Winter sowing seeds is a great way to start seeds early if you don’t have enough space or light inside to do so. It also gives me a nice gardening fix in the winter months and helps to break dormancy on seeds that require a period of cold moist stratification. Read on to learn more about winter sowing, or watch a quick video on how to winter sow seeds here. You can also find this video at the end of the blog post.
Winter sowing seeds comes with one more benefit to those listed above: winter-sown seedlings aren’t affected by the indoor fungus that causes dampening off (that’s when your seedlings wither and begin to flop over) and they don’t need to be hardened off outside. (Hardening off is when you take seedlings started indoors and put them outside during the day to get them acclimated to the outdoor conditions.)
This method of winter sowing uses items you likely have around the house: transparent, recycled containers, such as salad greens containers, which act as miniature greenhouses.
Good plants to winter sow are plants that would normally survive winter either as perennials or as reseeding annuals. If you’re not sure a seed is a good candidate, just look for terms like “sow outdoors in early spring,” “sow in the fall,” “hardy,” “withstands frost,” “cold, moist stratification,” “direct sow early,” or “self-seeding annual.”
You can begin winter sowing any time after the first day of winter and as long as the nights are still chilly.
To start, gather your materials. You’ll need: a transparent, container with a clear lid; good quality potting soil – I prefer FoxFarm Ocean Forest, McEnroe Organic Potting Soil, or potting soil from the Lower East Side Ecology Center; a watering can; a trowel; and a sharp tool to create drainage and air holes in your container. And of course, don’t forget your seeds!
Once you’ve gathered your materials the rest is easy:
- Clean the recycled containers with soap and water
- Create drainage holes on the bottom and air holes in the lid of your recycled containers
- Fill with potting soil, leaving some room between the top of the soil line and the lid for the seedlings to start growing
- Moisten the soil before sowing so you don’t displace your seeds
- Then sow your seeds according to packet directions
- Cover your seeds with potting soil and put outdoors in a spot with full light
- Leave and just make sure it doesn’t dry out
Fluctuations in outdoor temperature, and the action of freezing and thawing, help to loosen the seed coat. The seeds know when to germinate – it’s in their DNA. Just keep an eye on them and wait for your seedlings to appear. Once they do, uncover your containers. Transplant your seedlings to their permanent locations once they have several true leaves.
It’s as easy that! So if you’re looking to get a head start on your season, give it a try. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions, and good luck!