Yes and no. It should be earlier than something that was direct sown outdoors, because of the mini-greenhouse effect. However, if you've been starting your seeds indoors, you will find that the WS ones will be smaller when it's time to plant them out, since the nighttime temps outside are cooler than in your house. They will catch up quickly though, as the overnight temperatures rise. They will also already be hardened off.

My DH isn't a fan of the milk jugs all over the patio either, but the incredible results each summer, are starting to win him over.

Hope you give it a try!

Bonnie

Remember, perennials probably won't bloom until year 2 no matter how or where they're started. So sprout time isn't an issue to me- it's just going to be a little piece of green all summer anyway.

Sowing annuals in spring when weather is is warmer, many will sprout in a few days. Temps might still be cool in your zone or mine and those sprouts might progress slowly at first. Southerners will of course get flowering sooner.

To make up for slightly later flowering, I usually buy just a few annuals to carry things over until my WS ones are showing their colors. Over time established spring blooming perennials or bulbs can carry the garden over, too.

I used to spend hundreds of $ for summer flowers. WSing cuts that down to a few $ for soil and seeds, unless they're traded seeds which is just the cost of postage. Milk jugs are free. No expensive lights or carts to buy, no space issues in the house, no damp-off cuts losses.

Spouses always like saving money.

Karen

Unless you have the money to build a greenhouse, or a huge sunroom to start seedlings inside (in which case you still have to deal with hardening off.. ) this is the most economical way to start seedlings, if its flowers or veggies, or herbs. You can do hundreds and hundreds of items. Your neighbors will think your nuts, your famlies insane when you always bug them for milk jugs.

However, you can tell your husband, a dude says this is the best way to get it done =).

silverkelt (aka Jeremy)

Thanks for the input. I know WS isn't like starting seeds in a greenhouse in January, but I'm glad to hear that they will sprout a little earlier. He's talked about building a greenhouse, but I just can't justify in my mind the amount of $ that would cost. And, highalttransplant, I have several seeds from you through the swaps to sow this year--Thank you 8-D !! The flowers aren't the issue for him. I should have mentioned that his hope is for early vegetable sprouts so we can harvest vegetables earlier than direct sowing outdoors. He is glad to see some of the herb and veggie seeds I got through swaps, Karen, and I have purchased some faster maturing tomatoes, so hopefully we'll have tomatoes sooner than we'd hoped. I keep emphasizing to him how easy and cheap it all is. If I can get some early vegetable results, then I think I will have a convert in him and he'll be "at peace" with milk jugs in his yard.

Jeremy, I'll tell him it's the cool dude thing to do!

Deanna, you are welcome for the seeds. I hope that they do well for you.

A good percentage of what I WS are herbs and veggies, but there are a few things that I still choose to direct sow. I definitely think WS is the way to go for any kind of leafy greens, lettuce, chard, cabbage, as well as broccoli, cauliflower, and even peas. I also start all of my herbs that way, though the basil I wait until April to WS, since it is so frost tender. The things that I think are easier to direct sow, are carrots and radishes, one, because I'm sowing a large quantity of seedlings, and two, I just don't want to fool with transplanting them. The other things that I tend to direct sow are the warm season veggies, such as cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins, because the temperature is warm enough by the time they are sown that they sprout very quickly anyway, and they often resent being transplanted. All of my tomatoes are wintersown now, though the first year or two, I still did some indoors thinking I would get an earlier harvest, which I didn't. The only thing I still sow indoors are my peppers. Our growing season is just too short to get a harvest if I wintersow them. They will germinate, just not early enough here.

The thing that truly sold me on wintersowing, is the fact that I only have one large sunny windowsill, with only enough space for a few plants. By wintersowing, I am able to sow huge quantities of seedlings without space being an issue. Our yard isn't big enough for a greenhouse, so that's not an option for me, but if we ever move to a larger property, I wouldn't be opposed to having one : )

Bonnie