Three reasons:

1) What could be more fun in the dark, cold days of Jan-Feb than to plant seeds in dirt?

2) 90%-95% germination (or better)

3) These:

WS Alyssum
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WS Coreopsis
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WS Gaura
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WS hollyhock
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WS Balloon flower
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WS Gaura/wand flower
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WS California poppy
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WS Maltese cross
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WS Hollyhock
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WS Hollyhock
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WS Rudbeckia hirta Autumn ColorsÂ
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Theres no denying there pretty of course, and if I were looking for high germination rates, then I'd probably consider the recommended method from the FAQ's.

But... I'll be happy with 10-25% germination /survival rate, I just dont have the room or the desire for 15-50+ of any given species/cultivar... unless we're talking about hemerocallis/iris/hosta.. :o)

As for those cold snowy days of Jan-Feb... I'd rather be under the blankets avoiding shoveling the driveway for the 3rd time each week..LOL

Handyman, you can direct sow into the gardens in the fall or Spring, and chances are you will have some germination. Indeed, MANY of my plants reseed or self-sow in the gardens, and I find hundreds of seedlings of both annuals and perennials through the Spring and summer. It is one of my favorite things, to discover interesting little seedlings. And I also direct sow some seeds in the Spring - Zinnias, cucumbers, beans, etc. However, there are many hazards in the "wild" for the seeds and seedlings - they can get washed away, covered by leaves falling from the trees, eaten by birds or slugs, shaded by their neighbors, etc.

Sowing seeds in containers (or pots, flats, whatever) gives you more control overall. If you use covers, this protects the seeds and seedlings, and creates a mini "greenhouse" effect that conserves moisture, raises the temperature a little, and facilitates germination. Also, you can label your containers and know what you're growing, since sprouts are often difficult to identify. In the garden, you will have many weeds sprouting along with the seeds you sow. In addition, I often pot up seedlings and grow them on in pots, so they are bigger when planted out, and have a bit more of fighting chance. It's also easier to water a bunch of containers or pots grouped together than run around watering different sections of the garden.

You don't need to sow a lot - you can sow only a few if you choose.

"Wouldnt it be easier to just direct sow in the soil where you want the future plants to be?" Yes, it would be but where your future plants end up is another things altogether. As Terrene points out, those seeds will be moved by snow, wind, rain, birds, rodents, deers walking on them, racoons foraging in the soil, etc. By the time the spring hits you may have the same success rate you had with indoor sowing.

I understand your frustration about trying to germinate seeds indoors. It's been years since I've been there, done that, and moved on. With winter sowing you don't have to worry about watering in the early part of the season and damping off is NOT an issue. It simply doesn't exist. You also don't have to acclimatize your seedlings/plants to the outdoor temps. They are already use to the outdoors!

A lot of the seeds you mention are fantastic candidates for winter sowing. I would encourage you to try a few containers via winter sowing and then direct sow others from the same pack and see which method you like best.

I wintersow some things, direct sow others, and let some just self seed.

I direct sow annuals and veggies that I have a lot of seed for, and that germinate and grow fast after the last frost. This works well for areas where they will not have to compete with already established taller plants. I clear a large area every spring after frost and mix together and scatter things like sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias, nasturtiums, marigolds, etc. In the veggie garden I direct sow carrots, radishes, beans, squash, lettuce, etc.

Many things like poppies, nigella, dianthus, and verbena usually self-sow well enough that I don't have to start more. They also start growing early enough in the season that they can compete with established perennials. I just have to be careful that I can recognize the seedlings and not weed them out.

Wintersowing is not just for things needing a cold period. I use the method in spring as well. With improved germination I can plant out hunks of seedlings in different places to see where that plant likes the conditions best. Also planting a hunk of seedlings from a wintersown container gives you a much fuller mature looking plant rather than one spindly seedling that you may get from direct sowing. I also save some hunk of seedlings and pot them up to share with others.

Plus with wintersowing you don't have to know what the seedlings look like ahead of time because you are sowing in a weed free potting mix. But once you do have a carpet of green in your milk jug, you will learn what that seedling looks like. Then when you get self-sown volunteers in the garden you will know what they are.

I encourage everyone I talk to who hasn't tried it to do so. What do you have to lose, some old containers from the recycling bin and a bag of potting mix. If you were willing to try and start seeds indoors which is a lot more work and expense.... why not try wintersowing too. It is a much much better experience in my opinion.

But... be warned that the reason all of us encourage people to start is because we know they will get hooked. Then they realize they can start almost anything from seed and start collecting and buying vast amounts of seed. Then they start joining the seed swaps and all us fellow seed addicts get our fix :)

The method outlined in the FAQs is basically an extremely cheap, low-commitment version of sowing seeds in a cold frame, which is a proven and old-fashioned method of growing plants from seed when those plants were needed for sustenance, not pretty flowers. It works extremely well.

I've tried direct seeding in winter, and in my climate, germination is probably less than 1%. YMMV.

Hi Donald, welcome to the Winter Sowing Forum.

*It's recommended to basically make flats of somekind out of materials at hand, put soil in them -> sow your seeds --> set flats outside in a "safe" area --> wait till spring to see what comes up.*

Yep, that's basically what it is, and the nicest aspect, I think, of the method is that you get to do it your way with what you have and within the size of your own wallet.

*Wouldnt it be easier to just direct sow in the soil where you want the future plants to be?*

All seeds that can be WinterSown can also be Direct Sown, but they should be sown heavily because Mother Nature takes the vast majority of direct sown seeds to feed her critters and biota.

