skip to main content

What Bushes or shrubs do you winter sow?

16 years ago

I have winter sown butterfly bushes and the blue spirea with very good results. Are there other bushes that winter sow well and grow as quickly as the two that I have mentioned. Or is it better to purchase bushes? Thanks

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

donn_
16 years ago
Here are shrubs I've grown from seed (WS) over the past few years. None of them are as fast-growing as Buddleia or Spiraea, except for Mimosa, which is faster.

Syringa reticulata v. Amurensis - Amur Lilac
Pieris japonica - Andromeda
Cercis canadensis - Eastern Redbud
Exochorda x macrantha - Pearl Bush
Aronia x prunifolia - Chokeberry
Koelreuteria paniculata - Golden Raintree
Albizia julibrissin - Mimosa - Silk Tree

A few of these could become trees if I let them, but I won't. They'll be kept pruned to shrub size and form.
drippy
16 years ago
I have 3 year-old WS ninebark (forget the botanical name off the top of my head - opufolius?) that I think will bloom next year. I have also WS vernonia novaboracensis (NY ironweed), a 3 year old plant that is blooming profusely right now - I had to go look it up ast I'd forgotten what it was, LOL. If you count hibiscus as a shrub, I also have Texas red-star hibscus. Many trees & shrubs WS well.
Related Discussions
advice - winter freezing and shrubs/ bushes/ perennials
Q
Comments (8)
when i was first learning ... there was no WWWeb ... i left everything for my MI winter ... and then in spring ... cut back to live tissue ... which was usually below snow cover ... it was the only way to insure that the catch 22 you mention ... how would i know.. i wasnt cutting off the only part that might live ... and 30 years later ... i still use that system ... i do not keep a retentive garden .. i revel in what a plant looks like dormant.. and in winter.. else i would just have a flat garden to look at all winter ... and half the time.. i never make it out there in spring to clean it all up ... what lives.. lives.. what doesnt doesnt.. and i dont really worry about it ... if it wants to die ... so be it... i didnt want it anyway .. lol .. yes.. you can spend hundreds of hours.. researching every know plant by name ... and cutting them all down ... but for me.. gardening is about turning off the technology.. and intuiting it all .. and enjoying being out in mother nature ... not going blind reading up on the computer ... buying zone appropriate plants.. and relying on ma nature to provide said zone.. is about all i do ... and though i may think about things all winter long... i dont worry about it all ... and it only took me 20 years to get to that point.. lol ... what one might call.. zen gardening .. [she really screwed with us last winter.. and sent us a z4 winter .. in my z5 ... lots and lots of damage.. oh well .. what can you do.. would worry have made a difference????] good luck ken
...See More
Winter Sowing Shrubs and Trees
Q
Comments (5)
ajpa, let me know if you want seeds. I have the same colors. My white actually came true for the three plants that have bloomed. The key is to making sure the pods are ripe. I cut mine off last November. It takes a LONG time for them to be ready. Otherwise, you're just collecting chaff. I had good luck with dogwoods, carolina cherry laurels, and calycanthus floridus. BUT, powdery mildew got most of the dogwoods. The cherry laurels are going crazy, and the sweetshrub is doing okay. Only a few of the buddleia bloomed. And some are still so small I'm not sure they'll make it through the winter. I plan to do lots more this year. I sowed mine in October-Nov last year. Some need a warm wet period before the freeze.
...See More
What soil mix do you like best for winter sowing
Q
Comments (6)
I am using pro-mix for professionals that I buy from a greenhouse or a good garden center. To sow regular perennials or annuals, I use only pro-mix but when I sow more delicate plants such as alpine and rock garden plants, I use pro-mix and add grit or small vermiculite, half and half. The mixture allows a perfect drainage and it is easier when comes the time to divide the seedlings and transplant. Sometimes, especially for sowing paeonies, I use only pure sand. Using soil is dangerous as the seedlings will have more tendancy to damp off. If you need more help, you can contact me. Denyse, President of the Quebec Alpine and rock garden Society Here is a link that might be useful: Quebec Alpine and Rock Garden Society
...See More
Do you Winter Sow?
Q
Comments (13)
I too have been using lights I set up in my basement for close to 14 years now. It has worked well for me. Last year I read through the winter sowing FAQ and forum and contemplated doing it. Like 'mskee' I like that I can visit the plants in my basement day or night. Plus I hate the cold weather so I don't know if I could keep up with the watering and checking outside that the winter sowing seems to require. If you're interested in setting up lights it is easy and relatively cheap to do. I just got a set of heavy duty metal shelves (5 shelves variety) and shop lights. Put the shelves together and drilled holes to hang the shop lights using the shop light chains from the bottom of each shelf. I can fit two standard flats on each shelf for a total of ten flats. Each flat can hold 8 to 12 -- 6 packs. So you can start a lot of plants this way depending on how many 6 packs you fit on each flat. I use recycled 6 packs people save for me so I usually only need to buy seed starting soil. My basement is unfinished and unheated and I find the lights right out of the box work well. I didn't need to adapt them as others have done on the 'Growing under Lights' forum seem to talk about. Growing from seed has let me try so many varieties not available in my area. Of course now a days the selection at the nurseries seems better and better each year. If I hadn't started and had so much success with the lights I would probably give the winter sowing a try. Go for it! One of these days I may give it a try...
...See More
dollladie
16 years ago
I wanted to ws buddleia several times; I grow them, but never can figure out how to harvest the seeds. Also, where's a good source for mimosa seeds? thanks.
carrie630
16 years ago
I did three caryopteris the first year wintersowing and they bloomed the first year too!

