Anyone Winter Sowing?

[GardenRN]

Oh, so it's just for seeds that need to be stratified? Otherwise putting them in containers and waiting for spring to then go plant them would be pointless. I saw the website, I get how it's done. Just not sure why. Maybe I need to go back and read in more detail.

[brambleoak]

Sounds like a good idea, Froggy.

GardenRN - I look at is as a way to sow lots of things that I don't want to start inside also. Works for self-seeding annuals (some that don't even need to be stratified), some veggies (depending on zone), perennials of all types and more.

The BIGGEST reason I do it is probably to beat the winter blahs. Gives me something to so and something to look forward to. Also, with 2 kids and only one fridge, I don't want to store seeds inside to stratify them.

It is a 'natural' way to stratify those seeds that need it. The thaw freeze/thaw freeze that some seeds need are just easier (for me anyway) to do outdoors. It's like a "set it and forget it" type of thing. Only thing you need to watch is that they don't get dry. For me...all I do is throw some snow on top of the containers if moisture is a problem.

Although...with the 5" of snow we've gotten today, I'm not having that trouble. Can barely see my containers!

It's a successful method for me. Might not work for others, but I enjoy it. I get over 80% germination on my seeds and this year I'm going all out. 118 containers of seeds sown so far and I'm only about 1/2 done.

[megany]

Bramble Oak,

80% germination sounds good!

I'm curious, what is the latest that you think winter sowing would work? We get the keys to our 1st house on February 8th, and it will still be pretty cold here (Washington DC metro area) for the month of February. I read on the wintersown.org website that winter sowing can work for tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, basil, onions, and broccoli. I was thinking about giving it a try for a couple of those, but I wouldn't be able to do it until February 8th.

Would that be too late? Would I be better off just waiting till it's warm enough to sow into the ground?

[brambleoak]

I've winter sown some perennials and annuals up until March.

I don't think that would be too late at all for the seeds you've mentioned....

[megany]

I've winter sown some perennials and annuals up until March.

I don't think that would be too late at all for the seeds you've mentioned....

Great to know, thanks! I think I'll give it a shot then.

[Chaesman]

chaesman,

You also need to read the disclaimer.

I never read the disclaimer they allways seem to fall around the same level as a softwares EULA.. gotta be more carefull

Now that the seeds are started what would be a good saftey messure to take? Pot them up when they are large enough and just set outside on above freezing days and bring in at night till a more appropriate time to set out in garden?

[rane_grow]

Hi megany,

We are almost neighbors ! I am in St Marys County ( south of DC ) the past 4 years now I have had a 100' by 50' veggie garden ... I am wintersowing this winter for the second time, I have about 30 containers in my backyard so far that I did last week and still want to plant more in the next several weeks ... I have shop lights in my unheated garage that I start lots of seeds under too ... I usually start them the first week in March but I also want to wintersow some veggies too , probably next month , I will be interested to see how they compare to each other .

Iris

[sheeshshe]

OK, so this sounds like fun! so if I'm understanding correctly, I should sow all my perennials and annuals this way? perhaps sow the veggies indoors and then move outside like I normally do?


so, in zone 4, when do you think they'll approximately sprout?

[brambleoak]

It all depends on the type of seeds you'd like to WS. There is a guideline on the site to help you:
Here's the chart for zone 4
http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/WS_Database_Z4.html

Just for the record.... I've never wintersown peppers, tomatoes or any tender annuals like petunias or marigolds. I've stuck to perennials or annuals that I KNOW will self-seed in my area. I haven't wintersown in zone 4 yet...only in zone 5 (we just moved last yr), so I am not positive when the sprouting will occur. Depends on your weather conditions in the Spring. It will be a learning experiance for me this spring also.

OK, so this sounds like fun! so if I'm understanding correctly, I should sow all my perennials and annuals this way? perhaps sow the veggies indoors and then move outside like I normally do?


so, in zone 4, when do you think they'll approximately sprout?

[soil]

since i just started them and its still winter. I just planted two trays of snow peas in the greenhouse, they will go out when they are big enough to stop birds from eating them. i also did direct sow the extras along with the trays and should do pretty much just as good as long as the birds don't find them. its not going to get much colder than 25 from here on out according to the weather records i have, they wont grow fast, but once the weather gets to where they want peas will explode with growth. last year we got three 5 gallon buckets of snowpeas from 50 plants.( 30ft row about ) it would have still kept going but we couldnt eat anymore or give anymore away so the plants became mulch.

[sheeshshe]

we're pretty much on the zone 4/5 line... the last few winters have been really mild. last spring we had a early and hot spring. so much so that it fried my newly planted raspberries! spring was a whole month early!

now I'm not sure what I want to plant. hmmm.....

[brambleoak]

soil - I'm going to plants some peas this year but I'm not sure if I'm going to Spring sow them or Fall sow them.... Fresh peas are soooo good!

sheeshshe - I too take it when the Spring is unpredictible and I loose new plants. Luckily, I have raspberries growing wild here and loads and loads of blackberries. I'm surrounded by berries and oaks (hense the user name)

[Chaesman]

Ok as I mentioned earlier in this thread I have started some cabbage and cauliflower and it seems I may have jumped the gun a bit as far as timeing goes.. any how friday my son is suppose to order us a portable green house just a 7 x 12 but it should be ample for moving plants around and the space is deffinatley needed.

I also came across this page while checking school closings

http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/category.asp?C=203366

I contains an almanac of the average temps for all 12 months over many years this information was collected by south east missouri university, which is located about 16 mile north of us and about 1 mile of off the mississippi river I am about 8 miles from the river. So if some one with a lot more experiance could glance it over it would be greatly appreciated so I will have a more educated guess than me as to when it would be most likely ok to start putting plants in the garden..

Thanks

[DoubleDogFarm]

chaesman,

Looking at the records, I would plant the cauliflower and cabbage, first to mid March. You may want to have floating row cover handy.



Eric

[Chaesman]

Thanks for the information I realy do appreciate it I still have so much to learn. On a Plus note the Green House is ordered and payed for suppose to arrive between the 8th and the 14th Nice Valentines gift for my wife