Direct Sowing, also called Direct Seeding, is a traditional method for sowing seeds outdoors. It involves preparing the soil bed, sowing the seeds, and keeping them moist throughout germination. The Winter Sowing Method is better because the seeds are protected in their mini-greenhouses.

When you direct sow in the ground the seeds are at the mercy of Mother Nature....they can get washed out in downpours, be eaten by critters and bug and birds, desiccate in the wind, or can rot in the soil.

In a WS mini-greenhouse the seeds are in a protected environment. They get the same weather as the seeds in the ground...same temperatures, and the little slits in the lids allow both rain and melting snows to keep the soil moist and the flats watered. But they areprotected so more of the seeds will survive to germinate in Spring. The germination counts are generally astonishingly high.

*My reasoning is that, if the seeds had dropped from a parent plant already in the garden, that successful germination is just as likely from "semi-natural" re-seeding as it would be if I used the recommended winter sowing method suggested in the FAQ's.*

Plants which reseed in temperate climates are those recommended for Winter Sowing.

*I guess to me it just seems like the recommended method over complicates the process and just adds more work, after I've spent the growing season pruning, deadheading, weeding, mulching, topdressing etc.*

Just sow the flat and stash it outside on the picnic table or wherever your dog won't grab it or your snowblower won't hit it.

*Again those are just my thoughts on the winter sowing process and in now way am I trying to gainsay the method recommended by others.*

Don't worry about it, WS is very incredulous when you hear about it--you like to direct seed in your garden. I do both. I have a veggie garden and direct sow many of my leafy greens. Many posters do any or all of WS, DS or GUL.

*I just have a terrible time trying to start seed indoors, and so I've amassed, what I consider a ALOT of seed packets, that are waiting to be planted but due to my iffy results starting seeds indoors "6 weeks before the last frost", which here in central OH could be as late as the end of April.*

You've come to the right forum. Winter Sowing removes a lot of the frustration that comes with indoor germination, it's a big relief and gives you a gazillion seedlings.

Nice plant list, it can all be WSed. Your yard will be a butterfly party.

T

PS, Did anyone tell you that Winter Sowing can be addicting?

Thank you everyone for your responses'!

Obviously winter sowing works well and I'm sure at some point I'll give it a try.

As its been said that I should expect low survival/germination rates, I'm okay with that. If I only get1-5 survivors from each species/cultivar next spring, that is fine, as I sowed in specific spots(heavily sowed- I needed to clean out my seed library) according to mature plant height-light requirements-bloom color-bloom time.

Though I might be a bit peeved if too much survives cause then I'll have to find a home elsewhere in the garden for it.

For me, even if I only get 1 survivor from any given seed packet that I only paid $1.79 for, thats still cheaper than paying $6+ in the spring at the garden center because the "ooohprettymusthavenow's" hit me.

I use irises/hostas/daylilies as the primary focus of my garden and other perennials and sometimes a few annuals to add some variety in foliage texture or bloom color or as "bloom filler" when the irises/hostas/daylilies have finished up for the growing season.

Tomorrow I'll be putting down mulch over a bed where I have direct seeded several things and I'll post a message with a pic and whats been direct seeded.

:o)

~Donald~

Thank you again everyone for the response's!

Donald, If you mulch areas where you direct sowed seeds that need light to sprout.....well, they won't.

The poppies need light to germinate I knew that and wont be mulching where I plant them, but if there are others on the list do please inform me. :o)

~Donald~

You may find this website useful when looking for information about which seeds need light (or any other special conditions).

Sowing your seeds now at the end of summer may result in some germination this fall, is that what you want? It may not give your seedlings enough time to get established before the cold weather. It's worth experimenting though - seeds are cheap and you have a lot of seed packets as you say!

The Seed Site at the link below has images of lots of different seedlings. You can become familiar with what yours will look like so you can nurture them and not accidentally weed them out.

Donald: I have been following this forum for 6 years. Every year lots of newbies come here with the same thoughts as yours, same arguments for direct sowing instead of wintersowing in containers. Many newbies every year. Almost all who try wintersowing stick with it.

Another advantage of a container that I don't think has been mentioned- it increases humidity which increases germination. Just like when you use a humidity dome to start seeds under lights, our containers serve that purpose outside.

Karen

And I love that I can grow a ton of different kinds of plants, so many that even if I run out of time to keep an eye on all of them ---that by the time they get planted, and I only have 2 of the 12 of that plant still alive, that it's a strong strong 2 plants. Or if the groundhog gets to them after planting, or slugs get into the container...or rains wash away the direct sown seeds, or critters ate them.

Basically equal to lower germination ("only need one of that plant"), but much better insurance that you'll end up with one of that plant. (A big fix for "not having much luck".) Be generous with your seed sowing amounts. It's like having a hired hand. No need to save the seed and then not have the plant.

If I had to grow them inside and under lights I'd also need way too much room for it, and I can only sow so many different things if they all need sowing "6-8 weeks before the last frost". Limiting for sure. Now I can sow from Christmas onward.....

I like sowing in containers because here in my gardens I can have some crazy rain. Well with that said when my direct sowing seed decides to sprout it is where my rain pushed it not where I wanted it. A lot of seed that can be direct sowed is small and it doesn't need that much cover. So when that rain comes it normally pushes my seed all to the back of my beds up against the perimeter of the bed. Then I have no idea what is what when it starts to come out.

Sowing in containers keeps it all confined in the neat little greenhouses that Trudi's ingenuity has taught us to build. I spring sow the same way people ws just not with the covers, it really is a cost effective way.

I do still direct sow some things, but only things that I really don't care where it ends up after our spring rains here. I also only direct sow things that I look at if it makes it it makes it if it doesn't it doesn't oh well.