That's excellent Token! This is the first year I have not winter sown for myself since the forum began. I was just too busy around the holidays. Next year we are planning on a HUGE winter sowing effort, and it will be the first time my DH has helped. We are going to have massive amounts of space to fill.

Token, what kind of dianthus are those at the bottom? They are so pretty.

GGG

Tom, seeing the pictures of your winter sowing efforts has me convinced to give it a go. In the past I've sown seed in the fall in the greenhouse where space is limited, the only thing I've ever done outside and left to the elements are my Hellebore seeds which are sown in July/germinate in January.

Do you cover your pots with plastic or lids or are they just left to the elements? Do you ever water them or do you leave that to old mother nature, in other words leave them to their own devices?

Annette

Thanks for the link and information. I never really understood the term, or rather, I thought it was for people in only very warm zones. Interesting.

Thank you for the start of getting info on this process. I am really interested in this and didn't realize that a person didn't need a green house that you actually set the little containers out in the elements. I will check out that forum and see what the prospects are for me to try this. THANK YOU !! c

This was my first year so people at the wintersowing forum can certainly provide better or more complete advice than I can, especially for cooler zones. I used two liter containers. I cut them in half and used my band saw to cut slits in the bottom for drainage. I used Scott's pro potting mix with a bit more peat moss tossed in for the medium. I soaked it well, scattered my seeds, and cut a slit so that the top half could slide back down over the bottom.

As for watering, I only had to worry about that when I planted out. Things germinated for me a lot earlier than some because of a warm spell in early January. We got up into the 70s for a week or two and everything started popping. As soon as they have two sets of leaves, the true ones, I planted out. I watered them well when I set them in the garden and walked away. Because it's still so cold, slugs and pill bugs weren't an issue. And these were all hardy perennials, not annuals.

Some things that should bloom the second year are already blooming for me thanks to the warm January. They got their vernalization early and I didn't have to wait another year. If you sow in the early fall, you can do the same in colder climates.

The bottles create a little greenhouse and protect the seeds from birds and squirrels.

This year, I plan to do things a little differently. I'll sow fewer seeds into smaller containers. At least 3" of soil is necessary though. Trying to divide containers of nicotiana and petunias drove me crazy. I'll just be planting the entire hunk as one plug this time around.

I still direct sow some things like reseeding annuals. I still grow tomatoes under lights inside. But for perennials, no muss, no fuss, toss, plunk and run.

If you have any questions, the people at the wintersowing forum are great and are more than happy to have newbies join the fun. :)

Here's how I prepare my containers. Wintersowing with a bandsaw - Youtube link.

The dianthus is "Pinks Maiden" I got the seeds from park seeds last fall. They are the lasagna pans in the picture above.

Tom, I would say that is the best advertising for wintersowing ever! Mother Nature knows the best times for seeds to germinate.

I transplant or plant the 'clump' method too on very fine seedlings. You loose a few but so what!

Ok Dr. Amway you've made a sale!
I am looking forward to winter now. Well, maybe not actually looking forward but not quite so resistant anyway. ;-)
Thank you for the links and tips!!

Awesome - I knew you were going to have an amazing garden this year - you have done so much ground work!!! Good on you. I will watch for more!!

Nancy.

One of the things I do is travel around here teaching people to winter sow.
Oddly enough, winter sowing works BEST in colder temps. Perennial seeds often need stratification, and they need to be exposed to warm and cold, on and off to break seed dormancy.
Seeds like to germinate in ambient humidity and not necessarily moist soil, so the enclosures are perfect to create a humid enviornment.
In warmer climates, I leave annuals to "spring sow" because with our crazy temp. swings we could have tomatoes and zinnias germinating the first week of January and then heavy freezes in February!!

I started sowing my annuals in mid March this year. Even then, I used the hoophouse and sowed in 8 ounce cups instead of outside in containers. It still worked great. I have zinnias blooming and petunias galore.

You are an inspiration, especially for people on a budget. What glorious gardens you've gotten from a handful of seeds. Great photos.

Thanks gotta. It's not only cheap, but the thrill from watching plants go from seed to seed has been worth all the effort and work.

Very interesting; thanks for posting. This is very inspiring! I'm awful at growing things from seeds. Maybe I ought to let Mother Nature have more of a hand and restrict mine more!