Here it is. Hopefully this will work. I used rivets. I just tried it because I had so much extra of it. It was pita though. I'll just use strong tape on the next one.

For the transparent plastic, I had a movie poster with crack plastic in the middle.

I have not created bottom holes yet. How many holes did you put at the bottom and how big?

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Awe, now don't that look nice!! We've got a true winter sower on our hands here!!!! Great job! (Drool, drool...)

Wow virtuo,
You did an awaasome job.that lookes really nice.
Right now i am sowing some hosta seeds,special ones.
I put alot of holes on the bottom,what do the rest of you do?I am hoping to get my soltice sowing done tonight, but my soil is frozen, it was in the garage,but we brought it in early this morning,i can only do a little at a time,lol
Is every one keeping warm?We are snowed and frozen in,Burrrrrrrrrrr
A nice night to WS,just wish my soil wasn't so frozen.
Thanks for the picture Virtuo,you will do just fine at this, i can tell. :0)
Carol

In those shoeboxes, I used 16 holes about 1/8" diameter. When you flip it over, you want to drill in the "raised" part. When you fill it up, that's the lowest part. :)

Yeaaaaaaaaaaa,I got my Winter Solstice Sowing Done!

I sowed:
Chinese For*get*me*nots**for Rememberance

Primula Japonica**For Leap of Faith**because i really want thses to germenate.

Flowering Dogwood*For Trees

And for Birds and Burrerflies** Gaillardia*Razzle Dazzle
& Gaillardia*Burgundy

I also did some hosta**
and a bunch of other seeds that i have already forgotton**i am tired, :0)

I am also so happy i got this done tonight.Even with frozen soil,lol
Carol

Carol, if your dogwood doesn't germinate, don't worry. Just leave them. They usually need a warm spell before the cold spell to germinate. Some take 2 years. A lot of tree seeds are that way. So don't toss them out, just stick out back somewhere out of sunlight and keep them moist all summer.

Thanks token,
I had my seeds in the firdg,for a year,Will that make a differance?
I will keep them where i can keep an eye on them,and watered.
Did you do any Solstice sowing?
Carol

I did a few containers today. 80 I think. All perennials that reseed in my area. I won't have much time next month and in February I start on my annuals and cool crops.

I don't know about storing them for a year. I had mine in the fridge until late spring, them put them out this summer. They didn't germinate, so I'm hoping this winter will be the key. It was something I had read a few times online. Eastern Redbud is another one like that. But they will come eventually. My backyard is proof.

Seeds stored in the refrigerator must be in a bit of moist soil or other moist medium to start the germination process. The moisture works on the seed to start breaking down the seed coat. Just storing them in the frig dry does not start that process.

I had mine in a baggie with peat moss for about 4 months. They spent the summer in a container on the north side of the house. They got no sunlight but it was hot this year. Here's to hoping they sprout.

Well,i'll see eh?
I am getting ready to do a a few more containers .Hey,i am in zone 5,Illinois**** can i start morning glories now?
Carol

MG's reseed for me, so I would say yes.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I completed them all. Here are some pics. The seeds I bought from ebay hasn't arrived yet. Should be here within the week.

So once I completed the preparation of flats including the dirt and laying of the seeds, all that is left for me to do is find a spot at the backyard and then shovel the snow upto the ground. Once I have everything in position, I will shovel back the snow to cover all my flats. Am I correct?

Also, I changed my plans. I'm not going ws all my cleomes. I have a test pot where I put calendula, cosmos and cleome. It took only 3 days for calendula to germinate. Then after 5 or 6 days, 2 cleomes have sprouted. I'm not sure where the other cleome is since I put 3 cleome seeds. For the cosmos, I still have not seen. The reason I knew it was cleome was because of the outer shell was still attached to the leaf.

Anyways, here are the pictures. I'm glad it's complete. I'm still waiting for more milk jugs from friends. They told me last night(during our chrismtas gtg) that they will keep it for me. LOL. :P

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hi just1morehosta,

Does it matter if the ground was frozen? From what I've read, all we need to do is put our flats on the ground and let nature take care. Does it have to be unfrozen? I even saw pictures of their wintersowing on the wooden deck.

