I'm still waiting on my winter sown 40 bottles and jugs. Am I just being impatience? Should I move them into more sunlight?
What did you plant in them? are the bottles closed, open, vented? how warm is the soil mass? warm enough for germination or is it still cool?
I have a few things that have sprouted but for the most part they are sleeping. Be patient some need warmer temps to wake them up. Be sure they do not dry out.
Carolyn, I used list for my area on what could be WS. I have tomatos, beets,thyme,hibiscus,hollyhocks,datura lots of perennials etc. The containers are closed but vented. How do I check soil temp? Pondlady, Your probably right. I need to be more patient.
Most of what you have need warmth to germinate. Datura you might want to rethink. Its common name (loco weed ) says it all. When those seed pods burst you will have them everywhere. Seed pods alone are like having a ping pong ball spiked with needles and there are hundreds filled with thousands of seeds. Do not let livestock or other animals anywhere close to it. And dont put any of it in your compost pile. If it is ingested by animals it can kill.
Donna, to check the temperature just use a regular oral thermometer (the old glass kind). poke it into the dirt and measure. I am not familiar with the Winter Sowing method in containers. The only worry for them is it getting too hot and cooking the seeds to death. If you have this in a sheltered location and want to hurry the germination along set some of them on a heating pad/mat. Just don't have them setting in the sunshine, this would most likely overheat the seed or plant if they germinate and the ventilation is closed off. also check to make sure they are moist. The beets can go out to the garden though, I think they do just fine to germinate in the garden soil, unless you are using the greens to eat, then the containers are easier. Do you leave all of these in the containers or are they just for seed starting?
This Winter sowing is new to me, aside from the Red Clover we grew as a ground cover. Something I may try, or maybe not as Michigan can have cold winters. We have radishes, spinach, lettuce, arugula, beets and peas up and growing in the garden. Lots of tomatoes in peat pots.
I'm still checking up on my containers. I have some Penstemon in two pots with lots of seedlings... and some hollyhocks but everything else is still sleeping. I noticed the top a bit dry....and as I can't open the top to water (I taped the two halves) I use a sprinker with a fine jet and spray through the lid hole.
I did not do well with winter sowing. I think my stuff was to wet. I got a few things but know where near the percentage that I read about. I'm still hoping & waiting on some containers. I like my greenhouse growing better.
Hmmm... as I peep through the opening holes I always feel it's too dry inside! I always sprinkle some water...
I got Penstemon, Aquilegia (columbines), Echinacea (white coneflower) doin great. Some other red coneflower - not even one sprout! Helleborus seeds.. I can see them in the container, but they are not germinating yet. Tried Pulsatilla too (white and red) not even ONE! So.....
