I haven't even sown mine yet. It sprouts and grows so fast in warm weather, I usually just direct sow around when I plant out tomatoes.

Karen

Ellen I winter sowed my basil on March 17, its doing well, been through the hot and the cold. It will only suffer or die with freezing temps after germination. I too cover it when the temp is dropping which has been lately, :) but fear not, its going to warm up again this coming week.

I have lemon basil that I sowed two weeks ago and it just germinated this week - I was starting to think the seeds were duds. A bunch of chubby, tiny sprouts just sitting there, now that temps have decided to get cool again.

Whenever I've got anything in a container that "just sits", I remind myself that it is probably building nice roots systems! Though I can't "see" that in the way I can see leaf growth, it makes me feel better!

Alberta - yes! warmer temps are coming. Acc to the forecast I looked at- tonite - may go down to 38, so i will cover the basil, and certainly the tomato, but after that it looks like smooth sailing: lows in the 50's. Yippie. I am so ready for heat.

Nan - yes, I had posted earlier, that when I accidently dumped one of my containers (!) and had to replant the seedlings the roots were so long- about 5 inches, altho the sprout was tiny, and sprout size still is not increasing. I know it is ready to go into the ground, but I gotta wait for warmer temps.

Ellen, your post reminded me I need to sow my basil. I've been covering my plants a few nights recently because I keep seeing frost warnings even though the temps predicted were in the mid-30s. Better safe than lose all my tomatoes and other lovelies.

That said, it's warming up this week with lows in the 50s. Is anyone taking the chance and planting out? Right now the containers are all grouped together and easy to cover if the weather dips, but I'd like to start getting them in so they have the room they need to grow (and early tomatoes sound good.

Caryl

It has been cold here, too. I've only planted out 2 jugs- rudbeckia and gaillardia. It's supposed to get hot tomorrow. I'll try to plant out a few things at least, like the alyssum that's blooming in the jug. I have some zinnias and marigolds that want to escape, too, but I might wait another week for those.

Karen

Temps lower than 40 kill mine. I think it's best to wait.

I just sowed 3 jugs of basil last week; new to WSing & have always done what Karen said she did with hers, direct sow it around tomatoes when I put them out, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes with the WSed ones this year!

Also just found Lobelia erinus & one variety of petunia sprouted yesterday from seed sown into jugs on 4/21. I've never had either of these germinate so quickly, even under lights, so I'm really encouraged!

There may be something to this WSing method after all!