Oh you are going to love this! Read through the information in FAQ (look for it on the screen and click) and also go to wintersown.org for great "how to's". Then come back here and join the gang. Really nice people who will help you be successful at this.

Nancy

Welcome to the forum. Yes, milk jugs are preferred containers for many of us, but there are other types to use, too.

There's a link to the FAQs on the top of page one of this forum.

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: FAQs

Uh oh...This could get ugly. The people here will enable you to death. But I would never think of doing that. Instead, I'll just direct you to my WinterSowing album on Photobucket where I have pictures of jugs and sprouts and Hunks o Seedlings all planted out already. Others will come along an provide pictures of blooms and veggies and ... It's going to be fun.

So get you some milk jugs, wash them out. Cut them nearly in half parallel to the bottom. Punch drainage holes in the bottom and fill with at least 3" of soil. Water. Let drain. Sow your seeds directly on top, press down. Flip the top of the container back over and duct tape around the seam. Label. Label. Label. Throw that little plastic lid away. You don't need it. You want water and air to get inside. Then throw (gently) the containers outside. You'll be amazed what happens this spring.

And if the FAQs don't give you enough information about certain seeds, just ask. We LOVE to give advice. Enablers, each and every one of us. Need more seeds?

Conatiners set outdoors in winter! What could be easier? They germinate when Ma Nature says so.

Winter sowing starts as an innocent past time that quickly turns into a complete addiction! Beware! :)

I think it's the most fun a gardener can possibly have in winter. Welcome to the madness. I'm a newbie like you and completely hooked.

I can't help but notice the influx of newbies from Zone 7...our recruiters in that zone are doing a FABULOUS job- LOL!

Geez, and now we have pamphlets & we could...if we wanted...go door to door...do you think we'd get a better reception than other pamphlet-wielding door-to-door messengers?

Welcome, Missemerald! You're not too late; jump on in; you're right on time!

mmq, we had a real winter this year. Two snowfalls and everything with another predicted later this week.

Great day! You are all so friendly!

Now, I just have to go and read all the info. But basically, I can plant stuff in recycled jugs and stick it on my deck (no greenhouse or other covers needed) and it will grow when it is ready??! Woo hoo!

I've seen a lot of flower pics on this forum, but veggies, too? I have packets of early spring seeds (broccoli, lettuce, etc) that is just screaming for dirt... I'd hate to deprive the little guys, so I think I'm gonna go raid the recyling bin later today.

Marcy

Cool weather crops can be wintersown now. In fact, my cabbage, lettuce, and carrots have been out for two weeks.

Oh, lawd, she's been here five minutes and she's already talking about raiding the recycling bins!

missemerald - you are in T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

Welcome!

PV

Next thing you know, she'll be dodging traffic to snatch seeds from the daylilies at the intersection. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Actually, it was a hibiscus. White. Blooms bigger than my head.

I want some of those hib seeds, token! LOL!

PV

PV, you'll have to dig them out of my containers. But I will be trading them next year for sure. Most of them were infested with a weevil, but I'm certain there were a couple that were whole.

Nope, I have no desire to sneak away with daylily or Rose of Sharon seeds-- got plenty of them before my mom sold her house two years ago (we planted a whole mess of Rose of Sharon seedlings in the backyard and they produce enough seeds for everyone!).

Hey, token, you planted your cabbage, carrots and lettuce already? I wanted to plant cabbage and lettuce too (missed the deadline last year), but I thought carrots had to be direct sowed into the garden because they might get crooked roots otherwise? Or do you just have really big milk jugs on your deck?

Marcy

p.s. Do you guys trade seeds too? Man oh man, winter gardening, recyling containers, AND seed trading? Have I hit pay dirt (sic) or what?

Oh, DO WE EVER! We don't just trade seeds. Some of us trade whole plants and other things too. Exchanges

My cabbage, carrots, lettuce, and spinach was sown in early Jan, germinated, and planted out two weeks ago. I transplanted the carrots when the first sprouts appeared rather than waiting on the true leaves. They're starting to develop their second set of leaves now.

This wasn't an althea. It was a hardy hibiscus. Pure white with dinner plate sized blooms. I hope it comes true from seed. It was the only one in that median.

Hi missemerald.
Welcome.

what they all said was true:
FUN
EASY
TOTALLY ADDICTING
there is something going on all four seasons and the beautiful gardens ooh boy

welcome Annette

missemerald...WELCOME..I too am a newbie this year and it IS exciting and very addicting. Getting hooked on this very nice forum is a great part of the fun. Everyone is very helpful (enabling actually) but it's so much fun. Did you ever think you'd get pumped for diving INTO recycling dumpsters....(evil laugh) hehehehehehehe Welcome!

"They germinate when Ma Nature says so."

This is what I used to think, so I did not pay attention to when to WS what.
Well, not exactly - sometimes when they are poppies they germinate in Feb. Then the gardener is outside in 20 degree windy weather trying to cover them, but not too much, don't want to sufficate them..

