When my winter sowing is over, I tend to enjoy sowing in the spring and summer. I sow those favorites that enjoy those conditions and it extends the winter sowing season for me.

For me, there are no seeds that need to be spring or summer sown, but there are some seeds that enjoy spring and summer sowing conditions and give me quick gratification by responding.

I love to spring/summer sow:

MORE dianthus
sea holly
asclepias
platycodon

These are my favorites. They can be winter sown, I just like to keep sowing or hold off to enjoy continuous sowing success using Trudi's method.

Okay - here's what I do.

I don't see a need to put containers out all winter for seeds that germinate in a few days with consistently warm temps (even if the nights are cool - not freezing, cool).
So I wait until March to sow my warm weather annuals/or perennials... If they germinate and we get frost one night, I cover them with frost blankets (which i buy at Home Depot - they look like sheer curtains)...or bring them in the garage at night - it's only for the night.

I love spring sowing because no sooner do i sow the containers, there is germination and I can just plant them right out in the garden (and cover well if there's frost).

I work it according to my last supposed frost date, but I keep an eye on the containers in cases of surprise frosts.

Carrie

So you generally wait until at least close to last frost date? Say..a week or two before last frost?

I'd assume that the covered containers should keep things a little warmer than directly in the open, so as long as temps only get a couple degrees below 32 they should still be ok?

Honestly, I really don't take a chance with some tender annuals - I don't ever keep them outside below 32 - but it may be okay - I just don't do it.

I feel it's worth a bit of extra time to bring them into my garage for those few nights. I am even sure my frost blankets (which are suppose to increase the temp by 4 degrees) are okay also, but I prefer to bring them in - but that's me. I am a worrier (ha ha). Remember, there are many that can tolerate 32 - but the really tenders I shield.

Good luck - and try not to worry, I did my first year and it is easier than you realize.

Carrie

Zengeos, last year the sprouts in my containers were fine even when the nighttime temps dropped to the upper 20's. The only problem I had was that one night, where the forecast called for a low in the upper 20's, and I didn't cover or move my containers, and the actual low ended up being 18 degrees. Some of the sprouts around the outside edge of the containers were frost burned, but it was only on the most exposed containers. The ones closest to the house were fine. The problem is that you can't always count on the forecast being accurate.

My annuals were sown in March and April last year, and I am in a zone 5 like you. Our last frost is at the end of May, but I only had to bring the containers in the garage a couple of times before everything got planted out. This year, I will try the floating row covers instead of moving everything, or only move the very tender annuals.

Everyone's experience and techniques are different, but I'm sure you will find what works best for you.

Bonnie

Here again, I think you are overthinking this. This time next year you will have much more confidence and an understanding of how the process works. It appears you are looking for certain dates to do certain things and it's really not that complex.

How about this? Why don't you list the seeds you are concerned about and we can tell you what we have experienced. For me, spring sowing has nothing to do with frost dates. I call it spring sowing for me in April. There's no rule - it's just my style. I think my frost date is May 7th or 15th - something like that, but that's not really a defining point.

I think Ron sets a deadline for 5/1 for winter sowing container reports - but remember, we are dealing with a bunch of zones.

I do all of my spring sowing in March and April. I sort my seeds out in December and do only perennials in January, Feb I do per and very hardy annuals, and then in March and April move on to annuals and tender annuals. I think I moved a few of my jugs into the garage twice last year and it worked well for me.

The things that I've Spring sown are things that didn't WS well for me or are considered tropicals.
The only thing in the first category for me is Heliotrope. I'd probably Spring Sow Coleus too, since it's something I'd mostly keep indoors after seedling stage.
I also Spring/Summer Sowed Gardenia and Bay Laurel. Both were mostly plants for indoors, not outdoors, and somewhat tropical, compared to our weather here. The ease of letting them germinate and grow outside until cold weather hit appealed to me more than having to try to control (and pay for the electricity for controlling) air, light, and humidity indoors.

Linda

bakemom, This is my first year to WS and I admit I overthink things too much. I am also slightly anal about some things and need structure and schedules. LOL! I have around 130 annuals to sow and I can't wait until after my last frost date to sow them and expect them to do anything before it gets too hot and they die. I also cannot move 130 containers into the garage if we are to get an unexpected hard frost. There has got to be some way to figure out to plant some at this time and some at that time etc.

You can do annuals right now with no problem. I'm thinking of poppies, nicotiana, datura, nigella, larkspur,eyeball plant...stuff like that. The ONLY ones I personally wait on until the end of March to plant are cosmos, marigolds, zinnias and morning glories. The reason is that these guys tend to sprout very easily with a quick warm up and are sensitive to freezing temps. Otherwise, there's nothing stopping me right now.

I am AR too about many many things.