Winter sowing (winter planting): The economical & fool-proof way to start your garden
Frustrated trying to grow vegetables and flowers from seed. Do they dry out or get moldy? Try this cost-effective, fool-proof method: Winter Sowing.
When we first started ‘farming’ at a community garden, we purchased our plants at home centers and nurseries once the garden was ready for planting. Last year, we decided to grow our own plants from seed in order to have more variety. I have tried starting seeds indoors in the past with little or no luck. They either dry out or stay too moist and get moldy. I needed an easy, fool-proof method that didn’t demand so much attention.
We picked up a gardening magazine, which had an article on winter sowing. It was something I had never heard of, but sounded easy enough and made sense. Plant the seeds and stick them outside in mini greenhouses. They will germinate when the conditions are right. When they grow large enough for transplanting, they are already hardy and ready for outdoor conditions. We decided to just go for it and have tried this technique with several flowers and vegetables with great success. Every year we try a few new plants and look forward to sharing our seedlings with friends and neighbors.
Getting Started with Winter Sowing
In the darkness of the post-holiday blues, we began our search for vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Recommendations for January planting include cabbage, brussel sprouts, spinach, corn, onions and one of my absolute favorites…..lavender. Lavender can be really expensive at the nursery. Winter sowing is a great way to grow lots of lavender that is cost-effective and the plants are very hardy when transplanted into your landscape.
February and early March is the perfect time to sow native woodland perennials and annuals. We have tried Canada lilies, blackberry lilies, Virginia blue bells, Dutchman’s breeches, ramp or wild leeks, Celedine poppies, Icelandic poppies, Oriental poppies, Columbine, delphinium and two that bring back great memories from my childhood. Jack-in-the-pulpit reminds me of Brownie and Girl Scout hikes in the woods, while Hollyhocks remind me of my grandfather and grandmothers’ house. Their alley was filled with hollyhocks in so many colors.
April is a great time to start the tomato, cucumber, squash, and pepper seeds.
Continue reading for more details on how to create these mini greenhouses to get your garden started.
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List of supplies
Simple instructions
- Drill or poke holes into containers. You need several drainage holes on the bottom and also holes on the lid to allow water to enter your mini greenhouse. You can recycle old food containers, but we found Rubbermaid containers were sturdier, making it easier to transport seeds from home to the garden. We clean and re-use.
- Fill the container with 2-3 inches of seed starting soil.
- Distribute seeds and cover with seed starting soil. Don’t bury the seeds too deep, just a light covering (about 1/2-inch).
- Water or place in tray with water, so soil absorbs water through drainage hole. Replace lid and place in a sunny spot.
- Patiently wait for the seeds to germinate. If moisture is not accumulating on the lids, you will need to water.
- Once spring arrives and the seedlings start to grow, you can remove the lids during warm days. Be sure the lid is replaced to protect them from cold night time temperatures and risk of frost.
- When the plants grow too high to fit into the container it is a good sign they are hardy and ready for transplanting into the ground.
Have you tried this method? What are you favorite vegetables or flowers?
Looking for more information? Check out these videos showing how we get our ‘greenhouses’ planted and transfer all of our plants to our community garden plot.