Please let me know. I want to have a successful wintersowing.

Thanks.

Neil

Hi Neil,
Boy, you are asking the wrong person,i am as new as you are,ha ha,well, i did WS last year,so, i guess i am one up on you.
No need to shovel the snow,just place your containers right on top,mine are on a 6 foot table on my back patio,soon as it is a nice day,even a month from now, i will take them out back.
I will say again, you have done a very,very,nice job,what did you use for plastic, it lookes like pexaglass?OHHHH,I am so envious,what will you be sowing?
Today i did Streaked
Hosta,Chinese Dragon
Hosta,Christmas Gala
Hosta,Giant Sea Lotus
Hosta,Frosted Jade
Hosta,Tokadama
Hosta,Sun Power**
12*21*
Kiss*me*over*the*garden*gate
Primula Japonica
Flowering Dogwood
Gaillardia*Razzle Dazzle
Gaillardia*Burgundy
and a couple more i for got to write down.
I have so many i want to do this year,i can't wait to see what comes my way from the seed swap.
Carol

Neil,

You can put them on frozen ground or on unfrozen ground or on the deck, or the picnic table, or the adirondack chair. As long as they are outside exposed to the elements it's all good. :O)

Mine start out on the deck. It's right outside my kitchen door where I do my winter sowing. By the time things start melting here, the deck is off limits to everyone. When the snow is gone and the temps are warming up to spring, I start taking them off the deck and they go on tables made out of pallets and such in the back yard. I keep mine off the ground to lessen the impact of slugs eating the sprouts.

Thanks for the tip about slugs tiffy.

just1morehosta,

Thanks for the compliments about the boxes. :)

The plastic came from a movie poster frame. The plastic is brittle. I used a cutter to mark the line I want to cut. The I break it similar how we cut gypsum boards. I was also careful on drilling since it cracks up easily. I had to do it slowly. I also changed washer-like object in between the plastic and the white top cover to a metal instead of the plastic(from top first pic). The rivet on the first one didn't hold properly although it's still good.

Oh, about the top cover again, we know we can't predict our weather. It can be very windy. What do you do to prevent the top cover from being blown off?

Thanks.

I wish we had an EDIT feature in gardenweb. I forgot to ask this question on my previos post.

I'm in zone 5a, assuming I bring them out on January, when do I water them?

You water whenever you don't see condensation on the top.

So if let say it's February and I don't see any condensation, do I water it? Or do I water it when it's close to spring?

just1morehosta,

Sorry, I missed your question.

what will you be sowing

Here is my list
Purple Coneflower Echinacea Butterfly
Dwarf Godenrod Solidago Baby Gold
Veronica Spicata Blue Super Dwarf
Delphinium Larkspur Black Knight
Lilac that flowers white(collected from backyard)
few Cleome Spider Flower White Queen(for testing hardiness)
few Cleome Spider Flower Pink-White Queen(for testing hardiness)
few Calendula(for testing hardiness)
Yellow Daylily(collected)
Dianthus Firewitch(collected)

others will be in spring
castor beans
purple cosmos
white cosmos
calendulas and cleomes

I wasn't aware I can collect hosta seeds.

Seed swaps? Exchange? That sounds interesting. What are the qualifications to join?

Looks good. Just be sure to watch in the spring that they don't dry out. You should get a lot of water in those when it rains. That's the same spacing I used on the bottom of mine too.

As for Cleome, since it reseeds for me, I don't know what the germination rate is, but in the seeds I collected this year, some were green instead of brown. Those probably aren't viable. Not every seed will grow into a plant.

All the pink cleome seeds that I got from my neighbor are all dark brown. I haven't seen the white cleome seeds I ordered on ebay. She will ship it today. So hopefully, all the seeds will be here by Saturday. Hopefully :)

I forgot, I also have alyssum basket of gold which I bought last July at Meijers. It's on the original packet inside the ziplock in the freezer. I looked at it last night, it's still color red. So it's been there for 5 or 6 months now.

