultra-conservative in your choices. Don't even TRY to compete with Zone Lynda, so I'd say a couple-three hundred would be a good number for a newbie. More or less..

I do 150 - 200 a year , but that includes annuals, lettuce spinich, herbs and other things as well.

I dont forsee doing less than 50 every, becuase of the # of annuals I do wintersowing wise.

We have milk delivered in glass and consciously try to limit plastic use.

Last year, I sent a request on freecycle and received some great containers. I also became a dumpster diver at a recycle center. On Sat.s, it's busy enough that you can intercept bags of containers before they end up in the dumpster.

Gotta start saving early because the jug need grows...addicting...fun and SO rewarding and addicting.

Betty Lu..here's my first year effort. I salvaged 2 liter pop bottles from the neighborhood while walking the dog.
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Here's the result....
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This was my first year..I have since dug in more beds, added arbors, etc., but you can see fabulous results in your first summer. I'm addicted to w/s, and also helping to expand the gardens of friends and neighbors. You will never regret trying this.

Thank you all for your "help" LOL! Wendy2shoes - if ever a picture would be a great advertisement for Winter Sowing - I would nominate yours! That curved border is perfectly gorgeous! I wish I had that kind of space/sun, but unfortunately I have more shade than sun and the only area with enough sun to grow a lawn is in the middle of the front yard!

While stocking up on a bigger variety of seeds and planting lots and lots is so very tempting... can I say that again? It really is VERY, VERY tempting...I am afraid I will end up with lots of tenderly nurtured plants and nowhere to plant them!

Your idea of sharing with the neighbors is a great one, especially my next door neighbor who always seems to plant sun plants in the shade and vice versa!

I DO belong to a gardening group that has a fund raising plant sale that supports Kress Farm Nature Preserve in the early spring - but I believe it is too early for anything that I would have winter sowed to be of a size to sell. Unless my idea of putting the containers against the south side of my house would make a difference - do you think it would?

Oh, I almost forgot... my sister lives in the country and she could always "adopt" any orphan plants I might have! There is also my newly married daughter, she could sure use a border at the back of her yard.

There! You did it-you have all convinced me! Now I guess I WILL have to swap for more seeds - obviously 35 different varieties of seeds won't be enough to share with neighbors and relatives!

Consider yourselves all enablers of the highest level if you can convince me (who always does things in baby steps) to go for it!

Thanks! and I do mean that!

BettyLu

I am glad we convinced you! It is so much fun to grow sooo many plants that would have cost a bundle if we purchased them and people really do appreciate the giveaways....I can't even tell you how many flats of plants I shared in my first year, this one will be even better!

wendy2shoes - Your photos are amazing. In the 2nd one, what percentage of the plants were wintersown?

Do you have a list of the seeds you planted? Your bed is packed and beautiful!

Last year I went crazy and it was my first year. I also bought some cheap deli containers on the intenet. they were like 80 cents a piece since I did not have enough jugs.

This summer I began saving and still may not have enough. I also save those plastic kitty litter jugs. they are big and nice. If you know anyone with a cat you can ask them to save them.

Karen

I use 16oz. styrofoam cups placed into bread crates, they hold 40 cups each and then cover with plastic. I get to do a lot of varieties this way AND when it's time to plant them out a bulb digger makes the same size hole as my cup. Easy!

Have fun and don't worry, just keep planting! There is always someone who will take your extras.

Lisa

great photos wendy!!

I have to admit that I use lime sweet potato vine, and a couple of sunshine impatience to add to the border edge, but most everything else is winter/spring sown. Ageratum usually does well (not last summer..LOL) I have to clean up a bit and cut back or split a lot of perennials now, because my bed looks a lot more 'junky' than that shot from above..

Here's a shot of this spring. I have to prune back the dogwood and bridal veil bigtime (along the fence). Didn't take too many shots this summer..mildew and no sun.
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I hate winter. The last time I enjoyed winter was when my mother dressed me for it. (Anyone remember wool coats, leggings, and galoshes?) Wintersowing saves my sanity. I envy anyone who lives south of the Mason Dixon line.

My first year was this last one, I did around four hundred varieties and was afraid I went crazy. I have a two year old. My fears were unfounded, mostly. I did have trouble keeping up with spring sowing while planting out but I got lots of things started that should reseed happily here. If you have stuff to trade, then trade to your hearts content.
I figure I did about fifty perennials that I will be watching for this next season, about fifty veggies and at least a hundred annuals.
I'm trying to cut the number in half this year since I will have my second year perennials to bloom and things reseeding hopefully. I am starting some perennials this year, the same number of veg. and some of the annuals. There are some things that have turned out so hardy I will direct sow and that should cut my planting out time in half.
Have fun, you will be scared once the containers pile up outside but after that first sprout you will feel better.

this is going to be my 1st year WS ...It seem like the average is in the 300's for jugs sown?.... I want the results like that were shown is peoples pics... now I should get lots more seeds...Do I need to collect containers ahead of time? I was planning on gather as I sowed is this a bad idea? I really want a big impact next year you know like "Wow how did you do that" Lol. I know I don't want to do all of this planning and find out I did not sow enough. I think I might need some hand holding...

It is totally possible. Here is my winter sown bed I planted last spring.
I made a layered new bed and planted HOS
May
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I just realized I haven't taken any garden picks in long time. Where is that camera? :O)
Pattie
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June
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July
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August
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Yes collect containers ahead of time. I spent some time last year prepping those as well. It's something to do in between soil runs. Also you won't be drinking all that pop or milk at once so it makes sense to make a stash now.
You can certainly get that, how did you do it look by winter sowing.

For first year WSers.

This was taken on May 3d this year. Those are little baby WS seedings planted in a new garden bed that was lawn 6 months earlier:

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This is the corner of that bed on July 17th. I took this photo standing where those white buckets had been:
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The rudbeckias were sown in January and planted out when they after they had their first set of true leaves. The zinnias were sown in April when it started looking like we might not have more frosts - and planted out a few days before that first photo was taken.

WSing is a great way to get a bunch of flowers fast. Of course, I'm only showing you the blooming part of the garden. About 2/3 of what I sowed were hardy perennials and a lot of them are waiting until year 2 to bloom.

Lynda