Not every type of flower is suitable for winter sowing. In general, it’s ideal to start heat-loving plants from seed when the weather heats up instead of using heat-loving plants like sunflowers, zinnias, celosia, etc.
Be sure to check the seed pack for hints, including terms like:
These “cold hardy annuals that make excellent candidates for Winter Sowing” are listed below. This is by no means a comprehensive list.
It may be a sign that particular flowers in your garden are suitable for winter sowing if you find that they frequently “reseed themselves” or “self-sow year after year.”
Which seeds can be sown throughout the winter?
I adore germinating seeds inside. Even when it’s below freezing outside, playing in the dirt is a terrific way to get the season started. However, indoor seedling growth can be a little challenging. Additionally, those seed trays take significant space, which not every homeowner is fortunate enough to have. Space restrictions forced one gardener to think outside the box and come up with a unique solution. The approach she took is the topic of today’s programme; winter sowing is an easy method for starting seeds effectively outside.
Trudy Davidoff, a new seed starter, had trouble finding room. She didn’t have enough space in her little New York house to fit seed trays. Trudy conducted some research and discovered that many types of seeds require a chilling time to initiate germination. She made the decision to attempt to emulate what naturally occurs.
She planted seeds in outdoor planters in the late winter and watched to see if they would sprout in the spring. The seeds did germinate without any additional water, fertiliser, or special care, and as the temperature increased, so did Trudy’s seedlings.
A few decades later, Trudy’s techniques are gaining wider acceptance. Why not adore it? Winter sowing is actually rather simple, and some of the greatest tools are objects you already have at home that have been repurposed. You can essentially put the seeds in the growth medium and forget about them until you are ready to transplant them into your garden beds.
Winter Sowing Benefits
Growing plants can be a costly pastime. It’s not necessary, and growing your own plants from seed is an excellent method to cut costs. Well, planting seeds in the winter is about as inexpensive as it gets. The soil is the only item you really need to invest in, but even that won’t cost much.
Many seed exchange clubs exist where you can obtain seeds for nothing or for extremely low cost. Even if you buy seeds, the investment of a few bucks is well worth it. These days, you can buy seed packets almost anywhere, but this is another case of “you get what you pay for.” Quality affects the number of seeds that will germinate as well as how healthy your mature plants will be.
I advise looking for seeds that are organic. The plants you produce will be healthier because their parent plant wasn’t treated with or exposed to chemicals, whether you receive them from an exchange or spend an extra dollar to buy organic seeds.
Items you already have in your home, including as milk jugs, take-out food containers, and other sizable plastic containers with deep bottoms and transparent tops, provide excellent container choices for winter sowing. Duct tape and a marker are also possibly on hand.
You won’t require extra lighting, heat mats, or fans for winter sowing. This technique resembles a “tough love approach to seed starting,” but in reality it is merely imitating nature. You also save money on your power bill.
A lot of additional equipment may be needed when starting seeds indoors. I spend money on high-quality lighting, fans, germination heat mats, and other things for my seed-starting space.
Seedlings grown inside are also susceptible to the preventable but frequent issue of “damping off,” a fungal disease. It usually kills seedlings at the soil’s surface due to insufficient airflow. That’s no issue with winter sowing.
Additionally, winter seeding saves time. You won’t need to spend time hardening off seedlings before putting them in your garden beds because they will grow under natural light and temperature conditions. They will be tougher and stockier than if they were growing indoors with insufficient light because they will already be accustomed to the environment.
Although I enjoy beginning seeds indoors, the hardening off procedure can take some time.
Time-consuming is the hardening off process. Your indoor-grown seedlings must be gradually acclimated to full sun for 7–10 days. In my situation, that entails manually carrying 68 complete trays of seedlings in and out each day while they are being hardened off.
I’ll admit that I prefer beginning seedlings indoors despite the added work. I enjoy giving them the hands-on attention they need and watching as they grow into vibrant new plants after emerging from the ground. I never get weary of watching the daily wonder of growth because of something. However, if you’re the type of gardener who would rather plant something and then forget about it, winter sowing is perfect for you.
You may be concerned about your seeds freezing if you haven’t attempted it before. Don’t. In the natural world, seeds frequently freeze. Some types of seeds need a freeze (or extremely cold temperatures) in order to germinate at all, and freezing actually lengthens the life of seeds.
