This is turning into a very weird weather year for many of us. Because of that, it's hard to give you an absolute answer. Be aware that no matter what any of us tell you, it's nature that has the final answer in when those seeds will sprout. My best guess is that it's probably fine for perennials hardy to your area, and hardy annuals too. I'd definitely wait for anything tender. And if perennials and hardy annuals would sprout early, they have a much better chance of survival in their containers. And keeping them in a shady spot is definitely a good idea until spring is in the air. This is probably our coldest part of winter most years, and it's when I sow my hardy annuals and perennials. I sowed my first jugs a few days ago. I'd go for it if I were you. The chance that they'll sprout in shade is minimal I think, and winter might just stay mild this year. Karen

Go ahead and do it. Here's my two cents to address your concerns about "too early". Research suggests that toms will withstand temps down to 28 degrees. I'm not that gutsy. I use walls of water. There are pros and cons to WS tomatoes. One pro is that by the time we have the 70 degree weather which is needed for germination there are very few freezing nights left. If you install your cages before you plant in the ground, you can toss a sheet or towel over the cage on a freezing night and your toms will be fine. Additionally you can put some 2 liter bottles with water in them under the sheet to give protection similar to walls of water. So if toms are in fact tender, why am I encouraging you to put them out anyway, then take care of them? Because even the earliest tomatoes take 50 days to maturity, and it seems most varieties fall later in the mid or late season category. If you have a tom with 85 DTM you'll be well into the end of July before you harvest. If we were talking marigolds or zinnias, I'd say wait. But with tomatoes, go for it. If your sprouts are still in jugs and a freeze occurs, it's easy enough to toss a towel over them. If your plants are already in the ground, it' not that much tougher to cover the cage.

Yes, we are talking about sowing the seeds in containers and then putting the containers outside for the winter until the seeds germinate naturally in the spring. Last year my sunflowers and morning glories survived that late snowfall we had and got so large over the summer that the morning glories grew into my neighbor's tree and the sunflowers are still in the ground b/c I couldn't dig them up. With winter sowing you seldom have a problem with damp off which is what usually kills seedlings started inside. Check out the winter sowing forum FAQ . Tha will answer most of your questions. You can winter sow most anything except the most tender tropical plants. I even do some tender South American Salvias but I do them in late March. This would be a good year to try it out on some of your seeds but I warn you that it is addictive. Quick tip: If you would like to try it, use good quality potting soil like Miracle Gro, Schultz, or Pro Mix and make sure that whatever container you use to sow the seeds is at least 3 inches deep and make sure the containers don't dry out once the seeds are sown. I think that wintersowing makes for hardier plants that are more resistant to disease. I grow a lot of zone 7 and 8 plants and some of them are on their 3rd year in my yard. This year I have added bottle brush buckeye seeds to my list and coral honeysuckle so I am hoping I get at least one or two of each. Wintersowing also workd great for seeds that take a long time to germinate or for seeds that need stratification. Between wintersowing and using my own compost in my lasagna bed I had had the most amazing plants both in size and variety. BTW, I also water my young plants once or twice with Aspirin water but that is a topic for another discussion. Penny Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Sowing FAQ

Hey there Elvis! It's your nosy neighbor lookin over the fence..... I wintersowed last year for the first time- and had a HUGE success with almost everything! (A few of my success' were from you!) I did not get heleborus- some clematis and cimicifuga to come up- and a few grasses- but other wise- trees, bushes, shrubs perennials, and annuals all came up! I started Jan 2nd this year- and put out just over a hundred containers full of shrubs seeds- ditalis- penstemmons- hosta- astilbe- heuchera- alcea- aquilegia- pretty much any hardy to our zone perennial that I had swapped for- or was trying to make more of what I had. I put out another 50 or more last weekend- and will probably coninue to set out containers till just about spring. I will wait to put out half hardy annuals till maybe mid to late March- and then I will try the tender annuals when it is a tad warmer. I am a little concerned I may run out of soil and need to find some more before most stores will be carrying it.... I do start tropicals and others that I really want to get a head start on earlier indoors under lights. How many of what kind are you winter sowing?