Neil, you only need to water them when they are thawed out, look dry and there is no condensation on the cover. When they are frozen, it looks like they are dry because the potting mix looks a bit lighter on the top, not the rich, dark brown like it does when it's wet. As long as it's frozen, you have no worries!

Hi Neil,
I think i can post here about the Round Robin Exchange,
i wish i knew how to post a link but i don't, maybe some one else can do that.
Maybe if you goggle*Round Robin Exchange?
Oh,i know, it is listed in the sites you can visit on the forum.
It is a great place to visit, and every one is sooooo nice, just like on this site,matter of fact,a lot from here are over there.
Can i say all this here? :0)***:0(

I never had to water at all last year,soon as i took the top off, i planted,then i watered real good,but,my soil was very wet when i sowed my seed,i did however,check for dryness.

Yes, you can groe hosta from seed, they just will not be true to the parent plant,but, you may get some very interseting hosta.
I bought some streaked seed from the hosta libaray auction,because i want to learn how to hybridize, and i want a streaked hosta for that.I still have some hosta 'Frosted Jade' seeds if you would like some?
I will need your address and name,you can e mail me,don't post it here ok.
Carol
Carol

Awesome! I'll email you later. :)

Also, I really want to see a video of how to transplant a seedling from our flats to the open. I don't want to hurt the seedlings. Does anyone have a video of it?

Also, I have a question about the soil medium. I have a soil medium which I used previously for my cannas. You can see the soil medium above, the one with the 3 seedlings. It's compose of plain soil which I bought from Walmart, perlite, humus, and sand. Today, I contacted Home Depot, Lowes, Menards and Ace Hardware to inquire about potting mix.

This is what I got.

HD - Scott's Potting Mix and Miracle Gro
Menards - Schultz and Miracle Gro
Lowes - Miracle Gro and StayGreen
Ace Hardware - Scott's Miracle Gro

If you notice on Ace Hardware, they told me that Scott's and Miracle grow is one product. I got confused there. Anyways, should I still buy a putting mix if I have good germination rate on the soil medium I prepared?

Thanks!

Neil,

Go to round robin forum. Look at post new winter blues. That one is still accepting people that I know of...I use miracle grow....Barb

Then there's also my Blackjack swap.

If you don't have 21 packs of seeds, we've got room for at least 1 more newbie at the moment. :)

21 packs? I don't have that many. Forgive me for now, I'm a beginner. :D

Neil,
I have used Shultz potting soil with moisture plus,i buy the 2 cubic feet bag,around $7-$8,i have used this for years potting my hosta,i have over 1,700,and they do just fine,i also used it for my Wsing last year and again,this year.It's what is in my kitchen right now.No sticks or twigs.
Hope this helps some.
Carol

Carol,

I wish I could remember the reason not to use moisture plus soil. I remember reading something where you shouldnt use this type of soil for wintersowing. Maybe try a search for threads. Or somebody please jump in and tell us???

Hi Rosepedal,

Really?

I used it last year and every thing i sowed came up, execpt a couple of annuals i sowed to soon,i can not recall how many i did last winter,but it was in the 100's.

I am interested,and would not want to give bad advice,so, thanks rosepedal,i love your name by the way. :0)

Carol

The medium you have in that pot looks pretty good to me. If it is working for you and doesn't form a crust on the top (some small seedlings can't get through then) I'd stick with it :)

Thanks dirtbert. I prepared the flats today. The seeds I ordered hasn't arrived yet. I also need to pickup the milk jugs from my friends. Hopefully, I'll be able to put them out by Jan 1.

{{gwi:455636}}

OK. The moisture control will work fine. It's just that the jelly lumps are a little creepy. Just use good quality potting mix. That's all there is to it.

I would hold off on morning glories until early spring. Morning glories germinate very very easily and are sensitive to frost. The conditions in your containers create a warmer environment than those outside, so the self seeders know not to germinate.

