Sweet potatoes aren't usually "hilled" as they produce the tubers at the root level. So I would put the 12" of soil mix in your containers (although soil-less potting mix works better in containers) and plant about 4" deep. Then cover them once with an addition 2-4" of mix and let it go at that. Using a container you will be losing the secondary production that usually develops along the runner vines as they root themselves into the soil. You'll find a couple of discussions on how to do this over on the Container Gardening forum since that is their focus. I linked one of them below. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Potatoes in Containers

From what I understand you are wintersowing if you are sowing seeds while it's still winter! ;) Your set up sounds a lot like the concept behind a cold frame. You can wintersow with cold frames too, as a matter of fact on Trudi's website she talks about how she planted an entire kiddie pool - that's basically the same concept of a cold frame or raised bed, she just used a pool instead of what we'd normally think of for those functions. The only major difference is with a traditional cold frame you are shooting for a few weeks before your regular planting out/sowing date, while with wintersowing the concept is being able to put your seeds out in the earliest days of winter. I think the containers are more of a convenience, they are easy to move around and control the conditions inside. But I'm sure you will be able to make your raised bed work. This year will just be a learning experience for what you like and what you don't, what works for you and what doesn't. Once I have sprouts I don't really worry about them much more than I did before I had sprouts. Just keep them moist as you did with the seeds. As the weather warms up consistently I increase air circulation by either opening vent holes or if we get one of those very warm odd days where it's 65 one day and then 40 the next I might even open the lids for that day so they don't overcook (remembering it's warmer in your little conatiners than it is outside). Other than that I don't really mess with them. If you've sown reseeders or perennials your sprouts should be able to tolerate cold dips in temperature. We are just mimicking what mother nature does naturally...reseeders and perennials would drop to the ground and experience all the fluxuations of winter, only to sprout and grow in the spring. We just speed it up a little by putting them in containers to create slightly warmer conditions to get them to sprout earlier. I wait until Feb/March for Hardy annuals and won't start my tenders until mid April...once those sprout I will blanket them if it goes below 35, but those day are far fewer that late in the spring in my area, so I only anticipate doing that a small handful of times.

Hello; I have overwintered cannas. I divided them into 5 tubers & have put them into two 8" pots, half burying them. They are in a room with 20C temperature but not in the light. Some of them have sprouted green leaves. my question is ,I did not fully bury them. is that a problem? Also they aren't getting a lot of light.I plan to move them out in May. Will they survive inside till then.

Melly, you're right, onions are hard on dogs' kidneys. I've heard similar about garlic, but I also have a dog cookbook [positive commentary only please! ;-) ] that says most dogs can handle garlic, and they love it. My dog had no problem with the small amount of garlic powder in his birthday party biscuits. (Yeah yeah, he's a rescue dog, ok, so I assigned him the same birthday as me & we had our dog & people friends over for a small afternoon party, I am not crazy, just crazy about him.) Anyway, here's my personal list of what dogs can't eat: onions & other alliums, except garlic powder chocolate coffee/tea/caffeine grapes/raisins green potatoes (thanks Daisy, I don't eat them either) soy (estrogenic, should be eaten carefully by males anyway) large amounts of lactose I do let Bear taste my ice cream and drink leftover milk from cereal. Lactose is mostly a digestive upset, no permanent damage, and he seems to handle it well. Melissa