A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Plant Propagation winter sowing seeds?

I was just reading on a site that lots of flowers you can winter sow in containers with clear lid out side. Has anyone ever tried this and is it late to do that this year?

I tried it one year. I didn't have much luck. I found it much harder to talk myself into going outside to take care of things when it was cold. And anyway in zone seven I start seeds around January so I really don't need to do winter sowing.

My year starts with the 12 week before last frost seeds and then contintues until I have all the seeds started, and then I move into the hardening off stage, then the planting outside stage, followed by the weeding and watering stage. Which is followed by the harvesting stage and then the fall planting and moving things around and dividing stage and then it starts all over again. I love living in Virginia it's great for this gardener.

OH my Tammy--you make me tired just reading about all the work--it is a good thing that it is spread out, huh??--
I do all of the above except I do not start my seeds inside TOO often-(guess I should huh?) and I rarely move stuff around--my DH is a creature of habit when it comes to mowing--

I live in zone 5-6 so our growing season is short. Also, I am the world worst seed grower. I have never been happier since I discovered winter sowing. If you read the article on winter sowing you know that this is the best no care method for hardy to your zone perennials.

I do not start mine until Jan - Feb. I discovered it is best to start your seeds when you will not have long above freezing weeks. That is why I start mine in Jan. Last year we had a long warm spell but it was raining so things that came up did fine because they were getting moisture. Do not worry if they grow and it turns cold. Remember they have not been grown in a protected environment so they are tough enough to know how to slow the growth until it is warm again.

I think anyone that does not have a lot of seed growing time should try this method. I am not home sometime for weeks so I did not have time to water seedlings when they were coming up and that hardening off thing was out of the question.

I start my jugs after Christmas. I put my soil in them and put them in the garage until I am ready to plant. Then all I have to do is sprinkle my seeds put the label on the bottles set them outside and wait for spring/summer and plant. No need to harden off because they are ready to deal with the outside world because that is where they began.

So this is my timeframe
-Dec 27th - Get my Jugs ready put in the garage
-Jan New Years Day go through my seeds, plan and write my labels
-Jan - Presidents Day Plant my Jugs and label - Sprinkle and label set them outside. I put them in a box to carry them outside so I only make a couple of trips to take them outside.
-May-June - Plant in the garden. They are strong plants with great root system.

I found the only people that had a bad time with this method was thinking you could winter sow annual plants in the winter. Unless it is a marigold, or cosmos or any other annual that may self sow in the garden ANNUALS DO NOT WINTER SOW. Winter sow is good for hardy plants for your zone.

I hope this helps you. I am not an expert but if you have any other questions I will try to answer. It has been a life saver for me. It has been a joy for a full time travel job, not at home gardener.

Thanks so much for all that info. It was very informative. I was wondering about annuals and you answered that question too! I too never have had good luck starting seeds inside or the room. I am going to try this this year with cone flowers, and cleome. the cleome are annual, but they self sow in my garden so I am going to give them a try. I am planning on useing foil cake pans with covers. That is what the site I visited used poking holes in the pans and covers. I can't wait for January to start. I too live in zone 5. thanks again
Ladyslipper

I do wintersowing...not always in jugs...sometimes in 4 inch pots in those trays. I start in january. I thought would not be too sucssessful being i'm a mild climate,I'm hooked now and thats how I start them. some perienals do better started in fall then grow over into wintersowing period. off top of my head.coneflowers.daylillys. things that need a cold-warm-cold period. another tip is to get a stokes catalog. It has germinateing tables with each plant.

Thanks for the info. I am getting trays this week and have soil and can't wait to try this. I am in a much colder climate and hope I get hooked on doing this. Have tried starting seeds inside with out much luck.

Here I am again. I got my trays ready and labeled for winter seed sowing and DH shoveled a path to where I am going to put them. Next week will put the dirt in them. Husband thinks this is all for nothing so I hope I prove him wrong this time.

Well my project of winter seed sowing has been keeping me busy. We are getting so much snow and i didn't take them into the shed this week Sooooo I have been out and unburied them several times. But today they got buried again. now I have to shovel them out tomorrow as we are getting another big storm Saturday night and one for next Tuesday. I am going to take them into the shed and leave them there till brighter forcast We have so much snow i don't see spring coming very soon Meanwhile I guess I will work on diet and exercise

In my climate I did not have great success in trays I did better with plastic bottles.

I think you will have better success if you leave them alone. Snow it insulation. The only problem you should ever have with winter sowing is if we get a long dry warm spell in the winter. Winter sowing is suppose to freeze and thaw get snowed on and the seeds germinate at the proper time.

If you bring them in now they may start to come up and then you will not be able to put them back outside.

Did you cover your pans with plastic dome? Snow is suppose to melt and water the seeds and drain out the drainage holes.

I do have plastic lids on them. I don't have them inside the house but in a shed. I read on another site to take them in to a shed when stormy. We are buried in storms right now. Another one wednesday and then friday. most snow we have had in30 years. The snow would have crushed the lids we have so much. Oh well we will see. Probly should have waited a little later berfore starting them

Oh this sounds wonderful.. I wanted to start some things from seed this year.. but I don't have alot of room inside and I don't have special lighting or heating for the little seedlings.. THIS sounds sooo much easier.. I can't wait to try it!! I bet I could start getting some of my stuff ready now.. FUN! Thank you for this wonderful topic!!

OH, do you mind if I ask what types of seeds you are starting?? I have no idea what to try.