But.....has anyone in the north started thier sowing yet? Last season (my first at indoor seed starting) I started the last week of March because we had a vacation in mid March and couldn't tend the flats. I know I was itching to get thoses babies outdoors and did prior to the the last couple of frosts for New Jersey, covering flats and plants with sheets and bringing some indoors. I think my timing was fairly good, I remember alot of forum members complaining that plants were out of control by the end of April and they were moving them in and out daily. Does NOT sound like fun to me if I remember correctly.

Sooooooooo...who has started the process early again??? I know a some here are growing for resale and to help parks, but what about you backyard hummer gardeners??

p.s. Sorry I've just been a troll lately, not much to contribute. Yes we are having a snow storm this morning. I couldn't sleep so I figured I'd watch the snow.



Pam NJ 6B

Pam - Yeah its snowing here too - no sowing going on..We will likely have snow on the grouond till April at the rate its going. Am thinking though about my plants on the sunporch and have to get moving soon...to repot some.

But for today I am just enjoying watching all my birds in the snow.

Carol
Milford, CT
Zone 6

Ucky weather. We got up to rain this morning. I did have a work outside day planned but looks like I will have to rethink things.



Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Hi Pam,
I thought I had responded to this thread earlier...but, it didn't show up, so here I go again! Sorry for multiple posts, if that happens...
Anyway, every year I start some of my seeds in mid-February, which I'm especially looking forward to this year! And, yes, it results in the famous "shuffling of plants in and out" come April, but, I do it anyway. I need that gardening fix! I get such a kick out of peeking in on my seed trays, and seeing those first radicles emerge...like a kid on Christmas morning.

I look at the annoyance of plant moving in April as part of the "tradition!"

Emily
zone 6a, Western MA, where it is currently snowing quite hard, on top of an ice-crusted layer of snow...sigh...

Pam I usually start some winter sowing about this time and then do a few continainers inside too but so far this year I just haven't had time to start yet. I think Ward has started sowing under lights. At the amt. of snow we have so far this year it may be June before I see green again. Snowing pretty good here too. Just got back from the post office as I had a couple of customer orders I had to get out today and I had to drive 20 mph all the way to and from the post office. I live 5 miles from the post office and it took over an hour to get there and back and all I had to do was drop the packages off.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

The storm has passed thru here and we ended up with 13 inches when it was all over. So some of you will begetting ady hit here. I shoveled out my drive yesterday the 3 and 1/2 we had then put salt down then the rest hit and it snowed most of the night. Getting ready to estimate the damage and do a little more shoveling.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Steve it started snowing here last night and it hasn't let up yet. My DH is going to have to dig the car out to go to work tonight. I don't think it is going to let up until later tonight. With the wind blowing it is already up to the bottom of the back door

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

I'll start my flats in the greenhouse in late March. We watch (in April) for the pecan Trees to bud out, and we use that as an indicator of no more freeze. Most of the time it's fool proof.

Last year was my first, and I let the plants get way too big before transplanting them. I learned my lesson.

Maryjane
W Ga
Zone 8a

I have some cuttings under the lights and have a few seeds in some baggies trying to germinate, also some seeds stratifying in the fridge, trying to start slow but would like to have more flowers when the adults are here in March, April, May and June.

I did the plant shuffle last year and it was a real pain, and couldn't have picked a worse year, cold weather went right to June.

Today its sunny and above freezing so a number of plants are trying to grow outside, and there just like me confused, when I see things growing I am tempted to go out and do things in the garden, but next week it could be cold again and we can get big dumps of snow right into March so I will just plan for now.

Speaking of the cold springs, I also do insect macro photography and the last two years I have noticed it two cold and dry in the springs for the insects and there hardly anything to take pictures of, a lot less butterflies, dragonflies and other small creatures, sure enough a came across an article last week telling about how the cold spring weather has been devastating the early butterflies in the is area and that it will take a long time for the populations to restore them selves.




Martin
--
Vancouver Island, zone 8B
Nikon D70/D200 300 f4 af-s, 400 2.8 af-i
www.frogpondphotography.com
www.frogpondphotography.blogspot.com

Penny--- This morning they declared a snow emergency in my small town which has most likely been lifted late today. Around here everyone was trying to dig their way out of the snowfall. I finally got my driveway dugout its a fairly long drive too and back is sore but that is expected. This sunday they are predicting warmer temps around 40 so its going to be a big sloppy mess by then. Im fairly well pooped so it will be an earlier bed for me tonight. They were reporting on the news that this snowfall was the largest in 15yrs for us. Glad its over at least.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Pam--- Last year I got an early start in mid Feb and that turned out to be a real problem for me so I wont be doing that again that early. Around the first of March will be plenty early. I just got way too antsy and the seedlings got way too big even flowering before I could get them in the ground.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Steve, what type of bulbs do you use for your seeds?


