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Winter Sowing
alley_gw

Please help me

17 years ago

Hi all,

Let me start out by saying how great and friendly everybody seems on this forum (I've been on some other forums and not everybody is as nice--not gardening on garden web). Last year was the first year that I winter sowed and loved it. I've been saving milk jugs all year. I even gave winter sowing "kits" to some of my friends for Christmas this year (a preped milk jug with a baggie of soil, package of seeds and instructions).

I didn't really start until about this time last year. This year I was a little anxious and itchy, so I started around the begining of this year. I had some seeds that seemed to come from up north (I'm in the Fort Worth, Tx area--zone 7b) and I thought they'd be ok (how they would do in the heat is a different story).

We have had some crazy weather with 70 degree days in January followed by some cold spells. Well, I have a jug of dames rocket, bronze fennel, hollyhock, mexican hats and coreopsis sprouting. I don't think any of them have the second set of leaves yet. All but the dames rocket are still very close to the soil level (the dames rocket are about an inch or so tall and the hollyhocks are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch tall). All is good and fine until today. We are supposed to have our coldest night yet. It is supposed to dip down into the 20's (and yes, I know some of you are in the negative numbers--too cold for me). I don't think that it will stay there too long.

My question is this: Do I leave them where they are outside, or should I bring those jugs into the garage for the night? I've been reading on here about how some people will move a sprouted jug to a hoop house (or whatever was said) or the garage when it gets really below freezing. Is that what I should do, or will these particular seedlings will be ok with a dip down to the low 20's?

This is what I get for being impatient and starting so soon.

Thanks for any info

Alison

Comments (5)

  • 17 years ago

    Trudi told me to leave them alone. It's going to get down into the low teens over the next two nights for us. I may toss a blanket over the whole pile this afternoon, just to give them a little protection. But I have no plans to bring them inside or move them.

  • 17 years ago

    We have similar swings here in central MD. Last year, I just left them out. I had bulbs (tulip/daffs) sprouting as well. All did just fine. The mini-greenhouse affect of the jugs keeps them warm enough.

    Jen

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  • 17 years ago

    Hi Alison!

    I'm one of the ones that moves containers to the garage, so I thought I would explain.

    If the sprouts are perennials, or hardy annuals I don't move them, or give them any extra protection. As Jen said, the containers themselves will provide enough protection. If the sprouts are tender annuals, things that are NOT frost tolerant, such as tomatoes, basil, marigolds, cosmos, or zinnias, THEN I move those to the garage, because I am not willing to take a chance on losing them. That's just my choice. You have to do what you feel comfortable with. Covering them with a blanket works too, except in places that are very windy.

    The only one on your list I've grown was the Coreopsis, and it should be okay, but that also depends on whether or not it was an annual or perennial type of Coreopsis. The others on you list, I'm not familiar with, but maybe others will give you advice on them.

    Bonnie

  • 17 years ago

    Hi:

    A think your situation is part of wintersowing--or even just gardening--in Texas. I know people in Texas have had success, but you have to deal with some pretty bad temp. swings. If it were my seed, I would be like HighAltTransplant and not worry about perennials or hardy annuals. I know for sure that Dame's Rocket, Hollyhocks and Bronze fennel are all very tough. I think some coreopsis is annual, and I do not know if they would be frost-hardy, but they probably are.

    Wintersowing is meant to be an easy, stress-free way to grow our seedlings, but it's very hard not to worry about the babies! If you seriously can't get to sleep for worrying about them, throw a tarp or blanket over the containers, ideally just as the sun goes down, and weight it down so it won't blow away. Remove it in the morning.

  • 17 years ago

    Thanks for all your advice. I think that coreopsis is perennial here for me. I decided to leave them outside, but did pull them under the eve and put a box (has holes in it) over them. They all seem fine (and I have other jugs starting to sprout now).

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