I can only offer sympathy, not suggestion. I sowed seeds of two Perennials last fall. I have perhaps a dozen sprouts of one and none of the other. And I don't know what I'll do with a simple excess of six or seven seedlings! Shall I pot the excess up and care for them? I suppose I could find a few acquaintances who might want them, but is the chore involved worth It? I also have who knows how many self sown Echinacea seedlings this year. Fifty? Probably more! Should I pot them up, wait for them to bloom and save the few that might be interesting? Such a lot of work. And I'd have to buy pots and potting soil and use expensive water to keep them alive. Getting all those pots through a couple of summer heat spells and keeping them watered is a daunting thought. Perhaps I'll just leave them in place and see what happens.

And that thought leads me to a suggestion: Why not sow your seeds directly in your woodland? Then your seedling chores might consist only of thinning, a much easier prospect than caring for hundreds of seedlings.

"pricked out and potted up"

That is a remarkable act of good plant stewardship but unless you're planning a Victorian bedding extravaganza I'd opt out. Better to throw them out into the wilds of your woodland, cross your fingers for rain, and hope for the best. They might die, they might just hang on to the slightest glimmer of life, or they might just surprise you. I also have a slight seed compulsion and with the exception of a few treasures nearly all of them get tossed out of their baby pots and into the beds within the first year. A midsummer vacation is the perfect motivator to get things in order by a deadline... or if not you can aim for first frost.... or first thaw... or first flowering,,, things don't always work as planned.

I've also started thinning ruthlessly once the seed pots get to a workable size. That really cuts down on my planting responsibilities and within a few days all the guilt of executing hundreds of promising seedlings fades. Anything to avoid potting on or other similar busy work. In theory these exercises seem noble but in reality they're just leftovers from a time when the manor house required a solid nine hours of labor. Better to sit back and ponder other less tedious projects.

One other plus to sticking in small seedlings willy nilly throughout the garden are the surprises when something nice pops up long after you forgot it existed. I never thought my little Berkheya purpurea would survive the summer let alone winter, yet there they are.

This was the first year I didn't buy seeds from various sources... trying odd ball plants that I have never heard of. I just collected a few from other gardeners.. a few from my own. and that was it. Instead of four trays of seedlings... I just had just shy of two. I have to say it made spring planting so relaxing....so easy... non stressfull. I don't have to stare at the trays week after week. It has been a good break from trying to cram in more plants into my gardens that don't have room.

So I offer you my sympathy... but try and cut back next year for a well deserved break!!

What's the definition of insanity again? :wink:

I can't imagine potting up hundreds of seedlings destined for the woods - the mere thought of having to do that would cause too much stress for me. A handful, yes; hundreds, no. Get them planted, water them in well, and see what happens. Remember, time is money, and seed is inexpensive - if losses are suffered, start more seeds if you really want to the plants; your time is more valuable than the few bucks you might spend on more seeds, if you even need to, plus think about the cost of the potting media you will need for all those seedlings.