Welcome aboard - you'll really enjoy winter sowing. Folks here will help with any questions and you already winning favor by saying you'll read the FAQ's!!! But no worries, chime in with a question even if you think it might be ridiculous. We have all been there.....

Don't buy too many seeds. Lots of sase seeds alvailable. Soon as I get through the holidays I plan on offering some, and I bet others will too.

Nancy

Welcome poetmama. No more dampoff with wintersowing.

Karen

What are SASE seeds?

It stands for Self Addressed Stamped Envelope. But you will also see BEAP - Bubble Envelop and Postage. Or you'll see SASBE - Self Addressed Stamped Envelope. They all mean the same thing. You send a bubble envelope to the one offering. Inside, put an address label with your name and address. Include postage for the return. These traders are offering seeds for the price of postage. All you have to do is mail them the envelope. Don't put the envelope inside another envelope. They'll reuse yours to send the seeds back. An empty 4x6" envelope takes 2 stamps. Depending on the number of seeds being returned, it can take 3-4 or more stamps. The offering party should let you know how many stamps to send.

We rarely send seeds without bubble packages, but a few things like sedum and butterfly bush make it just fine through the system in a letter sized unpadded envelope. Even if a few get crushed, you'll have so many viable seeds since they're so tiny that you won't know what to do with all the plants.

Welcome Poetmama,

Please let me be first to enable your addiction :). Drop me a line, I'll send you my address and I'll send at least 20 different kinds of seeds to try winter sowing.

Lisa

Welcome to winter sowing, poetmama. Want seeds? Email me.

Barbara in Virginia

Hi poetmama and welcome to the WS forum. You've come to the right place for seeds. I've still got plenty to share so take a look at my exchange list and email me if there's anything you'd like. In fact, send me a list of the seeds you're looking for and I'll check to see if I have enough to share a few. I'll be happy to send you seeds in exchange for a SASBE (self-addressed stamped bubble envelope). This is my first year to WS and I've got my own little milk jug village going out on the breezeway. I've been trying to photo-document each step of the WS process and would be happy to share pictures if you're curious/interested.

Welcome zone fiver. If you have any questions feel free to email me. :)
floodthelast

Wow--I am overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and kindness. 'Tis the season, I know, but I have a hunch you all are this nice year 'round!

I will surely contact those of you who have offered seeds. I am sad to say that I won't be able to return the favor, at least right now. I have actually never tried to save seeds from my own plants! It should be a goal of mine this year. Again, I am quite touched by everyone's generosity.

I have many different gardening environments on my property. The front is quite shady, and I've been moving and dividing shade perennials there. I am quite interested in starting some shade perennials this year via WS. I also have a sunny cottage-type garden in part of my backyard, along with other shady areas and four raised beds that are in partial shade. The beds were supposed to be for Square Foot Gardening, but veggies just didn't do so well last year, aside from lettuce. Again, not quite enough sun. Partial-shade annuals have done well in those beds, however, so I will probably focus on growing cutting flowers there this year.

Anyway, I do indeed plan on reading more before asking too many specifics, but I will ask this now: Should I set aside seed to also start in my greenhouse, as usual, or should I trust that the WS is going to work? It would save me a ton of time if I didn't sow everything twice. I guess I just needs some reassurance! Also, I know in the FAQ's it says sowing all winter long in fine, but it seems many of you are already in full-swing. Again, I need reassurance! If I can't start for another 2-3 weeks. will I be fine?

Merry Christmas!

Welcome to winter sowing. I remember my first year wondering if this would really work. Winter sowing works almost too well. I had way too many seedlings to plant out until I started sowing fewer seeds in my containers and still hate to compost any extra seedlings that I haven't given away, sold or traded.

In my zone I still sow tomatoes inside as well as a few annuals for early bloom. Most winter sown annuals germinate well but later in the spring so unless I buy plants from a nursery/store I will not have bloom until late spring/early summer. For me that is the last two weeks of June. I also have planted lots of spring bulbs and spring blooming perennials to make up for annuals' late blooming.

There's no need to start sowing this early unless it is a seed that needs a long cold stratification time. Some start early because they have the time now, or because they want to do some gardening now, or because they are in a zone with a short winter, or...., as many reasons as there are people.

I start on Dec. 21 to be part of the winter solstice celebration then mostly wait until late January or February to sow perennials and hardy annuals with the bulk of my half hardy and tender annuals being sown in March or April.

Welcome to the asylum!!
-B

Welcome poetmama!

Rhonda

Welcome Poetmama,
I have some hosta seeds if you are interested in them,just send me an e mail.
I remember my first year WSing.I started annuals way to early,made every mistake you can think of, but it did not stop me,this is my 3rd season, and my first that i feel like i know what i am doing, but i still have many questions,so fire away, it is a great group of friends you will make over here, and always willing to help out, as you have already seen.
You will love WSing, i too, had a green house, sold it this last summer!
cAROL

Hi Poetmama, winter-sowing is a great method to start seeds. Easy and economical. But I would love to have a greenhouse too!

Btw, I don't know what you've tried for damping off, but a dilute solution of copper-based fungicide when the seeds sprout worked for me - when I used to start seeds under lights.

Welcome to another zone fiver! Last year was my first try at wintersowing - I made lots of mistakes too - but I couldn't believe how easy it was, and how WELL everything grew! Believe me, I had tried & tried to start things from seed, and usually had a embarassingly low successful rate. :)

Welcome!

Trust the WS method it will work! I had great success my first year (which was last year).

Now for my second year I am sowing containers already. I have done over 50 so far. I even sowed into my large pots that sit on my front porch and covered them with plastic. I am sure now that they will work out just fine.

Good luck!

Karen

Me too, I started last year and was very very nervous. It got worse the longer I waited and the more containers I did. Then one day hurrah, the sprouts started. That was just the tip of the iceberg, it was like Christmas for a month after that.

Jack: This is crazy.
Rose: I know. It doesn't make any sense. That's why I trust it.

Go with that. It applies to WSing, too.

Wow, this is such a wise and encouraging forum! I feel very encouraged and motivated to start. May I come to you all for parenting advice, too? :)

poetmama, I am a new wintersower in Ohio as well. Before ordering any seeds, let me know if you would like any of my extra's. I am planning to get my january seeds started this weekend. I should have some extra seeds for numerous items.

I know I have these already:
lamb's ears
4 o'clocks ( limelight, red glow, tea time, yellow)
morning glory purple
cosmo: orange
TN purple coneflower
Malva's
etc.

Has anyone tried pumpkin seeds in zone 5? I was thinking they might be kind of neat to try, but if they are too frost sensitive, then I would wait until spring. Will they survive zone 5 winters?

jroot, wait till spring for the pumpkin. I did them last year in april (I think) and then planted them out in may and june.

Karen

Welcome Poetmama,
I have some hosta seeds if you are interested in them Carol....I could use those Hostas for my charity plant sale if you are dying to get them a new home I assume I'd plant them now for a good 2011 plant,
( i also need sweet and hot peppers eggplant and artichoke.)
Poetmama... Zone 5 here. Southern MA. The only thing you really need to buy to WS is paint pens and soil to start the seeds in. You will drown in the kindness of this bunch of enablers

ontheteam,sending you an e mail,:0)
cAROL

Poetmama, you are welcome to some of my extra seeds,just email me with your address and I will be happy to send some. Last year was my first year at wintersowing, I made some mistakes but hopefully learned from it. Sure is alot eaiser and better results than growing under lights. I had trouble with damping off too. Everyone here has been alot of help for me. What a great bunch of people!!