Hi Virtuosity! Glad to see you join us! Folks are very friendly and helpful on this forum.

Here are some photos I took last year of my milkjug prep. Hope they are helpful.

I start by soldering a couple of holes
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Then I cut a flap
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Be sure to make drainage holes on the bottom, and it's easier to put the label on before you put the dirt in. Once you wet the soil, the tape won't stick to the bottom. Can you tell I've made THAT mistake before, LOL!
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Snow won't hurt them one bit
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Here is where I put mine, and what they look like when they are NOT covered in snow
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Oh, and glancing over your list, the only thing I would wait until March or April to sow is the Cosmos. If you get a warm spell, and they germinate, a frost will kill them.

Once you try wintersowing, you'll be hooked!
Bonnie

Hey! Glad to see you here! You didn't waste any time, huh, lol?

I did post a few pics on your thread over in Perennials. I don't have a lot of photos of the process, although many folks here have some great pics showing that.

Yes, the containers go outside. The best place, IMO, is where it is most convenient for you. For me, it is along my house, so I can go visit them, lol.

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If you look at my photos on the perennial forum, you'll see I do my milk jugs slightly different than Bonnie. I cut mine in half three-quarters around, leaving one side attached as a hinge, and then I tape it back up. I also don't bother with holes in the top, since the opening is enough, IMO. I also use a soldering iron. Makes quick work of the holes, but make sure you have ventilation.

I use Miracle Grow potting mix. I've been happy with it for years, except last year and the year before I've found more sticks in it, etc., and so I am looking for another medium. I'm also trying to find an organic medium, but they are pricey. So, in the meantime, I have a few bags of MG waiting down in the basement for me.

When you decide on a container, put in your drainage holes, fill with potting medium, wet down and drain, sow your seeds (I don't like to thin seedlings, so I sow thinly to begin with - about a dozen to 20 seeds to a container), close up your containers, making sure to leave ventilation holes, and place outside. That's it in a nutshell.

Oh, and label your containers - preferably on the bottom half. When spring comes and you remove the lids, if the name of the plant is on the lid and you toss it, you have a mystery plant, lol. Although many people seem to have problems with them, I always use a Sharpie and just write the name directly on the milk jug. I write it on all four sides, and I still have some milk jugs from several years ago with plants in them (oops, my procrastination is showing!) that are still readable.

Good luck, and have fun!!!

:)
Dee
P.S. And ask questions!

You're getting good advice, I just wanted to add....buy container mix/potting soil. Top soil is too heavy for containers, and mushroom compost is too high in salts for most seed sowing, can harm seedlings when too much is used. It's a good additive when tilled into beds to be used for more mature plants that do not require an acid PH (also contains lime)

A lightweight potting mix with more neutral ph is what you want.

Welcome. If you go to the bottom of the discussion page there is a section that says search. Put preparing containers in the search and mark the section that says this forum only. You will get many threads that discuss preparing containers. There are lots of ways to cut your containers.

I use a combination of several different methods. All require cutting containers to make ventilation/drainage holes and to make adding seeds and removing sprouts easy.

The link below will give you some direction and photos.

Here is a link that might be useful: Preparing containers

This post was so incredibly helpful. I wish I had started saving containers back in like, July. blegh.

And here's a new question, when is the right time to ws tomatos??

Awesome! I learned a lot today. :)

I asked my friends to keep their milk jugs and transparent softdrink containers. Hopefully, I'll get some response tonight.

Can I bring the containers/jugs out late January or early February? I'm not sure if I will have enough containers by that time.

What about Baby's breath, are they safe to be ws'ed at those times?

Thank you so much! :)

You can wintersow through spring. Once things warm up, it's called spring sowing. :)

I learned that today.

Just to clarify, you don't have to wait until you have all your containers to *start* WSing. ;)

You can collect as you sow. Recycling night is a good night to cruise the neighborhood, asking co-workers, friends and family to save containers is a good idea, and don't forget sites like freecycle.org. Last year in March I ran out of containers so I posted on freecycle, and had a few kind people saving milk jugs for me.

But don't wait till you think you have enough to start sowing. Start sowing, and keep collecting! And bring the containers outside as soon as they are sown.

:)
Dee

I had my mom and sister and their friends saving 2-liters. Since August we got almost 170 between 5 houses. I drink maybe 1 a week.

based from the seed counts I posted above, how many would I need?

Hmm, you're not going to sow *all* those seeds are you? I mean, are you really going to sow 2500 baby's breath seeds, and 1000 cleome seeds, etc.?