- Andrew - Ontario, Canada - Zone 6
- Won't Get Fooled Again ~ The Who.

Steve,

I actually remembered your post last spring while I was pondering this thread. You had huge plants in small pots that were literally begging to be planted out! Stressful but fulfilling (once they are outside for good). I'm going to try to wait till late March to start sowing, but I am home now (victim of the economy) so I have too much free time on my hands and sowing seeds sounds alot more fun than say.....cleaning closets, painting walls or a bunch of other household jobs that don't get done when both spouses work. BTW, I have to apologise to all you retiree's, I always wondered how you can fill your days, now I KNOW the day flies by!!

Pam NJ 6B

I might try sowing my Eccremocarpus and my Cannas as early as mid February, and maybe my Asarinas, too. I think these three plants might benefit from an extra long head start. I won't be growing too many of them, so it should be manageable.

For most things, though, I'll be content to wait until mid March or even early April. The Ipomoeas probably won't get sown until very late April or early May. They hate cold temperatures, and they grow quickly, so don't need much of a head start. By the way, I'm in southwestern PA, zone 6A, and it's just not safe to put tender plants out before mid May. I've found that sowing indoors in the latter half of March will give most of my seedlings time enough to put on growth for mid May planting. They should be sturdy, 6-8" seedlings by then, plenty big enough to grow quickly, but not so large as to get leggy or be a bother.

I wouldn't try to start most things now because they would get way too big by April, and are so HEAVY to carry in and out. Our April temps can swing back and forth from 35 degree rain to 75 degree springtime loveliness, all in the space of a few hours. Other than a few slow growers, unless you have a lot of indoor grow light space, sunny windows, and excess energy to transplant and carry heavy plants, I don't think there's much to be gained by sowing now.

Hi Andrew

I have two 4ft shoplights that take two 40watt bulbs GE and sylvania. In one shoplight I have one gro-light and one standard bulb. I really dont think it makes much difference wether you use a gro light or not . I just have had that light for a couple of years and it keeps burning so I use it. I do suggest a person get the shoplights that have the wider shields as they spread the light better.

Pam--- Yes those plants really did get big and I have no one to blame but myself for that. I manage to find plenty to occupy my time as I got into a little ebaying last year which takes up some time and I enjoy my sports plus attending my alma mater high school games. And on another note in which Im sure I will get some feedback, Being single I use my funds for things I like and need and not on some things I can do without. If I was to meet someone special she better like some of things Im into or I can do without that kind of baggage,, maybe thats why Ive been single for so long. OH well!!

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

I have been getting catalogs since Christmas & just now jotting down my wants. I bought my first couple packs of seeds yesterday & will need to bring up my box of bottled collected seeds to see what I do & don't need. I couldn't find any planting mix so I will have to wait until next week. I tried winter-sowing last year & did fairly well. It sure is the way to go as you don't have to do much of anything for quite awhile. I have had some dampen off problems last couple years so I'm going to try the Chamomille tea recipe I printed off here last year. I sow in milk & kitty litter jugs & put them all in one of those under-the-bed storage thingy's with the rollers so I could move them around a bit without much effort. I have overwintered a jungle so I'm hoping to cut my 38 jugs down to half (I hope!!)

Joni
Elwood, IL
Zone 5

Hi Joni--- Nice to hear from you again , thought maybe you had left the country . Yes wintersowing is a neat way to get some seed started when you dont have time to fool with it. I was most likely the one who brought over byron famous tea recipe. You can use any kind of tea but I prefer the chamomile tea the best and using it on your seedlings helps prevent dampoff. I wont be starting early like I did last year and had those huge plants in small pots.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Hello Pam

I think I'm just going to sow 3 plants now...Agastache rupestris, Apricot Sprite and a Pipevine seed I just started for the Butterflies. Everything else will wait til the end of March. Last year I sowed everything March 17th. I told myself after having a nightmare of plants flopping over in the winds/temps struggling even during the days, that it was about 2 weeks too soon.
Only because I think Agastache grows slower than Salvias...at least from what I've read, I'm starting them early...and it's only a few plants of each.

Susan Louise
from Branford CT/ live in Lincoln NE
Zone 5

Hi Pam,

I too have been MIA so dont feel bad. I will start my planting at the end of this month. Same as last year. And I must say for my first year I think I did a good job. Hope to see you again!!

Chris
Burlington County
NJ

Just started three containers this morning
Agastache (maybe double bubblemint)
Salvia reptans
Salvia greggii Cherry Chief

I too will be going slow this year.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

The only seeds started so far are Agastache cana. The space under 5 sets of shop lights is filled with more than a hundred cuttings in various stages of rooting. Something has to give because chili pepper planting needs to be done by mid February.