I haven't done it yet either. Same with 'Maters, Scallions, Radishes, Cilantro, Parsley, and probably some others.

I've got a lot of work to do this week.

AAHH..big sigh of relief knowing I am not the only one here.I did plant my tomatoes but the frost got them all but a couple(did re-sow),but have not sowed my peppers or herbs yet.I will be busy this week too..
moonphase

I wintersowed 138 tomato seeds and have almost 100% germination with my plants already at 1-4" tall and on their 2nd and 3rd set of leaves. (I'll try to get an actual count but I'd be really comfortable saying 95% germination. All really yummy heirlooms - I just can't wait! BUT - I haven't even sown ANY peppers, cukes, squash, beans, or any of my herbs. I've gotta get busy too. Its nice and warm here now so I'm really hoping for quick germination.

Basil is up here and it's tiny but lush. Go for it pesto lovers!

I never plant basil until around May. I just direct sow, sprinkling into a bed. Because the soil is warm by then it usually germinates in a few days. I still get basil early, way before my tomatoes are ripe.

Planted up jugs (thanks again Alberta!)of basil and cilantro on the same day (maybe two weeks ago?) and have a bit of germination on the cilantro but no show from the basil yet. Seed was 2006 package, so I might just try again with fresher seed.

Lots of other containers are going like gangbusters though! I have LARKSPUR - the plant I could never grow from seed, ever, indoors or out - and lots of it, in 3 big WS containers. Thrilled. Tons of foxglove, BB, some delpheniums, sundrops, feverfew, poppies, sunflowers, oh too many to list. I am SOLD on wintersowing! Took all the tops off this past weekend and everybody seems happy. Keeping them handy if the rain starts coming that they are predicting for later in the week.

The only ones I have planted in the beds are the BB's, cause they got quite large. How about it fellow long islanders - can everything else go in the beds now or wait till Mothers day?

Nancy

moonphase, most of my tomatoes got it too.
the basil was safe in the cold frame, so I have nice little plants coming along of opal basil. Today I have to divide other basils. Of course, I oversowed them and made the mistake of also sowing the twice! SOme are even just ornamental. Anyone need basil, lol!!

GGG

I just WSed my basil last week and I've got sprouts in the Lettuce Leaf Basil (it must be more like Lettuce than just the size of the leaf and the name!)
The same time I sowed those I did these:
Nufar
Di Genova
Genovese (of course)
Dark Opal
Cinammon
I happened to have packets left for the last two and figured, "oh what the heck!" But I can do without purple basil on the whole.

Linda

That's cute Alberta LOL!!
I started Thai Basil on March 26 with about 80% germination by April 04. They were from 2004 commercial seed!! Going slow and just starting to get first set of true-leaves. Haven't gotten to the Sweet Basil yet but hopefully next week sometime. As for tomatoes just the Oregon Spring and Tumbling Tom (yellow & red) started sprouting 1st and 2nd week of April. The tumbling tom were first and are starting true leaves even after their seed leaves were nipped by a 27 degree night. Still waiting on Sweetie.

Vera

Dh planted all my herb planters full of pansies last fall. Now they are in full (gorgeous) bloom and I don't have the heart to rip 'em out. So I wait. And I may not be able to find herb plants (don't sow them...don't need but one of each) when the pansies go over - which they WILL. It gets way too hot for them along about the time the stores stop carrying herb plants. (sigh)

This past January when I first learned of Winter Sowing I came across several small, unopened packets of cinnamon basil from 2000. I was going to pitch them but figured I had plenty of containers and would give'em a try - thought I'd consider myself lucky if I got even 3-4 plants.

Well. I now have 3 milk jugs which are solid green masses of cinnamon basil. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them, but I'm impressed as hell.

Tosser,
If the Cinnamon Basil is like "Purple Ruffles", it gets pretty pink blossoms on it which contrast nicely with the dark purple. I would have sow PR this year but I really didn't know where to put it and I wanted to concentrate on perennials and "must have" annuals.
I don't know what the Cinnamon type tastes like. Other purple basils I've sown seem very tough, though. More for use to soak in oil (and even then, I'm not sure how well the flavor comes through. That's another reason I'm sowing most and more of the Pesto types this year).

Linda

Cinnamon basil has a cinnamony scent, kind of a spicy cinnamon/clove flavor (to me), and deep green leaves with purplish stems. I've used it in Asian dishes but mainly like to chop it up and sprinkle it over poached peaches & pears or in fruit crisps. It's also really, really good chopped fine and mixed into plain or vanilla yogurt (with or without grapes).

In the fall you can pot it up or cut the entire plant at the base, tie it up with a piece of twine, and hang it in the house - smells nice for quite a while! The thing is, I don't think I've ever had more than 3 plants, tops, in any one season. Now I've got...gee, I don't know, but I planted 3 packets that claimed to have 150 seeds each and after looking in the milk jugs I see no reason to dispute that count.


The big problem here is that I am not a thinner - I just can't bear to do it! I honestly didn't expect them to sprout, I mean, these seeds were 7 years old! I'm thinking that all my garden borders are going to be solid cinnamon basil. Should look nice, and smell great. WS is just miraculous - I'm a total convert.

Tosser,
I'm not a thinner either, for the same reason :-)
Well that Cinnamon basil just sounds wonderful! Maybe it was Providence that had me sow it this year? Your food suggestions sound YUMMY!

Linda

I'm updating this post just to let you know, my basil has germinated.
Alberta

Good news Alberta! Yesterday I transplanted my lettuce leaf basil, I'm looking forward to munchijng on somw tiht maters this year.

T

Mine just popped this weekend. 8 days from sowing.