Winter Sowing 101

The excitement of the holidays has passed and we northerners have had a bit of a break from the garden.  Our green thumbs are itching to make something grow, but it's January and the ground is frozen. What's a gardener to do? 

Since it's the perfect time to sow seeds for next spring's garden (yes, that's right), I'm going to repeat a post I published a couple of years ago with instructions on just how to do it.

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Originally published in January 2008:

The seeds are sown in their milk jugs and parked outside so Mother Nature can do her thing. I remember the first year I tried this method of growing annuals and perennials from seed; I just couldn't imagine that it was going to work. But it did, which is why I'm doing it for the third year now.


Here's a brief and simple tutorial of my version of winter sowing:

1. I rinsed out the opaque gallon-sized milk jugs with the hose. Then I took an ice pick and poked several holes in the bottom for drainage.
   
   
   
   
2. I cut the jug in half at the base of the handle, leaving a small hinge so the top stays attached to the bottom.
   
   
   
   
3. Next, I scooped the potting medium into the bottom to a level of 2-3 inches deep. I used the hose set to "mist" to wet the soil thoroughly and sat them on the front porch to drain. Watering the soil before sowing the seeds prevents the seeds from being displaced by the water pressure.
   
   
4. The next day I brought the jugs into the house and planted each one with the seeds I'd chosen, then covered them with a light layer of soil.
   
   
   How many seeds I have of each variety and the size of those seeds determines how densely I sprinkle the seeds in each jug. If they're really small, I just broadcast them over the soil and when they germinate and later reach transplanting stage, I plant small sections of the seedlings rather than individual plants.
   
   
5. Duct tape is then used to seal the jugs back up and I mark them by number and by name with a permanent Sharpie marker. I keep a record of what I've planted on a list with corresponding numbers and names.
   
   
   
   
6. Finally, I placed the jugs (caps off!) outside on the east side of the gazebo on top of the stones so they will drain well.
   
   
   

Winter sowing works well for seeds that need stratification/scarification as well as those plants that self-seed naturally in the garden. The advantage to winter sowing is that it gives you a little head start on things by allowing the seeds to germinate at the earliest possible time that weather permits. Rather than starting them inside, where you have to control light, temperature and moisture levels, winter sowing allows you to just sow and go using natural conditions!

By mid-spring, I'll have something that looks like this:




For more information on winter sowing, including appropriate seed lists for your zone, check out http://wintersown.org.