Everyone sows differently, but as one example, I sow about a dozen to 20 seeds per milk jug, depending on seed size. That's because I don't like to thin seedlings, so I sow thinly to begin with. Other people have different methods.

:)
Dee

what about these, will this work? Or aren't they deep enough?

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For cleome, I would just toss them out. I bought three plants and have never had to repurchase or sow the seed. I only collect it now to trade. They reseed heavily in my area.

-watch, this year I won't have a single seed germinate. :)

v1rtu0s1ty,

I use takeout containers like those--the'yre a touch shallow but otherwise fine. You may need to water them a bit more often than other containers. You should add a few more vent holes to the lids.

Just another idea,i use what i call swetter boxes,you can find them at wal mart,the kind you might slip under your bed,about 3 feet long,2,feet wide, and maybe,6-8 inches deep, they come with a lid, i cut the center out of the lid,all the way around,place Clear plastic over the container,cut holes in the plastic, and put the lid back on to hold down the Clear plastic.When it is time to plant, i can cut,only what i want to plant,i sow in rows so it is very easy.You can sow a lot of seed in this type of container,i seperate my rows by popcycle sticks marked with what is sowed there,.

I used the soda bottles and milk jugs ( last year was my first time WSing )last winter,i loved the idea of recycle,but,FOR ME,i ended up with to much Stuff,baggies,tape and the jugs i ruined trying to get them apart,so i was disappointed i had way to much for the land fill.I know it was me, and not the process others use, because they have been doing this way longer than me,the M.jugs and S.bottles were easy to sow,so, give it a try.I just LOVE, the swetter boxes,when they are empty, they are easy to clean, turn upside down,and store for the season.
Just another idea.You will love the out come no matter what way you do it,i never found an easier way to get seeds going, i am so happy i found this site, every one is so helpful,and in the summer, they post the most Beautiful pictures of their gardens,
Welcome to the group,and above all else, have fun.
Carol

Can you please post a pic just1morehosta? That will help me easily find it at WalMart.

Thanks!

Oh, I forgot to ask, is 1 inch distance from one seed to another good enough or should I make it half an inch?

Has anyone told you about Hunk O Seedlings? You don't have to worry about spacing seeds anymore.

Here is a link that might be useful: HOS

Hi Virtuo,
Sure, i will post a picture,the batteries are dead on my camara right now, but just as soon as they are charged, i will post a picture ok?

Hi Trudi,
Yes, i did alot of HOS,from the milk jugs,it worked out fine,i was a little wasteful,after planting SOOOOOO many seedlings, i placed to many in one spot, just to get them planted,but, being my first year,every thing was really lovely,not a lot that bloomed,(i am hoping this year)but i was very happy with what i did, so much so, i am doing it again this year.I have some very special streaked hosta seed i am hoping will come up for me,:0)
I have not started to do any sowing yet,but plan on it the first of the year.Way to busy right now.It's nice to be back again,you guys are all great.
Carol

underbed storage
I have one of these in the driveway with all my shrub and tree seeds. Most need scarification so they've been out there a few weeks already. I drilled holes all around the bottom for drainage, drilled larger holes in the top for water and air. I also sprinkled a little sand on the top of the soil since it's going to be there longer than my 2-liters.

Most Dept stores will have something like that. Just make sure you can get 4" of dirt in it. I think mine is 6" deep.

Yes token,
That is the very ones,nice of you to post a picture,although i did cut the center out of my lids,because they were not clear, do you think i could have left them the way they came,and still used them?I thought the top needed to be clear.Just in case Virtuo wants to try these also.
Carol

Mine were clear. I have germinated Black Eyed susans in the small shoebox containers with white lids, but it was a fall sowing. It would probably still work, but I was more worried about the sun burning my tender seedlings than not enough light.

Perfect! I'm going out later and find the cheapest I can get. :D

So to summarize
1. moisten the dirt
2. put seed in a row maybe 1" apart and 1/4" deep
3. spread the top very lightly so some soil can cover the seeds a little
4. moisten the flat again
5. find a spot we like on our backyard in January
6. Go back in April then transplant them

What do you think?

Also, I have a test pot and I put a calendula and cosmo seeds. Temp inside house is 67F. They've already sprouted. Should I still winter sow them if I can just spread them in my bed sometime in May?

So which from my seeds need stratification?

Thanks.

ooops, just saw your post trudi_d. I'm going to read it now.

Cosmos will self seed here. I would wait to sow them in the spring in my zone. They germinate really fast.