Winter Sowing

I tried the milk jugs last year and I had some pale broccoli and some nice spinach. I planted it in December. I think that was just a bit early. I decided to wait until now. The weather is going to start warming up. I do not see how it would benefit the seeds to be out there in December compared to March, but anyway I got a big plastic box and I put 24 cups in there and I planted 4 cups of Red Giant Mustard. I sprinkled it in each cup. I am not sure how many or how close they will be. I will try to transplant them and separate them then. I planted 4 cups of kale, the black dinosaur kale and did the same sprinkling in each cup. I planted 4 cups of Coreopsis, 4 cups of Delphinium, 4 cups of Love In The Mist and 4 cups of hollyhocks.

I put one in each corner of the cups. These are seeds saved from my big hollyhock in 2010. I started these hollyhocks from seed in 2009. They are Summer Carnival Mix. I have a lot of other kinds of hollyhocks, but these are my favorite. I have hollyhocks coming up everywhere, but this spot here is a low spot and is usually moist and the coneflowers come up with the hollyhocks and also bee balm.

 I watered the cups and then I had some clear bubble wrap and I used that to cover the box and tied a string around it.

 I put it in the wheelbarrow for now. There is some old hay and straw bedding from the rabbits. I can move the wheelbarrow to find the sun and the hay and straw will keep them warmer.

Andy will probably need the wheelbarrow, so I am going to have to think of a new place and I
will start a couple more boxes tomorrow. I need to get some more potting soil. I transplanted one of my broccoli plants and a bok-choy plant that I have in the greenhouse in the kitchen. The plants seem too leggy to me, but they always do. I saw some roots when I took them out of their pots.  I planted them deeper and put their cups closer to the light.  I just want to see how they do.  I could have put everything closer to the light and I should have.  I have read it really does not benefit to transplant them deeper, but I am still looking into that.