I've sown about 600 containers now. It'll work. It's going to be 65 here for the next few days. In February, we'll get snow. Same thing happened last year, only it was warmer in early January than late in the month. Lots of things will sprout. Protect the tender plants from frost and freezing. The sunflowers are one that might need to be moved indoors if the temperatures drop too low and they've sprouted. But perennials, they'll be fine. I usually wait until the end of February at least to sow tender plants. March is even better due to our unpredictable weather. But yes, Virginia, it does work. ;)

It'll work.

We all have erratic weather, advaya. We had a low of 4° last Saturday but it's supposed to be 53° by next Sunday. We WILL get cold and snow again. To avoid frozen frost-tender seedlings like zinnias many of us just wait to sow them until later. Once the spring warmth is here those heat lovers will sprout fast. Last year I think it was late Apr or May before I sowed tithonia.
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Token did well moving plants inside for frost but Trudi cautions against it. (I KNOW the Bible according to Trudi. I never move them into the house.. I just cover them with sheets or towels or move them into my UNHEATED garage. My friend brought hers into the house a couple of years ago and they died.

Welcome, advaya. It'll work. Good luck with the bee garden and be sure to include to butterfly weed for them.
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Karen

Oh that butterfly weed is beautiful. I've never brought taped jugs in the house but have opened containers of plants or new transplants into cell packs, mostly for protection against hard rain. Don't think I've lost any by doing that, put them right out again ASAP. But the back hall is cool and dark.

In front, I use the unenclosed front porch which has a roof for hard rain.

Why would they die by bringing them in the house for one night? Too much of a temp change too fast? I'm home so can put them out the morning of the next day, not wait until I get home from work. If it's something prolonged that's different.

I thought maybe people in the warmer zones might have more of a problem, but crazy things can happen in my zone. And I did sow some Tithonia and possibly other annuals already, have more Tithonia seeds, am waiting to do some other annuals like marigolds. Was going to direct sow my sunflowers unless it will give them a jump start by WS'ing.

My first year of wintersowing, I didn't really believe it would work. But, I was happy to find myself wrong. It does work, often better than sowing indoors. Although, for the most part, my w/s has been mostly perennials and hardly annuals. The tender ones, like zinnias and marigolds, I either start indoors or directly outdoors after it warms up. I can't really see the need to w/s zinnias, as they don't really do anything until it warms up, and are so quick to grow after it is warm, why would you need to w/s them? The only problem I've had with w/s is, on an unusually warm early spring day, it can get hot in those containers, and I have burned out some little seedlings that way. Now, if its going to be unusually warm, I usually shelter the containers from the direct sun.

I don't know why my friend's plants died when moved into the house. (it was only overnight). But I suspect it might have been fungus. When starting seeds indoors under lights most people use sterile soil, containers, tools to avoid that problem. My guess was that, since WS containers aren't done with sterile stuff, maybe they grew fungus in a heated area. Don't know though. Trudi?

The most I've done is move them into my unheated garage which is pretty cold in cold weather. When it's really cold we've had beer and pop freeze in there. But usually I just stick them together and throw a sheet or towels over closed jugs.

Karen

I don't move anything. I would have waited to sow the sunflowers later. But since the OP had already sown them, I suggested that as a method if they sprout and it turns cold again. Me, I wait until late March for all my frost tender plants.

Thanks everyone. I have lots more varieties of sunflowers to sow, and even the ones I already sowed I only ended up doing a small percentage. I figured they were the ones I would be gambling with the most by setting them out so early, so I sowed lightly.

I've already ordered some seeds for the butterfly weed! I'm can't wait for all the seeds I've ordered to actually come in.

What about petunias? I'd be safe sowing them now, correct?

I would wait on the petunias too. But that's just me. We still have another month or more of freezing weather. They can handle some cold temperatures, but you'll get better results if you wait until mid/late March.

I sowed one packet of my petunias, held the other back for later, found a beautiful red one, should have ordered it but didn't. I'm betting they will be ok but will be more mindful of the others, especially if it says HHA on the packet.

Karen, one wouldn't think fungus would kick in that fast, but you never know with this stuff. We all have to wing it sometimes.

I've started some things under lights and so far so good, getting their second leaves and standing straight. I don't sterilize my soil but do run the pots, etc., through bleach water.

I've definitely had probs in the past with damping off so you have to watch for it and it can happen so fast you lose them all. The tip to bottom water was a good one, and I'm doing that.

Last year I lost several iresine to damping off I'd rooted (all inside until ready for planter box), never expected that because they are tough and it didn't happen before. Maybe I gave them too much water or it was the soil like you said. But some survived and thrived fortunately as I'd thrown all the rest of my stock away.

I've been mixing some seed starting mix in with my potting soil, unsterilized in or out, and it might have an anti-fungal in it, don't know. But as a second line of defense I have my H2O2 solution. If I have to, I'll run and get some capstan or whatever it is.

Well, mine outside are going to have to sink or swim because I don't have the energy or patience to overly fuss with any of it except just a couple I want really badly.

I really thought petunias would be okay! I'm glad I asked. I guess I'll wait until the end of February? Or should it be even later than that?

This is a list of the seeds I have purchased but don't yet have. Which of them can I plant now? I know the ones entitled weed are probably safe (joe pye, butterfly, ironweed, etc), but is there any on there you'd absolutely wait on? I'm in Zone 6B.

fennel
yarrow
echinacea
poppies
true lavender
asters
witch hazel
lavender lady
borage
monarda (wild bergamot)
solidago (baby gold)
veronia noveboracensis (ironweed)
eupatorium purpurem (joe pye weed)
Asclepias tuberosa

I've done petunias in winter with no problems. They do tend to sprout early (i.e. at low temps) but have no problem tolerating a little frost.

Karen

Advaya,

You can winter sow all of them!! Go for it! :O)

PS - I LOVE bees!

Thanks again! I got an order in the mail this morning which I can't wait to sow when I get off work.

I'm so excited about this garden! It has to be in lasagna beds which I haven't even really started because of the snow we had in December. However, with my move I have lots of newspaper and cardboard. My mother saved me leaves last fall, and I'm surrounded by forests where there is still a significant amount of leaves on the ground. I'm hoping everything will be broken down enough for me to get this started but if not I'll figure something else out.

I work in a coffee shop so I have access to lots and lots (and lots and lots and lots) of coffee grinds/spent produce/filters/etc. For those with experience lasagna gardening, should I pre-compost the coffee grounds and filters or just let it break down in the lasagna bed?

I wonder how advaya did with her garden last summer? :-)