Well, Gloria, I'm not in Colorado. My gardens are in 3 locations, not counting my tiny backyard with about enuf open ground to hang a hammock across. My real gardens are on both sides of the Washington/Idaho border.

I had a question a year or two ago about Winter Sowing and wondered if it would be a different experience in the Colorado Winter sunshine from other parts of the country. Here, it sometimes seems like we need to get to the 4th of July before the sun breaks out of the clouds - then, we move right under the broiler.

I'd like to know about your success with WS and if your grow lights and flats of perennials are indications of its limits.

digitSteve

Digit,

Seems like we go from winter straight to summer, recently are springs have been so short, that gardening has been difficult, things get hot so fast. Im not in the mountains but on the front range, so my temperatures are a little less extreme.
I have been winter sowing for a couple of years now, its fabulous. I put my containers out the end of December (now) and continue putting them out right up till March 1st.I have always had great success.
The reason I start some flats under lights is I just get anxious to see things grow, nothing better than seeing babies in ththe dead of winter.
You said your real gardens are in Washington/Idahoe? Commercial gardens?

Gloria, I mostly meant to contrast a single bed for vegetables/herbs and a few places for flowers in the yard with gardens of some size. (But, you've found me out . . . :o) Some of my garden produce, including both veggies and cut flowers, is sold at a farmers' market each year.

The total area of the gardens amounted to just about one-half acre in 2007.

Good to know about the Winter Sowing - we should note that you are putting your containers out right now!! Maybe you will be able to share a little more about the process and what's worked best for you . . . ?

digitS'

Yes, please, I want to second Digit's request for more information on WinterSowing and welcome you back to RMG. There were too many different threads on the WS forum and I got confused. I've been saving 2 liter soda bottles and anything else that looks like it could hold potting soil and a seedling or two, and picked up two bags of potting soil at the tail end of the season, but I have no idea where to go from there. It seems that most people WS flowers rather than produce. What I want to try are tomatoes, okra, wax beans, hot peppers and possibly herbs that I have seeds for. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Dafy

Hi Gloria, and welcome back to the RMG forum!

I hope you don't think I'm hijacking your thread, but since this will be my second winter to WS, I thought I could share a some information as well.

Dafy, last year I did a wide variety of annuals, perennials, herbs, and some veggies. The herbs all did very well, and were some of my early germinators. The ones I tried were basil, oregano, thyme, dill, marjoram, spearmint, and parsley. Lettuce, swiss chard, and spinach were also very successful. Tomatoes ARE wintersowed, though I haven't done them myself. My understanding is that it's best to chose types that are specifically for short season gardens, since they will be a bit behind the nursery bought plants at the beginning of summer. I tried sweet peppers last year, but they were not very successful. That is the one thing I may cave in and start indoors. I'm afraid I don't know anything about growing okra, or wax beans, but I direct sowed all of my bush beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, and carrots in late spring last year.

I'm no expert on wintersowing, but here is my understanding of the general time table for wintersowing in our zone. Hardy perennials are done first, as early as late December. Then half hardy perennials and hardy annuals are done next, say in February or March. Then, the least hardy annuals, which would include some of your vegetables, would be sown in April, or even May.

I will start my WS, as soon as I have gotten my house back in order after the holidays are over. Here is how I did it. I took the 2L bottle, and poked holes in the bottom and on the sides at the bottom with a solder iron that has a pointed tip. This is to allow drainage. Then, I poked a hole about half way down, large enough so that I could get the tip of a scissors in the hole, and cut the bottle in half. I cut two flaps, one on each side of the top half of the bottle, about an inch and a half wide, and two inches tall. Then trim the flap about a half an inch. This allowed me to reattach the two halves after sowing, without using any tape.

Before sowing the seeds it is VERY important to label the bottle, since it is difficult to do once it is full of soil. I used colored electrical tape and a permanent Sharpie, and just placed the tape across the bottom of the bottle. To sow the seeds, I put at least 3 inches of soil, or more in the bottom half, and wet it thoroughly. Sprinkle the seeds on. Some seeds (the larger ones) will require a little more soil on top, but a lot of them you can just pat down into the soil. Put the top half back on, but be sure to remove the cap. The bottle is ready to go outside now in a sunny location. Once the temperatures warm up in the spring, you may need to move the containers to a fairly shady spot, and bottom water them when dry. At our altitude, the containers can dry out pretty quick in the spring if they are in direct sun. Morning sun, afternoon shade is best. If you water from the top, you may wash the seeds out the drain holes, so what I do is place the containers upright in a large plastic bin that has a couple of inches of water in it for a few minutes.

If these instructions are confusing, try looking over the FAQ's on the Wintersowing forum linked below.

I hope you will give wintersowing a try. It was a lot of fun. Just don't be surprised if you are out there checking the containers for sprouts every day. It's a bit addicting!

Happy sowing,
Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Wintersowing FAQ's

Thanks Bonnie, I appreciate your explanation, especially on where you cut the bottle, put the holes and whether or to leave the lid off :-) that and the timeline were confusing me (granted it doesn't take much, hence the Dafy in my name).

My parents gave me an AeroGarden with the herb kit for Christmas this year so I am planning on trying that out soon, but I'm going to replace the chive seeds it came with, with some lime basil seeds I have and see how they do. I figure since it has two basil sponges, one more can't hurt.

I have two cats who love plants; that's one of the reasons I wanted to try WS.

Gloria, I'm in SE Aurora and this will be my second gardening season in a yard that is mostly shady. Ripping out two junipers under the front window was the first gardening project we did when we moved in. I mostly plant veggies and herbs, but have put in some roses and various perennials in the last couple of years. I mostly plant veggies that we like to eat and cross my fingers that they'll get enough sun, and if they don't do well one year, they go in a different place next year. I have no problem pulling out lawn to make room as I need to.

Highalt, you gave a good description and instruction on winter sowing. I used to use every recyclable container under the sun, but stopped over the years as my yard began to look like a junk yard and very cluttered (very hard on the eyes)although some dont mind. I now only use milk or water jugs, 1 for visual consistancy and also larger space for seeds, just my preference though. Whatever container you wish to use just make sure it has drainage and ventilation holes. I have not done summer veggies, just because it will not allow for a long growing season, so those I start indoors and transplant out the first of June. I have had much success with flowers of all sorts, herbs and cole crops by wintersowing. On to another subject, Im glad to come back to RMG, I have been reviewing some old posts and seen the pix from the last plant swap, I wish so much I would of known about that, I would of loved to attended. Im hoping to meet some local gardeners and get involved with gardening activities with folks that have the same interests. My husband isnt really into it, every once in awhile Ill make him look at some pix in seed catalogs, or new sprouts, he'll say, "thats nice dear" No enthusiasm at all. I did get him to take me up to Longmont pumpkin farm the beginning of November to buy straw bales for my raised beds. Oh well he tries. Any ways happy gardening to everyone. Any one up to a spring plant sale/swap? Let me know.