"would placing them on plalettes have an advantage?

sorry, that word is PALETTES

Some folks set them on their wooden deck, others on tables in the middle of the back lawn. Plunk 'em wherever is most convenient for you. If the eyesore thing is an issue, put them where they can't be seen. Mine are lined up in rows along both sides of my breezeway. They're on the concrete and yes, they get snowed on and iced in and last year when we got 8 ft. of snow, they were actually layered row upon row on top of each other. I called it my "snotel" because the first layer was at ground level, the next one was 2 ft. above that and the top rows were 2 ft. above those.

Jugs on top of frozen snow/ice 2 ft. deep
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Second & third floors of my "snotel"
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My pot ghetto is in full view of the street and folks walking past saw it, wondered what it was all about, then went on their merry way. My close neighbors knew but they don't care.

When they're frozen, it doesn't matter whether they have good drainage or not. My first year the jugs were on the north side of my house, along the east side near the foundation and along the breezeway. They don't need a southern exposure. The seeds will germinate when the hours of daylight + temperature + moisture in the growing medium trigger their genetic code that the time is right. You may see sprouts sooner if your pot ghetto is in a sunny area but the jugs/containers will also dry out faster. I keep mine in the shade of the east-west facing breezeway because they still sprout when they're supposed to but I never have to worry about them frying in the jugs or drying out.

The beauty of winter sowing is the seeds sprout when Mother Nature tells them the time is right based on soil conditions, hours of daylight & temperature. Just because the seeds are inside mini-greenhouses doesn't mean early seed germination. It only protects them from adverse conditions that could hinder or prevent germination.

I know it's tough not over-thinking it but once you set them outside, they're basically in Mother Nature's hands until they sprout, much as they would be without the protective containers. But they will sprout and when they do, you'll be so busy finding places to plant them, you won't have time to worry/wonder so much.

First sprouts of 2011 - Lupine Minarette
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Phlox paniculata 'David'
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Penstemon/beardtongue
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OMGosh is what I was saying as I learned how your containers were stacked, right on 3 layers, cool.

Thanks for all the information on where I can get away with putting them. And your pictures were fabulous. I wish more people shared pictures because they tell so much.
How really special are your first seedlings.
TY very much again,
Micki - 1st yr. WS but long time gardener.
I intend on selling most of my stock.

************THIS IS SOOO MUCH FUN!!************

I put mine on the ground out of site. when they sprout, i move them to the patio. as the weather warms, the leaves on the overhanging tree come in and provide dappled shade. I plant out in HOS early and rarely have to water.

the key here is simplicity. if you want to study efficiency, watch a successful lazy person.

I am a fan of "vertical" WSing, using thrift store purchased plastic and metal grid shelving units to organize jugs. My first year of WSing I just placed them all over our deck, but the family wasn't happy when it started to warm up and everyone was tripping over them. I now have a permenant, out of the way, WSing jug catchment area with 5 five shelved units. I can fit many jugs on this set up (over 200) with a much small "footprint" than if they were side by side on the ground.

Micki, just be sure your jugs and containers can breath. Don't block the top openings. :)

Thanks to Gardenweed, Nan, Bakemom.
I think I will try to vertical idea.
Oops sorry Bakemom, not sure what HOS stands for, my dump.
Yes, Thanks Bakemom, yes I'm getting they'd prefer some shade so they don't dry out too fast.
Thanks Melvalena for really clearing up the question with the most important part, "making sure the containers can breath",

Micki

If you want to see what vertical looks like, you can follow the link below...

Be sure the shelves are an "open" weave that allows water/melting snow to drip down from upper to lower shelves.

Here is a link that might be useful: vertical WSing on shelving units

gardenweed - They're on the concrete and yes, they get snowed on and iced in and last year when we got 8 ft. of snow, they were actually layered row upon row on top of each other. I called it my "snotel" because the first layer was at ground level, the next one was 2 ft. above that and the top rows were 2 ft. above those.

So do you just place the jugs on top of the snow? How do you prevent them from all falling over when the snow melts?

I'm planning on placing jugs on the side of my garage, or out on my back patio. But I'm really wondering what to do when it snows. Do I make DH go snowblow the patio so I have a place to put my jugs?

Any location is fine as long as they're safe. I put mine up on the patio table because I have a young dog that is very curious, she gets into things.

Snow is fine, I often put jugs out on top of snow, then more snow falls, or it thaws, then snows. Snow on or under a flat is not a problem.

pixie_lou - there wasn't much choice but to set jugs down in or on top of the snow last year. I just kept an eye on them when the weather began to warm up and any that began to tip or fall got relocated somewhere flat.

I'm planning on placing jugs on the side of my garage, or out on my back patio. But I'm really wondering what to do when it snows. Do I make DH go snowblow the patio so I have a place to put my jugs?

I might ask him to snowblow a path so you can get to the patio but I'd just plunk them down in the snow on it. Chances are more snow will fall on top of them but eventually it will all melt.

Micki - HOS = Hunk O'Seedlings

It means digging a single planting hole, removing the entire contents of the WS jug/container and setting the whole hunk in the hole. Mother Nature then takes care of any necessary thinning.

Plunk 'n Run = planting HOS without regard for height/bloom time/bloom color/light requirements or other considerations.

"It means digging a single planting hole, removing the entire contents of the WS jug/container and setting the whole hunk in the hole. Mother Nature then takes care of any necessary thinning. "

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!

HOS is dividing the entire flat of seedlings into hunks and planting them. The hunks are, in effect, little seedling plugs.
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Does this look like a whole flat?
I mean, really.
REALLY.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hunk o Seedlings

Nice illustrations Nancy of vertical WS shelving units, unfortunately I don't have anything that large. It looks like something made for WSing. Nice set up.

Thank you Trudi for explaining HOS transplanting. I have read a lot of your FAQ's and learned a lot from your explanations and picutres.

Thanks everyone.

Trudi if you do read this I started a post on pipe cleaners vs tape to close contianers. Hoping you can help me clarify the most important objectives there.
Micki

Obviously, the information I was given about HOS wasn't accurate.