This is my first year as well. So far, it's been going great. I think the recent nice weather has helped as I've been getting more containers sprouting everyday. Some still haven't sprouted but am told to remain patient and they will most likely pop up. Am waiting on most of my hollyhocks, pestemen, lavender, lambs ears, alpine strawberries, and a few others that haven't sprouted. Poppies have sprouted so have blackeyed susans, mexican hat, lettuce, spinach, lupine, garlic chives, painted daisies, soapwort, brussel sprouts, broccoli, parsley and broccoli rabi.

What did you winter sow? Kelly

I've been wintersowing for several years and things seem a bit slower to sprout this year. About 1/3 of mine have sprouted but with this warm sunshine I'm getting more every day. I think we may just have to be patient - the hard winter slowed everything down.

My first year veggy gardening and I decided to try the gammut of methods, including early sowing, and call it a 'learning experience'.

Spinach, arugula, chard, green onions and mesclun are up.
The peas and snap pears are both about a half-foot tall. The first planting of both is shorter than the second planting; the second planting was pre-soaked for about a week, but not by plan: I just couldn't picture putting them in the ground while it was snowing!

Thanks, all. I feel a bit better. Another question: did you cover your flats with a lid, or leave them open to the elements? I have seen both methods advised and wonder what works best for our climate.

I use the milk jugs as suggested in the Wintersowing Forum and I leave the tops on (not the lids) until they sprout. I sow some in the under-the-bed plastic containers and I put the lids on those until they sprout. I don't use flats, but would probably cover those, too.

Am still sowing my annuals. Have about 200 milk jugs sown, and approximatly 50 jugs have sprouts. this is my second year, and I'm not worried.