floodthelast:
Oh dear, I followed your A thru E wonderfully BUT what is letter F abbreviated about?

My record keeping is somewhat haphazard (okay, it really sucks) so I'd really be interested in learing about the chart you use.

I can see why you're feeling all confident - I've got you up on the pedistal already - and surrounded by your ws cups!!!

nbacres,

Flood is refering to Hardy Annuals, Hardy Perennials, Half Hardy Annuals, etc.

I'm gettin ready too,
I collect (embarrassed) 20 milk jugs. DH will go dumpster diving soon. I got 2 bales of peat and... well that's it.
but in my head it sounded better LOL. But heck that's still more prepared than last year.
:)Laura

Floodie wrote: "I am doing half the number of containers (I think)"

Sure you are. :) :) :)

Lynda

For clarification, F was like tiffy said. This year instead of sorting my seeds alphabetically in a coupon accordion folder(yeah yeah I know) I bought four bins. I labeled them by seed tenderness, hardy perennial, hardy annuals, half hardy annuals etc. Basically that means I just do a bin at a time starting with perennials. Because the seeds get sown different months depending on frost and tenderness.

Auntyara, two bales of peat is nothing to sneeze at. Great start. I'm trying to avoid gathering new containers till I know if I will have enough of last years. It's hard though.

lgslgs, so far the numbers are holding up. Some things I will be sowing even more of this year like morning glories but I have decided to direct sow them so they don't go in the count. Ha.

nbacres, I can sit on your pedestal outside but not inside because if anyone saw my mess there I'd fall off it.

Flood, I like your strategy, separating them by hardiness is a fabulous idea.

I have enough containers and 4" pots, I just need to get more soil. For me the first order of business will be putting up a trade list and making up some newbie packs. I hope to get the rest of this year's perennials into the ground before it gets too cold here.

Mary

ref. item A: Good luck with that.

I have been stocking up on soil, collecting milk jugs and purchased seed. Being my 2nd year I am EXCITED! I plan on prepping the jugs I have saved early. Winter Sowing has been just a wonderful experience for me, as I usually go into hibernation in the Winter and tend to get the Winter blah's. Winter Sowing sure helps with that!

This is my first year W/S (Hi all - been lurking for a little while.) I have about 80 milk jugs saved up, littering the back porch. I haven't bought any potting mix yet.

I have tons of seeds and thought I was done collecting, with the exception of one or two more. But my sister works at a nursery and just gave me a bunch of their end of season perennials last night in gallong containers (Yay free plants!) I plan to plant them out this weekend and collect as much of the seeds off of those as I can to build up my perennial bed.

I've been wondering how I was going to categorize my seeds. By tenderness seems so logical. I think I'll try that.

You all sound so much more prepared than me. But I'm excited and ready to go!

Erika

Hi erika, this is my second year winter sowing. I totally agree with daisydawn, winter sowing really helps with the winter blah's.
Also I checked my chart and the numbers are looking good, seems I have 88 varieties I intend to winter sow on there so far. I will be over a hundred I'm sure but hopefully nothing like the three hundred some I did last year.
I'm hoping to direct sow more just so I don't get tired out with all the planting out later.
Last year I found that I was planting out a lot just as some of the tender annuals were being sown and I was too excited about the planting to take seriously the annuals I had left. Now this fall as I am enjoying my cosmos and marigolds I see that I should take care to save some energy for them at the end of the WS season. They really brighten my day when the weather changes.

I didn't mention before but I'm also ahead in the storage dept. this year. I already have five crates for putting cups into and storing my containers as I wait and ten buckets that I predrilled holes in for storage till I start my veg. in some of them. Both of those stack so I'm actually taking up a bit less space in the garage this year too. :)

Winter Sowers Math

If a Winter Sower did 200 containers last year and decides to do 800 hundred containers next year but then says they're only going to do half that amount what is the amount of containers the Winter Sower will sow?

A) 100
B) 400
C) 500
D) 1600

Answer ~ Everyone who instinctively chose All of Above is correct.

I love winter sowing...thanks to that Trudi LOL. I look
forward to pulling out my SPECIAL seeds to start. I always,
always plan to sow less..yeah, right! It's so much fun when
I get to show my seedlings/plants off to the people that
come to my garden party. Everyone's amazed when they do
realize how many plants we can gain from growing your own
seeds.
When does anyone start zinnia and marigold seeds? These are
two of my favorite annuals.
Margaret

Margaret, start your zinnias about a week before your average last frost. I started mine in early April last year and had to protect them again the frosts of the second/third week. Next year I will start them a week later, around April 15.

