Ok guys, I have enclosed pics of the stuff. The hardes to find was gypsum. I could not find a samll bag and this has something in it. I hope it will work. The wire mesh pieces are just a sample of what I can make a framed screen with. Does the pot that the satsuma is sitting in look like a good size to repot to? The tree in the white pot is one of my dad's friend's just down the road from me in regular potting soil. Go figure. I think I will just do the satsuma for now and leave the meyer and lime in their original pots and mixes as they are doing so good right now. The lime has a lot of new growth and the meyer has some buds and a fruit. I think the FP and FE have a lot to so with their health. I hope they survive the winter if I decide to wait until next spring on them. I guess the next step is to start screening. Let me know what you think especially on the gypsum. I can return it and get something else. Josh I found a good source for the tiny red lava rock if I decide to use it for a mix in the future. thanks for all the help, Dave

After staying up and reading the entire site about one the rocks I rushed out and got me some cups from our local pizza place. LOL I now have 100 cups with crosses in each of them. I still have tons of seeds to start besides the ones I've already put in the cups. The pizza guy is ordering me a case of the little cups and lids, they come 3,000 to a case. Therefore I should have enough to start the rest of my seeds and the ones yet to come from the Lily Auction.Guess I'll try some of my iris seeds using this system too. I loved the pictures and the wonderful information that Mariann and her friend Eric shared with us about growing seeds using the rock method. I feel like I have a much better chance of getting all my seeds started this year. LOL The paper towel method was about to wear me out looking, taking out a few seeds and then wrapping them back up and trying not to misplace any of the names or mixing the seeds by accident. I think I'm going to love this rock starting method. Thanks Marianne and Eric West for providing such good information with all of us. I think this is going to make growing seedlings alot easier for this old lady! Happy Gardening, Marian

I was going to try this method too when I ran across the website a couple of months ago. I even ordered the little 2oz cups and everything. I didn't end up doing it because I had the same question as you....when to transplant them! Keep us updated, I may want to try it still. I did find that those 2oz cups with lids are excellent for germinating seeds in! I just fill them all the way to the top with a few drops of peroxide and then the lid keeps them underwater. It works so much better than germinating them in the little baggies they arrive in from sellers which tend to leak. I also re-use the cups and just cross out the old cross and write the new one on it. Tammy

Dear Dreamywhite Hi. Welcome to the Cottage garden website. For fast results next spring I'd suggest that you consider fall sowing of some hardy annuals. Larkspur, annual poppy (bread seed poppy, esp.) Larkspur will come up this fall but most of it should survive fine. Money plant (lunaria annua) is another good choice though seed sown this fall may not bloom until 2014. An advantage of these flowers I've mentioned is that they are rather "airy" and fit in between more substantial plants and their seedlings are easily pulled up if they come in the "wrong" place. Mostly I would suggest that you go to the Winter Sowing forum on gardenweb. These gardeners use a method that is much easier than indoor seedlings. Seeds are planted in late Dec. through Feb.(perhaps Jan. through March in Wisc.) Recycled containers are used--gallon milk jugs and 2 liter bottles. Potting soil is used for the medium and the containers are ventilated by poking holes. The containers are watered and then placed outside!! Snow, ice, cold rain are not problems. If they can be placed where they have some protection from heavy winds that is helpful. This method works well for Perennials, Biennials, and annuals. Some of the things that Winter Sowers have done successfully are coneflowers, rudbeckia, foxglove,baptisia, lupins. Any plants that benefit by stratification (alternate cold and warm phases during germination) do especially well. Advantages: Seeds more protected than in open ground. Seeds will germinate at their own time, depending on the weather of the particular year. Seedlings do not require conditioning since they've been outside for their whole lives. Seedlings seem to be especially sturdy. Disadvantages: Cautions, might be better. Early spring is the danger time, especially if there is unseasonably warm spell. Containers need to be opened to air when it gets warm. This is the only time that the sower needs to water the plants. Check out the Winter Sowing forum and also check out Trudi's Website at Wintersowing.org. This gardener who has been working in the same place since 1977 has a bit of envy for your blank slate. Chris