I have sown 31 jugs, starting putting them out Jan 5th. No sprouts yet. I'm north of you, in Cincinnati. Not to worry.

Weather hasn't been consistently warm enough for germination here. All seeds have special requirements (like "8 days at 70 degrees"). When it gets warmer, consistently, they will sprout. Don't sweat it.

Karen

Do you tape your milk jugs? Will echinacea bloom this year when started from seed? I ws'ed quite a few containers last year with quite a success. The thing is I got really down in my back and sick with migraine headaches so I lost quite a few things also. I now have a butterfly bush that I started and planted out last year that never really done anything. It was wintersown. Will it grow more to the original size it is supposed to be now? I am just trying to get everything lined out so hopefully it will be a better year ws'ing for me. Thanks for the info.

Yes, I tape my milk jugs.

Of the 6 echinacea seedlings I got from wintersowing last year, only one produced a blossom, late Sept or Oct. Ususally they don't bloom until second year.

Rule of thumb for perennials
first year they sleep
second year they creep
third year they leap

Karen

I'm in Ky - east-central. Have sown over 200 things, with about 5 things sprouting already. This seems normal.

I use the flap method and don't have to tape anything. As long as you have drainage holes in the bottom of the jug, and your soil isn't brimming over the bottom part of your jug, nothing should be able to wash away.

I'm just east of Cincinnati and I've got about 80 containers out now. I've only had gilia tricolor and poppies start to sprout, but they've only just begun and don't have any green showing yet.

So don't worry, there's plenty of time! March is usually our warming up month here anyway.

Laura

I put most of my jugs and other containers out the first week in January and even though we have had a few warm/thawing spells, everything has stayed covered with snow. I can't even get to my containers.

I have one container that has 2 sprouts - malva zebrina. I sowed this one in a 16 oz solo cup placed within a clear sterlite container. This is my only container of four that i planted the first week of Jan that has any sprouts.

Nothing in Columbus and I don't expect to see anything for a month.

I have been trying to listen to you all and not fret over the seeds..but now i am wondering if I should be looking at them....I put them outside and havent checked them since...is this a bad thing ??? I didnt think they would need to start getting attention until March...gee..am I a bad seed starter ?? LOL

Can I add a question ?? Id love to know when you start annuals ...

I've counted my sprouted containers and they're about 100. Mostly Bachelor's Button and poppy, but also cool season vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and radish.

I am in Central Kentucky also. I noticed today that some red poppies have begun to pop up. I can see little leaves on the seedlings. I hope they all go this good. Bad news is the other one seedling of a plant that I cannot remember that had came up has disappeared. Hope for the best on that. I love this. I check my containers everyday but I am really excited. I tried some last year but this is really my first year of doing this.

I'm in Indiana, just west of Cincinnati. I have over 100 containers, and no sprouts yet.

wow - my first year wintersowing, I think I checked my containers about - oh, let's say - about ten times a day...

I still do that after four years of wintersowing and every time I see a new sprout, I still get so excited.

Checking containers for sprouts is now part of my everyday "routine", like brushing my teeth.... (LOL)

Carrie

Well, I checked my containers today - hadn't looked at them in maybe 3-4 days? Maybe more? Anyway, I have sprouts! Dianthus 'Siberian Blues', bachelor buttons and one teeny achillea 'cassis'! Plus fat seeds of poppies and blue flax.

The weather here has been so erratic - it was 67°F yesterday! But it seems like the whole country is having weird weather. This is the earliest I've seen WS sprouts in the last several years.

I'm still trying to figure out what else to sow - better get cracking ... it'll be spring before we know it.

PV