Mandolls, I started my onions in a 12x9 foil pan filled with starting mix moistened with lukewarm chamomile tea and covered with Press and Seal wrap. I start all my veggies with this tea and usually that is all I water them with, although I do dilute it as time goes on. They didn't germinate when I thought they should so I set them on my dryer while I was drying clothes and they started sprouting. Since then, they have been on a shelf in my sewing/craft/plant nursery room, at first in front of a south facing window. Its usually around 64 at night and 70 during the day. I got a small stand alone greenhouse, 5' tall, 24" wide and 19" deep and mounted two grow lights over the top two shelves. Even more seedlings have popped through since I put them. I would have mounted a grow light over them if I'd left them in the window. I only bottom water and only when I think the mix is drying out. They will not be transplanted (there's at least 100 of them) into individual pots. I will keep them under the light and trimmed to 3" tall until time to harden them off and transplant them into the garden. By then they should have really grown great roots and probably a nice sized little bulb. I'm not an onion expert, but maybe yours are a little too cold or not getting enough light. Is the light a grow light? Are you overwatering? I wouldn't be fertilizing every time I watered, but that's just me. I hope someone with more experience with starting onions will have the answer to your problems. I just know my seedlings are coming up strong and healthy and I have just about 100% germination at this time.

Howdy, First, thanks for everyone's replies. Rick, our temps are far from 60F nights..Heck, it can snow as late as May. My larger Adeniums were getting some light, including artificial. West and north windows. One problem is finding the right pots. Unless I order online, finding certain sizes and shaped containers are a challenge. Most green houses here closed their doors. HD sells ceramic, 'not interested.' If Adeniums are potted in larger containers, will they grow taller? Lady...What type of fertilizer do you use? I usually fertilize with Fish Emulsion..Adeniums flowered, but I wonder if they'll have more and longer-lasting blooms if another type is used. Hey Gill...yep, I was given great advice..Guess I'm expecting a miracle though..lol. How you doing? During winter, guess you can say I hide in a shell..very seldom do I get online. I have quite a few questions to ask, but will save them for later..I'm concerned about my larger Adeniums.. The younger Adeniums definately need larger pots. Scott. Congrats on your success. As to your question...years ago, I wrote two manuscripts, but didn't have high expectations. I submitted the first manuscript to a few agents with negative results. Thankfully, most 'rejection' letters were hand-written instead of generic form letters. Still, I don't fare well when it comes to rejection, so I gave up. When I got my first computer, I was asked to choose a screen name. After hundreds, lol, of that name is taken, the title hopefulauthor came to mind. That's my story..:) But, I'm really happy you made it. If you don't mind me asking, which genre? Toni

Jodie..300 containers..Wow! that's a lot; you go girl! Just don't be disappointed if all your perennials don't bloom the first year. Remember the old saying: First year they sleep, Second year they creep and the Third year they leap! Put aside some in case there's a plant swap in your area. We went to our first last May and it was a lot of fun and a real education. My husband went along and gained a new respect and attitude for wintersowing. He is amazed at the generosity of gardeners with sharing seeds and plantings, even aged manure. The guy that showed up with the pickup truck of aged manure was the hit of the day. He even had the burlap bags to shovel the manure into..you did the shoveling and he stood there and observed. They say he shows up each year. Post it ahead of time on this area forum and people are aware he's coming. No odor though, which surprized us. A local coffee company gets coffee beans in the burlap bags and gives them to him FREE. He came with a full load but went home with an empty truck bed. Later on in the Spring, there will be posting of upcoming swaps. Be prepared to share and have fun!

Hi Daisy! I am so glad to see one more motorcycle/scooter rider in the garden forum! :-) Three of us, we all have/had Honda bikes! You are the captain rider here for sure-started riding in 1967. :-) I started riding in 2008, purchased my first scooter-2009 Honda Ruckus(50cc), had so much fun, but couldn't keep up with Harley one day on my way to a friend's house, so moved up to a Honda Big Ruckus (250cc); then fell in love with a Piaggio Mp3; then one of my back street neighbors stopped by with his red Vespa 2 summers ago, he needed to sell it to buy a car.......it's like God dropped a Vespa right in front of me, I couldn't say no! :-) Not good at selling things, so I keep them all. Still ride Ruckus a lot within 3 miles range-gym, library and stores. Ride the bigger bikes for longer rides and busy roads. Can't wait for Spring, really miss riding, still have a lot of snow on the ground, and salt on the road. Do you wear riding gear when you ride? I only wear riding gears and fullface helmet for bigger bikes, may be I should use a gear for Ruckus too. You're in zone 10, so you can ride all year round! :-) Hope Ken can come back here with another Honda. :-)