This winter your containers will freeze. The only time to worry about water is in the spring. Here in Columbus, spring rains do nearly all the watering. I don't do hardly any watering and only on the late germinators.

This is a very simple process. Don't make it harder than it is. Enjoy!

Oh Bakemom I new you would help us nothern neighbors. Hugs.......

Oh no, i am in trouble then,
Some one else said it was ok to plant the MG,s now,so i have spent this morning,sowing all my Japanese Morning glories that i wished for,and received,i so wanted these to come up.
Then,i sowed a few days ago, KMOTGG, only to learn a few days ago, they are very hard to germinate,so, now i have SEVERAL, containers,that will not be any good,all that good soil,doing nothing.I am not happy right now,:0(

I so wanted the Japanese Morning Glories!!!!!!!

Carol

Carol, you will have your morning glories. You just have to watch them b/c they will germinate so easily. Just watch them and protect them. It's fine. Don't panic. This is one of the few you will have to hover over.

KMOTGG winter sow just fine. Seems they are finicky for some and not for others. They are not hard to germinate for me. RELAX. Let mother nature do her thing. She is smarter than all of us.

Carol, if you just sowed your morning glories today and want to save the seed to plant later you can dig them out, rinse them off and dry them on a paper plate. If you think you won't be able to find the seed you can dry the seed and soil in a shallow pan then replant soil and seed mixture in the spring.
Bobbie, who's rescued seeds a time or two

Thank you Bobbie,
I suppose i could do that with the bigger seed,but the Japanese MG seed is very little,like pepper,And , i sowed them in the BIG,under the bed containers.It's ok,i trust what Bakemom has to say,she thinks they will be ok.
I sure do appreciate your help in the matter though,all ideas are always welcome for sure.
Carol

That is certainly a big container. Did you sow many different types of seeds in it or just lots and lots of MG?

I agree with Bakemom about protecting them if they germinate early. I don't start my MGs until March and then sometimes need to bring them into the garage as our last frost date is May 15.

I Though Jap mg seeds are big....? Barb

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Carol here is a pictuer of jap mg sent to me. Sorry it is blurry....I hope this helps you. Just click on picture to enlarge...Barb

mnwsgal,
Yes, i sowed quite a few different seeds in the container,
so far,i have used 5 of them.all with a mix of seed divided with cardboard.Oh my, what would i do with a container this size full og MG,s,ha ha

Barb,
You are right,it was Chinese forget-me-nots,that were real tiny.
Thanks for the picture.
Carol

I wasn't sure if you were referring to the size of peppercorns, which some of my JMG are, or to ground pepper, which is the size of many plant seeds, cardinal flower, foxglove, etc.

Didn't think that you would need that many MG, though maybe you could be a supplier for a certain unnamed person who always wants "lots, and lots of MG, all you have". (This is a joke.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Beware of

Mnwsgal,ha ha ha,ya, i read about her a few weeks ago,not me. :0)
I never even liked MG,s until resently,my daughter and her children always grow them,and i had a friend who grew them, there is just something lately that draws me to them,BUT, i only need a couple,lol
Carol

Neil,
Your containers look very, very nice. :-) Much better than mine. You're in for a wonderful, fun fill winter.

You can also watch for seeds for SASBE on the exchange forums:

Just contact the posters and send for seeds for the cost of stamps and a bubble envelope. Don't need to swap your seeds at all.

Have fun.

WS Exchange

Seed Exchange/

Hi pitimpinai,

Yes, I did join and it was the Blackjack something from token. I'm still waiting for the other seeds I bought before I will send out my SASBE. Hopefully, I'll receive by Saturday.

Wouldn't the height of my containers affect the seedlings? Looks like I don't have enough clearance from the dirt to the plastic. What do you think folks?

They will be fine. Remember, plantout is at the first true set of leaves. If you choose to wait, you simply remove the lids. By that time it will be warm out.

Thanks bakemom! :)