What you should be on the lookout for is planting seeds too early in the winter. In the event of a brief early warm spell, the seeds can sprout too quickly. The young seedlings won’t be mature enough to survive when the temperatures drop again. A good rule of thumb for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere is to hold off starting our winter sowing until just around Christmas.
What to Sow
There are so many different kinds of seeds that make excellent candidates for planting in the winter. When you’re ready to use this strategy, you have a wide range of possibilities to pick from, including edible cool-season crops, blooming plants, and herbs.
Perennials will be our first choice. The hardiness zone that is suitable for the perennial plant you’re contemplating should be your first consideration when figuring out if a seed variety is a good choice for winter sowing. It’s likely a suitable choice for winter sowing if it’s naturally hardy in your zone.
Investigate the seed packet. Another reliable sign of a seed type that will respond well to winter sowing is whether there is any suggestion that the seeds need to be stratified or scarified.
Generally speaking, seeds need some form of stimulus to end their dormancy and initiate germination. The process of stratification involves waking up dormant organisms by subjecting them to extended cold exposure.
Take a look at what occurs in nature. Some seeds must endure the winter before sprouting once they fall to the ground. They wouldn’t survive the winter if they instantly germinated after coming into touch with the soil.
They don’t actually start to germinate until after a specific amount of time under cool or freezing temperatures. It is possible to simulate this process by putting the seeds in a freezer or refrigerator, but winter planting eliminates that step. As the days become longer and the soil gets warmer, the seeds are exposed to the frigid temperatures of the natural environment and emerge out of dormancy.
A wonderful illustration is milkweed. If you don’t provide milkweed seeds the right amount of chill, it’s difficult to get them to germinate. Sowing in the winter is a much simpler way to create the conditions milkweed requires.
A notable example of a perennial that self-sows its seeds in the fall is milkweed, often known as butterfly weed. For spring germination to occur, the cooling period is required. It is a fantastic option for winter sowing as well. These milkweed seeds are prepared to fly and will probably do so with the upcoming gust of wind. Their feathery tails can hold them in the air for long periods of time before they land back on the ground.
Another indication of a favourable alternative for winter sowing is the word “scarification.” Many seed kinds have a tough outer shell intended to safeguard the seed embryo. The digestive systems of birds and other animals as well as freezing temperatures are only two of the ways in which those hard shells are broken down in nature.
The method of manually weakening the tough seed coating is called scarification. There are numerous ways to accomplish this, but with winter sowing, it is not necessary. The seed coat may naturally deteriorate in the frigid temperatures.
Other words to search for in seed kinds you want to plant in the winter:
- self-sowing
- direct-sowing
- cold-hardy
- pre-chill
- when cool, sowed
You can be sure to use the winter sowing method once you see those on a seed packet or in the seed description.
The viability of its winter sowing can also be inferred from the variety name. See a pattern here? Alpine, polar, Siberian, oriental, and arctic Because of their natural climate or their capacity to tolerate frigid conditions, some cultivars received their names.
Siberian iris, Oriental poppy, and Arctic daisy seeds can be sown, and the containers can be left outside in the late winter to grow your own, low-cost seedlings for the yard.
There are many hardy annual alternatives as well, and their seed packets frequently have the same important wording.
Exactly what is a “hardy annual”? These are plants that can withstand a slight frost and go through their entire life cycle in a single year. They develop over the course of a year, produce, and then pass away; they won’t sprout again. Instead of needing to germinate indoors, they set seed for the new generation the following year and can sprout there.
The list of examples is endless and includes delphinium, bee balm, and snapdragon. There are a tonne of options to consider.
In a large portion of the United States, the coneflower, black-eyed susan, and verbena are perennial flowers. They make great selections for winter sowing and are also good self-sowers.
The traditional cool-season vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are some tasty possibilities for winter sowing. Leafy greens such as bok choy, kale, and lettuce are other hardy annual alternatives. Sage, oregano, dill, and mint are suitable herbs for winter sowing as well.
In any case, what is lost by giving it a shot? Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what happens if there is a variety that you wish to try winter sowing in your garden. The only thing you really lose if those seeds don’t sprout is a package of seeds, but you gain valuable experience anyway. The potential profit is so great compared to the tiny risk.