These poppies should have waited. I should have read more carefully.
Be warned. :)

ellen

MissEmerald, It's a great way to getting over your winter blahs, but I warn you that it really is an addiction and your neighbors may give you a few funny looks. This year I have about 200+ varieties that are going to get WSed. Hopefully this weekend I can get to about 100 of them. While the preferred item is a milk jug, I had great success with either the half gallon juice plastic bottles or also with gallon ziplock bags (take a look at wintersown.org). Don't use much smaller containers than a half gallon size - I tried the plastic containers that strawberries come in and there were two many holes and there was not enough depth. But regardless, try it, you'll like it! Happy gardening, Ann

Thanks for the advice, y'all. I've been saving my gallon milk jugs, and am fixing to ask friends to do the same. They already think I'm a little loco anyway so what's one more wierd request from me?!

I have a question. I've gone though the FAQ here and the wintersown.org stuff (great info, that), but I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, namely, WHEN to plant stuff. Now, I assume that I can't plant everything right now, right? If so, this is what I currently have seeds for: lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini/yellow squash, various herbs, and zinnias (trying to get a cutting garden going, any other suggestions would be great). I want to grow tomatoes and peppers too, and some cukes for my daughter. But when do I start the later stuff-- I "think" I can start the lettuce/broccoli/cabbage now?

Thanks from the newbie!
Marcy

p.s. Love the info at wintersown about free seeds! I would love to grow some heirloom 'maters, if I could just get them going good--- last year's experiment with Cherokee Purple was a dismal failure :(.

Some things you may want to wait on are zinnias, basil, cosmos. This is my first year wintersowing also. You are in for such a treat! The people on this site will patiently answer every question, no matter how specific. Best of luck and do keep us posted! Nikki

Yes, go ahead and sow the cabbage, broccoli, and lettuce. These are cool weather crops. Wait until end of March to sow the rest. I would even wait until after the last frost to sow the peppers and tomatoes.

Welcome!! You're never gonna look back...I promise LOL!

Ellen,

No need to worry over you poppies. They will survive the coldest weather nature can throw at you! Many of my poppies self-sown fall babies that winter over just fine until spring :)))

Vera

Winter sowing is absolutely the most fun a gardener can have in the winter. It's also a cure for the winter blues, giving everyone who sows something wonderful to look forward to. The reward in the spring changes the way you look at gardening.

It's an addiction, a lifestyle... a whole new way of life. It makes ordinary people do unimaginable things, all in an effort to acquire a few containers to sow in or to snatch a few seeds.... seed collection addiction can be it's own addiction, or it can become one due to the act of winter sowing.

You may find yourself doing things like:

Purchasing winter sowing containers with food in them, not food in containers.

Raiding your neighbor's recycle bin to grab the 2 ltr bottles and mik jugs.

Dumpster diving at your local recycle center.

Dead heading at public parks, libraries, roadways, your neighbors... in the effort to swipe the seeds.

Checking with every establishment you can think of to ask them to save their coffee grounds, milk jugs, egg shells...

Checking the forum as you sip your first cup of coffee in the morning.

I could go on... but you get the idea.

OMG I've found hope. It works in zone 5 too? I need a whole lot of "Snow in Summer" (no pun intended) to plant around a new large raised bed to soften the edges. I couldn't imagine how I could afford it any other way then to start them from seed. There is no room to do any kind of setup in the house SO, this might be it. I need 50 plants. Anyone have any experience in starting Snow in Summer? Oh my what else in now within my reach if done by seed!

I winter sowed quite a bit of Snow in Summer just a week or two ago. I'm sure others have as well.

I also sowed
Saponaria, Rock Soapwort
Candytuft, Snowflake
Campanula carpatica, Blue Clips
Dianthus deltoids, Maiden Pinks

All of these would work well, at the edge of a raised bed in zone 5.

Now that know what you can do with a pack of seed and a milk jug.... have fun at the next seed rack you come across!

Ordering seed today. Rock soapwort, Coreopis dwarf red, Lamb's ears, and Prairie schull cap from "Diane's Flower Seeds" and "Outside Pride" Will they work as Zone 5 winter sown babies? Gave up on Snow in Summer, too "crunchy" later in the season. Oh I am so excited. I had come almost to the end of this years garden budget and did not know how I was going to finish the edges and companion plants for the new beds. Thanks. Elizabeth

Nancy I've done Maiden Pinks too. Those have already been planted out. Tough little buggers they are.

I sowed Rock soapwort a couple weeks ago. Got it at Lowes. Yeah, I really needed more seed, huh? Also picked up a pack of blue passionvine. Only one seed germinated indoors out of the 6 in the pack. It's doing okay. Can't wait to clear off this propagation rack next month.

Welcome, missemerald!
I would be more than happy to send you some tomato seeds. I have both heirlooms and newer varieties. Send me an email from my page and we can make arrangements.

~Carol/Irisgirl