Crossing fingers for you!

My cosmos have sprouted. I actually still have my cartons in the garage. I sowed the first set on 01/29 and the cosmos was one among them.. I am so excited. I hope we are not going to have a freeze.... Should I just let them be in the milk carton for a while? I plan to move them outside in a day or two.

ibheri---Could I ask why you have your cartons in your garage? They should be outside.
Duane

Yes, I just got busy and didn't get a chance to move them outside. I will move them today.

I've dreaded taking a look. I know some more have sprouted. I was only able to move some of the containers to a shady spot. There is a house nearby that has 5 inches minimum of Daffodil stems and another with daylily stems growing. The birds are having a ball eating from my seed fountain.

I feel your pain, so far I have had 5 of my 32 containers sprout, my wife thinks im nuts now because I want to go buy the $299 harbor freight greenhouse to save them. To further prove her theory she points out that the seeds were free from the newbie seed exchange. I need professional help!

Dean

I have many sprouts and Saturday we are supposed to get into the teens.

How do I protect them? Do I need to worry? Too many to bring inside. I do have a greenhouse; but, it is unheated and gets about the same temp as the ambient air outside.

Help!!

bob

I have about 35 containers sprouted so far, and am leaving them as is for the coming freeze. I may lose some, but I think most will make it. If you have cosmos, zinnias, marigolds - anything in the tender annuals category - you might want to give them some protection. If you still have the lids on them, most everything will be ok.

Bob, if its tender stuff and you can't bare to loose them, bring them inside somewhere cool. Like a garage. But only what has sprouted. If you don't have anywhere to put them out from the cold, perhaps you can find some cardboard boxes to put over them, or put them in?
Or throw some blankets over them. If you're expecting precipitation I'd throw a tarp over that blanket too.

Or take your chances and re sow what doesn't make it. You may be surprised at what does just fine.

If they are hardy perennial seedlings you have nothing to worry about. They should be just fine.

Bob, melvalena is correct -- hardy perrenials should be fine. The ones in my garden -- malva and lupine and hollyhock, for example -- are already up on their own. They were ws last year and I'm looking forward to flowers this year.

Also, any cole veggies like broccoli, cabbage etc. should be fine, too.

Tender annuals are a different story and could be victims if they sprouted because of the unseasonably warm weather. Either cap the jugs or throw a blanket over them to protect from frost and they might make it.

Caryl

How do I know what are "tender" perennials? I have many things coming up: daisies, hollyhocks, malva and more. haven't sown many annuals yet; mostly perennials.
bob