If I can piggyback on your question, when is it TOO cold to wintersow? I prepared more containers last week but held off on putting them out until this deep freeze passes. Was that necessary?

You can wintersow anything which is winter hardy in your area. And no, it’s never too cold, but nothing will happen until it warms up.

Here are the winter sowing faq https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/winter-sowing-faq

They're worth a read.

Agree, it's never too cold. (Well, not for the seeds. I wintersowed a batch the other day and didn't want to run them outside because it was too cold for me!)

Chey, I've wintersown everything on your list except verbascum, and Western Shooting Star (I don't know what that is; maybe I have wintersown it lol). I may or may not have tried passionflower and delphiniums... I've been doing this for so long I don't remember everything. I don't have either of those in my garden now but that doesn't mean they didn't successfully wintersow. Death in my garden usually comes from neglect after planting! (or even after germination - some poor things never even get planted!)

I don't have any tips except just to try everything! I haven't started a single seed indoors in 20 years. If I want to try a seed, it automatically gets wintersown. I've tried a lot of different seeds - flowers, veggies, herbs - and the only thing that was a dismal failure for me was green beans. I tried a few times, but I think the seeds rotted or something. Luckily these are extremely easy to direct sow. So give it a try - nothing to lose but a few seeds!

:)
Dee

@diggerdee zone 6 CT Thank you for the feedback. I grew up in CT (Farmington). Where are you in CT? Do you go to Meadowview? I call it "Disneyland for Gardeners". I feel like Norm from Cheers when I visit.

Have you (or anyone) ever successfully grown Wave Petunia by seed? If so, any tips?

Thank you so much!

Chey

Chey I was born and raised in Bridgeport and live nearby now. I had to google to see what Meadowview is, lol, so no I have never been there, but may just have to now that I know it exists! (Added attraction - my great-grandmother moved from Bridgeport to Southwick MA after marrying her second husband, so I wouldn't mind taking a look around her old stomping grounds! That is, Meadowview Farms in Southwick was the closest thing I could find to Farmington lol so I'm assuming that's what you're referring to.)

You know, I think I once wintersowed petunias as well - not necessarily Wave, but petunias. I believe I had some success; I think I just decided it was easier to buy them locally than to wintersow them again the following years. I used to wintersow about 200-225 containers so many of my basic patio annuals I would just purchase - although now the prices are getting so high it might be worth revisiting wintersowing them again!

:)

Dee

Wow, deanna, that IS a FREAKY spell if you have seeds germinating outside in February in Maine! That's something. I do find with the climate changing that WSing is not as care-free as it used to be. Those freaky spells are getting more common!

The winter for the most part is fine (in my experience) - it's the springs that I find tempermental. More than once in the last few years we've had a 90-degree day in April, and for me, that is too early to remove the tops of most containers permanently, but with 200 containers I can't be opening and closing them But 90 degrees is too hot to have covered containers.

So I do have to watch the temps in spring, and if worse comes to worst have to run out, move 200 containers to the shade, find trays and buckets to bottom water, and go off to work and hope they survive.... Heheheh, guess I won't have to worry so much this year if that happens, as I've lost my job and can babysit my containers. Yay covid, lol. Sheesh.

:)

Dee

Has anyone used grow lights? If so, any recommendations?

If you are using grow lights you have left the realm of winter sowing and moved into growing under lights. I see you’ve already found the forum for that.