I also did buddleia and as Donn said, fast growing and bloomed the first year.

I usually don't have the patience to wait for shrubs, but these were worth it.

Good luck

Carrie
dawiff
16 years ago
I did ninebark this past winter but haven't gotten them in the ground yet. Some have grown taller than others in their pots. I also did New Jersey tea, and about half the seedlings that sprouted survived being separated and living in pots all summer as well. Hoping to get those into the ground this fall soon too. I've also done buddleia in the past, they grow to blooming size really quickly. Also I've done various kinds of hardy hibiscus moscheutos and Texas Star.

Drippy, how big are your 3-year old ninebark now?
vera_eastern_wa
16 years ago
Just one so far.....Chaenomeles speciosa/Flowering Quince.
This year I'll be doing Staghorn Sumac and Chokecherry.
I would also consider Lavender as a shrub and those wintersow well also :D
My other bushes (lilac, dogwood) were via cuttings.

Vera
tracey_nj6
16 years ago
I had wintersown Vitex (Purple Chaste tree) and Rose of Sharon "Blue Bird". The ROS, wsn 2004, is about 6', and just started blooming a few weeks ago. The Vitex, wsn 2004, first bloomed in 2006. Yes, they certainly take too much time to bloom, but sometimes worth it. I only say sometimes because I ripped out a ROS (previous owner had planted) and replaced it with "Blue Bird". Well, was I shocked when it turned out to be THE SAME EXACT COLOR!!! Grrrrrrrrrr...
columbusgardener
16 years ago
Ninebark? for two years I have looked everywhere in this city for them and never found a single shrub - if anyone has a few extra seeds I have an SASBE!

Debbie
ghoghunter
16 years ago
I winter sowed Beautyberry (callicarpa)this past winter and it grew very nicely. I have three cute little shrubs now!
sheltieche
16 years ago
Wintersowed ginkgo biloba and larix kamphaeri, both did very well.
newskye
16 years ago
I wsed Clerodendrum trichotomum this year, and lespedeza, and both have done really well. I was impressed with how much growth they've put on this first season.
drippy
16 years ago
Alison, my ninebark is about 4 1/2 ft. tall now - leaves are green (I was hoping it might be a Diablo, but I don't think it is), no flowers yet - maybe next year.

Debbie, watch on the seed exchange, or wait til next year, LOL - I should have some seeds then, I hope - but no blooms this year, and no blooms, no seeds.

As for more shrubs - this year I put in the ground - myrica pennsylvanica (bayberry - I've tried this before and it hasn't survived - maybe this time it will), thalictrum dipterocarpum, which is either a big perennial or a shrub (is there a difference?) and Carolina lupine (which I forget botanical name of right now). Keeping my fingers crossed!
tiffy_z5_6_can
16 years ago
I've done Hydrangea Grandiflora and Paniculata as well as Rosa Glauca, Rose of Sharon Bluebird, Buddleias, Beautybush, and Red Japanese Maples. All are doing very well.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Valentine Bush for Heartfelt Winter Color

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Passionate red flowers from winter through spring add gorgeous color to bare Southwest landscapes

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Berry-licious Shrubs to Plant Now for Winter Interest

Showy color during snow season? You bet. These shrubs will wake up a garden with colorful berries when other plants are asleep

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Cold- and Heat-Tolerant Perennials and Shrubs for the Arid West

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

These flowering native plants shrug off the cold of winter and heat of summer while adding beauty to the drought-tolerant landscape

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Northern Bush Honeysuckle, a Bronze Beauty

It helps control erosion and takes sun or shade. The butterflies love it. But the best part of this shrub may be the vivid foliage

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: Coyote Bush

By Annie Thornton

Remarkably resilient, this coast-happy shrub attracts native wildlife — and its leaves have an unusual attribute

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Great Design Plant: Old Fashioned Smoke Bush

Balance garden color with this shrub's cool blue-green foliage, luminous when backlit and sporting yellow-green flowers in spring

BLUE AND GRAY FOLIAGE Great Design Plant: Cushion Bush

By Annie Thornton

Fuzzy and otherworldly, this white mounding shrub lights up gardens through all four seasons

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Native Shrubs for Year-Round Bird Feeding

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It’s not just about berries. These plants provide insects for birds and seasonal interest for gardeners

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Deer-Resistant Elegant Evergreen Shrubs to Plant This Fall

Who knew that such beautiful shrubs could be deer-resistant?

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs That Thrive in Full Sun and Reflected Heat

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Got a hot spot in your garden where plants often die? Try these tough shrubs that add beauty while shrugging off the heat

Sponsored

Peabody Landscape Group

8 Reviews

Franklin County's Reliable Landscape Design & Contracting