Winter Sowing veggies has become one of my most satisfying gardening activities. I was initially drawn by the thought of having cut flowers in my home all summer but I love the flavour fresh veggies bring to my meals. Last year I grew:
Tomatoes (several varieties), lettuce, chard, green onions, chives, snap beans, green beans,zucchini, okra, 'long' beans, hot red peppers, green peppers, yellow sweet peppers,cucumbers and lots of herbs: parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, basil, cilantro, marjoram, tarragon. One of my new additions last year was Egyptian Onion which is quite a fascinating plant. I tried root veggies. several years ago (before I knew anything about gardening), but I am hoping to try carrots and radishes this year. I can't wait to get started.

This is my first wintersowing and I plan to sow my veggies in February. What I hope to sow are: Tomatoes, Peppers, Lettuce, Scallion Onions, Carrots, Radishes, Tokyo Cross Turnips, and Toi Choi cabbage (sooooo goood direct sown last year).

I really haven't decided on herbs yet. I better decide quick!

Hi. I WS'd lettuce, parsley & arugula on 3/11. The lettuce germinated on 3/22, & quickly filled the container. I planted it out the first of April, & ate it for the next 3 months until the heat came. The parsley & arugula did okay, but not as good as the lettuce. I WS'd tomatoes, snake gourds & summer squash on 4/22. We had a crappy year for tomatoes here, but I did get a few (I had 6 plants). The snake gourds were eaten by a ground hog, so I only got "2" of them that were about 1-1/2" long.(they are the indian variety that is edible). I had tons of summer squash.
I plan on doing pretty much the same this year, except I have to get rid of the ground hog...Oh, and I have some baby eggplant seeds that I'm going to try.
Maggie

Has anyone ever wintersown broccoli before? I'm thinking of trying that this year and I've never grown it.

I've seen some pictures of wintersown broccoli. I'm going to sow my early variety in Mid January.

Dancinglemons, last year, I successfully WS

lettuce
spinach
swiss chard
onions
peppers (very late to germinate, and poor germ. though. May cheat this year and do some indoors too)

and like Northerner, I did lots of herbs, which were very successful. I highly recommend growing the ones you use in cooking. They are way better fresh, and a lot cheaper than buying them at the store. Besides, they can be grown in containers, so you don't need a lot of space for them.

This year, I am going to try tomatoes, which I am excited about. Trudi, and someone on the RMG (Rocky Mountain Gardening) forum gave me a wonderful variety of tomato seeds. My only problem is that my garden is very small, and I don't have room for 15 tomato plants, so I am having to narrow my choices a bit. I plan to do a couple of types of cherry tomatoes, a couple for sauces/paste, and a couple of slicers. I may start some indoors too, just in case I don't get germination.

Northerner, how did your beans do? I thought they didn't like the cold, so I direct sowed mine last year, but you are in a similar zone, so if they worked for you, I might give them a try too.

Bonnie

Last year I tried to direct sow sweet corn, but the squirrels decided to eat all of the seeds. This year, I've WS in peat pots, and will plant out when they're big enough to defend themselves.

Has anyone ever tried this? Success rate? Any advice?

Ilsa

Winter sown vegetables that do well for me in Z4:

broccoli, 'Arcadia' + 'Belstar'

cauliflower, 'Snow Crown'

I sow these vegetables in mid to late March(it is still very,very cold and snowy here in NH Z4)
I keep the gallon milk jugs protected under roof eaves and against a stone foundation facing south.

mesclun mix...different kinds of lettuce/kale/mizuna/arugula.

purple rooted kohlribi and bright lights chard

Corn and cukes are about the only things that I would not suggest wintersowing. I've had issues with the seeds staying too wet in cold soil and rotting.

Last year, my first year of winter sowing, I sowed:
tomatoes - sun gold
parsley - flat and curly
thyme - several varieties
lettuces - again many kinds..
sage
chives
scallions

All were very successful -

Two favorites that I have direct sowed are basil and dill - I am thinking about giving them a winter sowing shot this year..

Rosemary and lavendar, I have always purchased plants but might give them a shot as well... Comments?

What about beets and radishes? Do they transplant well? HOS?

Better get with the program though... the green house is full of containers, it is freezing out and I haven't even started... I hope my soil isn't frozen solid!

How long do you think it would take as propane heater to thaw a huge bucket of soil in the green house???

I'm going to be sowing a lot of herbs. I grow herbs in large containers on the lower deck - best place I've found for them. This spring my herb "garden" needs serious renovation.

