The Easy Way to Start Seeds - Winter Sow Them!

I am, admittedly, a lazy gardener.  I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands with two young kids, so if there's an easier way to do things, I'm all about it!  That is why I was so excited to find out about winter sowing a few years back.

the blossom of Nasturtium 'Empress of India', winter sown

Winter sowing is a method of starting your seeds outside in winter in what is essentially little greenhouses made out of recycled containers such as milk jugs and plastic salad containers.  You let Mother Nature do the germinating. No lights, no heat mats, no nicking or refrigerating of seeds needed and less problems with damping off?  Count me in!

Winter sown seeds sprouting outside in a recycled juice container

So what type of seeds can you winter sow?  The best ones are perennials and cold hardy annuals.  Many vegetable and herb seeds can even be winter sown to give them a head start.  Winter sowing is especially great for those seeds that need moist stratification - being outside provides the seeds with the cycles of freezing and thawing that many perennials need to break dormancy and germinate.

winter sowed Balloon flower

For more information on what type of seeds do well with winter sowing, you can go to WinterSown.org, which has lists of seeds that can be winter sown.   Though winter sowing has been around for ages, Trudi Davidoff, who created WinterSown, really refined this technique and started the website as a great resource for gardeners.

So how do you winter sow seeds?

1. Cut clean milk jugs or juice bottles in half.  You can also use plastic containers such as salad boxes, just make sure to cut holes in the top for ventilation.  (You don't want to cook your seeds.)

2. Cut holes in the bottom for drainage.  (I use a screwdriver or a big nail to puncture holes.)

3.  Fill the bottom with about 2 to 4 inches of dirt (use a light mixture that drains well).  Water it well, and then let it drain.

4.  Sow your seeds.  Plant them at the required depth, or if they need light to germinate, just gently press them into the soil.

5.  Duct tape the top back on, and label.  (I label them in a couple places, as even permanent marker can fade over time.)

6.  Put outside in a sheltered spot.  Check on them occasionally to see if they need more water, especially after the seeds germinate and the seedlings start to grow.  As the seedlings get bigger, cut bigger holes in the top or crack the top a little bit to finish hardening them off.

Look at those roots!  These plants want out!

7.  Once the seedlings get big enough, transplant them where you want them!  Make sure to protect from frost if needed.

One of my Lanceleaf Coreopsis plants I winter sowed.
(I moved before I got to see them bloom, sadly.)

I've had a great germination rate with winter sowing.  The main problems I have run into was when I used too heavy of a soil (retained too much water) or used containers with too many holes (those berry containers will just dry right out!)  For a lot more great info about winter sowing, as well as a lot of answers to FAQ's, WinterSown.org and GetBusyGardening.com are two good resources.

winter sown Candytuft

Happy Gardening!