Thanks...sounds good.

I started mine pretty late last year, after last frost at any rate. It did give me a nice fall showing though. :)

Today I mixed dry peat with perlite in black garbage bags. Not as easy as I'd hoped LOL. I'm toying with the Idea of adding slow released fertilizer to the mix. I usually don't do that for seed mix but I really got behind on my planting out last year/1st year, and maybe it wasn't just the lousy weather that stunted somethings. What you guys think?
:)Laura

Oh good so I am not a freak to admit I have 59 milk jugs full of potting mix and ready to go?!!

( it's a sad week here my granddad is in the hospital very ill...and it's not looking good...If you pray I'd appreciate it.)

I do not pick up leaves that is DH;s job all my outside shores are done and I needed garden therapy so...I prepped my WS containers to keep my mind busy.

auntyara I'd worry about fertilizing too much right away, that will be more helpful after the sprouts develop leaves. I could be wrong though.
ontheteam, I hear ya, my honey is in the hospital on a ventilator right now for pneumonia with flu complications. It's been a week and I still don't know when he'll come home. Playing around with my seeds and the fall leaves has helped me lately. I'm doing a lot of extra running to the hospital and watching my poor toddler with croup so any gardening is a balm to my soul.

ontheteam, sorry to hear of your Grand Daddy's illness. I hope he is doing better today.

floodthelast, sending you best wishes for the tough time you're family is going through too. Stay strong and thank goodness the hospitals know how to help with this flu. I'm sure your Honey is getting all the help he needs. Do take care of yourself and your little one. Let your garden be your source of strength. Remember even tiny plants survive the harshness of winter. You are a strong woman.
sending you both my "cyber" support.
:)Laura

Aww Flood I am sorry to hear about your Honey and your Toddler. I hated the croupy nights ..the sound ugh.. it can make you panic. I pray the both get well fast!

THanks for the good thoughts on my granddad. He's more like a dad to me. He's doing better after some transfusions...but they still can't find the the reason he is loosing blood.... So we wait and test and wait... And play in the dirt between hospital runs and walking his dog and making sure my grandma eats ect...

Finally have decent weather, I am going to mulch the beds and get some jugs prepped.

I just wanted to update anyone who checks here. My husband is finally out of the ICU and off the ventilators, he is working on his recovery now. My son had an ear infection but we are working on that and my bronchitis seems to be improving.
I've even been able to lasagna bed some of my garden space to prepare for the next winter sow. :)
{{gwi:441997}}
I still have a few things blooming from this year and am loving it.

Hurray flood glad things are better at your house! and love to see the allyssum flowers!!

I have ROSES blooming. And Ech. What a wild year.

As far as grandad... keep praying. He's in ICU and gone septic. seems to be responding to the antibiotic but.. long way to go yet..
On the bright side I have another 10 jugs prepped. Thinking of filling the trays I used under lights and storing them in a large trash bag. I REALLY made a Huge mess last year inside..

So sorry to hear of the illinesses! I hpe everyone is doing well now.

I also have some things still blooming and we have had a frost or two already.

I hope this year will be easier because I have learned a lot. I also saved some containers that already have drainage holes etc. I hope those are a time saver.

I also plan to WS in place and add a container as a top. Maybe some of those things that don't like to be transplanted.

My organization sucks so I plan to add some kind of marker in the container so when planting out I can mark what the plant is easily.

As for the # of containers, I do not dare to estimate. I am just going to start planting a few each day and see what happens.

I also thought instead of placing my containers all in one place I plan to add them around the garden beds where they will eventually be planted out. This will save me time dragging them around when it comes to planting my HOS's

Karen

That's a nice idea karendee, I did put a few containers out where I wanted them near the end. It helped me remember where I had decided I wanted to try them. I do a lot of mine in cups so had to keep them in crates or buckets so my dog didn't knock them over.
I also plant a lot of my annuals over spend bulbs so I have to wait for some of them.
ontheteam, do let us know how your grandpa is doing. It is hard to have family in the icu. The visiting hours are difficult but the nursing is wonderful.
{{gwi:441998}}

Floodthelast,
I'm so happy for you, Your family is recovering. soon all will be well in "floodville"
I love good news!
:)Laura

Yes, that is wonderful news, flood -

and erika - I think you sound very organized for a newbie - can't wait to hear about your first sprouts and flowers!

Carrie