You may have noticed that I didn’t specify all the kinds that would be ideal for winter sowing. Tobacco, squash, eggplant, and peppers are all summer edible crops that require warmer temperatures. Your best option for those kinds of plants to start the season off early is to start the seeds indoors.
If you’ve never tried seed starting inside, I promise you’ll enjoy it. To be honest, it requires a little bit more time and space, but it’s one of the gardening activities I find most satisfying. possibly also for you.
How to Winter Sow
Cold-tolerant seeds may withstand subfreezing conditions in nature, but keep in mind that they also receive some form of natural protection. Those seeds fall to the ground and are invariably protected from the elements by debris such as leaves.
In order to transplant them into your garden or landscaping beds in the spring, you also need to offer some protection while containing them throughout the winter sowing process. Therefore, your aim is to construct a miniature greenhouse.
You can find a variety of possibilities if you look about your house. To let in sunshine, look for anything that is clear or just barely opaque. Additionally, it must be able to survive below-freezing temperatures. If it has a handle, then better.
Although I dislike plastic, it is a reality of modern life. Thankfully, it’s the ideal substance for winter sowing. The standard option is milk jugs made of plastic. They are spacious along the bottom when cut in half, and the top admits a lot of light while trapping some heat and moisture.
For winter sowing, translucent milk, water, and food containers with clear plastic lids work well as miniature greenhouses.
Numerous meal take-out containers with transparent plastic covers and two-liter drink bottles are both excellent options. Ever purchase a rotisserie chicken? Keep the container; it’s perfect for winter sowing.
As soon as you have your container, you must make provisions for drainage as well as for air and moisture venting. There are several methods to do this, but my preferred method is to use a Phillips-head screwdriver to make a few holes in the top and bottom of the container. I warm the screwdriver’s tip and press it on the plastic. It melts a quick, sizable hole with little effort.
When you’re drilling those holes, don’t skimp. To avoid the possibility of water collecting at the soil’s base, you should place many along the bottom. There should be numerous venting holes on the container’s top as well.
Slice along the diameter of a milk jug or soda bottle 5–6 inches from the bottom up. Don’t fully stop using it. Instead, allow a space of about an inch to act as a lid hinge. Voila! You’re prepared to plant some seeds in the winter, my gardening friend.
Make sure all containers have enough holes to allow for drainage and airflow. This crucial step can be accomplished quickly and easily by heating the tip of a phillips-head screwdriver. To make these holes, I heated the tip of a 12-inch galvanised spike.
You’ll need dirt next. You have the option of using seed starting mix, but since your goal is to mimic natural outdoor circumstances, you don’t need to use a sterile or as light a medium as you would for indoor seed starting. However, I don’t advise using garden soil because it is too heavy for this procedure. The ideal soil is regular potting or container soil.
Once the seeds have sprung up, you’ll need enough soil to give the roots room to grow. Until the seedlings have developed a strong enough root system to recover from handling, they cannot be put into the garden. A decent general guideline for winter sowing is a soil depth of about 4 inches.
The tops of the milk jugs are pushed back and soil and seed are inserted after they have been chopped almost completely around their circumference. Then, all that’s left to do is to secure the seam with duct tape after repositioning the tops.
Your seeds should be evenly distributed over the area. Lightly push them down with your hand. Sprinkle a very thin layer of dirt on top of the seeds with a delicate hand. It is preferable to use too little here than too much.
Gently water them in, then turn them over or cover them with a lid. Due to its extreme durability, duct tape works well to secure the top and keep it from being blown or knocked off.
Don’t forget to indicate on the container’s label whatever kind of seeds you’ve planted. Any permanent marker will do, but keep in mind that the container will be exposed to hard weather for a few months. Under these conditions, you would be shocked at how rapidly even permanent markers disappear.
I like to use a paint pen instead because of this. The least prone to fade in the UV radiation and freezing conditions are those that are easily accessible. I label the top of the container with the seed variety while also giving myself a small margin of safety. I also label the container’s bottom with the seed variety. I won’t have to strain my memory to recall what I have flourishing and ready to plant come spring because the bottom won’t be visible.