Dh is going to try wintersowing several veggies this year. It's tricky for us to grow cooler season things since our weather heats up so much and so fast. He's planning for brussels sprouts, sugar snap peas, beets, and kohlrabi so they can go into the garden very early. I expect he will wait a bit before sowing tomatoes, sweet peppers, okra, etc. Green beans will be direct sowed because there are not that many containers on earth!

Last year we started a lot of our veggies in containers just as if it were wintersowing but it was really spring around here. They did amazingly well except for all the squash, which was fatally attacked by the dreaded stem borers. GRRRRRRRR!

lindakimy,

I don't remember where I read this but partial shade spots with only morning sun are supposed to be good for cool weather crops in areas that don't have much cool weather. Supposedly shade in the afternoon when the heat level is highest protects cool weather crops. Not positive about this but I will search for the link and post it if I can find it.

DL

I don't have any links to show for that either, but the lettuce I grow here that is red/dark green, I sow under diffused light or deeper shade and I use a lighter coloured mulched to reflect heat instead of absorb it. It does work when we have heat spells in Late April to prevent bolting.

This is my first year but I say try away :) I am going to sow half the seeds so if it doesn't work no frown needed. I have come to know that most here sow flowers and I got this great newbie packet that I'm going to put to use but my heart is with vegtables and herbs so here is my gonna give it a try list:

Pepper Pinocchio\'s Nose
Chervil
Thyme
Hyssop
Tomato Supersweet
Cucumber Eureka
Sunflower Taiyo
Sunflower Bees Knees Mixed
Sunflower Velvet Queen
Lavender Lady
Tomato : Super Marmande
Radish : Cylindrical : Flamboyant Sabina
Tomato Supersteak
Coriander
Herb : Culinary Collection : Meek \'n\' Mild
Radish : Scarlet Globe

Good luck to you :)

Yearly I WS spinach and lettuce
2006 I WS'd tomatoes, I will try it again this year because I have a large enough cold frame to keep them in once they out sprout their container.

2006 WS peppers...but won't anymore. I think they were hardened off too soon and never grew. So I had to start over under lights. 2008 will try WSing hot peppers.

Herbs-parsley, oregano, dill, chamomile, borage, pennyroyal,

I did all spring sown last year and started in March thru May with the following:

1. Broccoli 'Green Goliath' 3/25 germ 3/30...headed in July;nice heat resistance;tasty!
2. Swiss Chard 'Bright Lights' 3/28 germ 4/7...still going in late fall until first hard freeze.
3. Collard 'Georgia' 3/25 germ 4/4
4. Mustard 'Giant Indian Red' 3/28 germ 3/30
5. Peas 'Oregon Sugar Pod II 3/27 germ 4/7 (abt. the same time as the direct sown)
6. Tomato 'Oregon Spring' 3/30 germ 4/16
7. Tomato 'Sweetie' 4/7 germ 4/20
8. Tomato 'Tumbling Tom' 3/25 germ 4/8 (not very yummy)
9. Arugula 3/28 germ 4/6 (didn't like it and pulled it tho)

10. Okra 'Long Horn AKA Cow Horn' 5/10 germ 5/21...needs indoor starting in future. Have 'Clemson's Spineless' for this year..better for northern climates.
11. Melon 'Minnesota Midget 5/6 germ 5/15
12. Pumpkin 'Baby Boo' 5/6 germ 5/12
13. Pepper 'Thai Hot' 4/17/5/5....not again! These are small plants but they were REALLY stunted. Back to starting them indoors with the other peppers.
    Herbs...
14. Garlic Chives 1/22 germ 3/8
15. Hyssopus officinalis 1/18 germ 3/8
16. Agastache foeniculum 12/16 germ 3/12

Lettuce I've always just direct sown in late Feb/early March. Last year my best was Jericho..NICE heat resistance and was still picking thru July 15'ish and still tasted great!

For the question about Lavender....YES! Lavender angustifolia types do well with this method; safely sown now. I've done it with 'Vera' and 'Munstead' and my 'Munstead' is a very nice self-sower too. IF the ground is thaw I'll be digging some of these babies up for the Nebraska move.
Rosemary unless you have 'Madeline Hill' is minimally hardy to zone 6 with protection; I would spring sow this one and plan to winter over.
Have also been successful wintersowing in past years: Salvia officinalis, 3 species of Thyme, Common Chives, Lemon Balm, German Chamomile (prolific re-seeding annual), Monarda fistulosa, Echinacea purpurea and E. angustifolia.

Vera

I am going to attempt eggplant 'rosa bianca'.
When should I do them?
Thanks,
Daniella

I also have rosa bianca, but will start indoors, as most of my wsed have rotted, and they dont like the cold. Im in zone 5, you are in zone 6, try wsing end of march, beginning of april.