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dec 21st winter sowing date

southerngardening24

9 years ago

Has anyone heard/read that according to the farmer's almanac, dec 21st and dec 22nd are bad days for planting seeds? Should I disregard that fact and sow anyway? I'm very curious about other's views and opinions on this.

Thanks!

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Comments (9)

caryltoo Z7/SE PA
9 years ago
Why does the almanac say they're bad days for planting?
ladyrose65
9 years ago
I would like to know too. If it is 48 degrees + then no I won't WS. But I will put a jug or two of a perennial such 'Hollyhocks' or 'Columbines' which take a while to get started. Celebrate the day.
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Thank you Veggieluv, we luv you too! Yes, the 'Winter Sowing Method' is not winter sowing a field in October with a green manure to turn under in April, or a winter rye, etc, to be cut for crop or fodder the next Spring. When you google Winter Sowing, the first hundred hits are dominated by the method, the ancient agricultural practice is going further and further behind the main pages. A few years back I went down to Beltsville seeking guidance and they very kindly and patiently gave it to me, as well taught me how to manage and grow my website. And it is that scholarly guidance which is why the method dominates over the ancient farming practice when you search the internet for 'Winter Sowing'. If you recheck the FAQs you'll see that the first one there is "How to Winter Sow", I think that is what you are referring to as what you want to read again. The FAQs were needed because there was a LOT of explaining because as you say, it is counter-intuitve, and it is also counter-cultural; many people believe that you need those heat mats and light set-ups to begin any sort of seed, and among the more experienced there were arguements that Deno's set of numbers had to be followed exactly. So, God bless Beltsville as they were the first authority who didn't start their convo with "No. You're crazy." I did good, so did they. We have a work-in-progress Database, there are veggies and herbs listed. I repeat it is a work in progress and it was created by the forum, my hands were not involved in its creation, but do to the need to house it in a reliable url, it is now at WinterSown.Org. Last week I finished the "cleaning and dusting", reframed it into a nicer grid, and uploaded the DB. The DB is in plain-text, you don't need Excel or Word or any database reading program, you can just click on the links and there it is. Keep in mind that not seeing a plant there doesn't mean that it can't be WS, and seeing a "NO" there also doesn't mean that it can't be WS--this is because there hasn't yet been enough years of entry to reliably prove and disprove particular plants. The DB is a suggestion and guide, but it is not the know-all, end-all, do-all, be-all for what seeds you can sow with the method. I am very glad that VeggieLuv mentioned tomatoes and peppers, initially most people think that you can't WS them. Consider the plants that reseed in your garden--we've all heard the legendary tales about toms germinating in cracks in sidewalks and growing to be the healthiest plants anyone has ever seen. Toms do reseed in a temperate climate because they're from a temperate climate, peppers and eggplants and all solanums can reseed. It does make sense that it you live in zone five or colder, that you choose a short season tom and not a 110 dtm type because you may be bringing in green fruits to ripen on the counter. Short season gardens need short season varieties. Give it a try, if you're unsure of the method then hold back some seeds to sow by whatever means you want, then at the end of the season compare the vigor, health, flowers or crops of what you sow. Your eyes are your teachers. Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Sowing Database
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heartzlink , I did nothing special at all. All of the info I am using to start out with is all on wintersow.org+ what others have so generously shared with me on their own experiences. I just took all the info and broke it into a seperate excel sheet for each month. For zone 7, here is the link. For zone 5 I copied all of this, deleted anything that did not germinate, ordered it but month sowed, seperated it into excel sheets on germination start month. No creativity here. Just cut and paste :) This is my first year wintersowing and I was feeling the newbie nerves. This just helped me feel confident on where to start. http://wintersown.org/wseo1/WS_Database_Z7.html I hope that helps. For anyone else in Zone 5. It was a bit of work so I would be more than happy to just send you a copy if you want it. I hope by next year- I will have an expanded detailed sheet.
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heavenlyfarm
9 years ago
I wasn't aware of this!! I will have to look at mine :) tho I am very impatient!

I won't start and didn't start on the 21st last year because of warm days. I think I started on the 23rd last year when it got cold and we had snow!

I am sure it probably has something to do more with traditions and such so I wouldn't pay much attention unless it is too warm that day for WS!!
~michael :)
heavenlyfarm
southerngardening24
Original Author
9 years ago
They go by the increasing moon and things like that. I'm not familiar with it and since people have started winter sowing on december 21st for many years there should not be a problem. I'm also getting a little impatient and wish I could start right now but it's way too warm.

The farmer's almanac website says good planting dates are Jan 04th, Jan 05th, Jan 11th through Jan 15th.
PVick
9 years ago
In years gone by, the Winter Solstice was used as a sort of celebratory date to begin wsing. Folks sowed three or four type of seeds to designate particular categories (one of which was "Leap of Faith", darned if I can remember the others).

You don't have to start on the 21st, and if you do, you definitely don't have to sow all your seeds. Remember - winter will have a long way to go!

PV

editing to post info re: Winter Solstice Celebration, found in the FAQs - FAQs - Winter Solstice

This post was edited by pvick on Sun, Dec 7, 14 at 16:59
heavenlyfarm
9 years ago
PV,

Omg, I almost forgot about that....okay I did completely! I did not really do that last year so much but I really wanna try to do that this year!!

I think remembrance, will be lettuce seeds...I know it sounds lame but my great grandmother had a beautiful veggie garden from what i heard which was her specialty. I put in raised beds for veggies next year also so I can't wait!!
Life, I think will be beauty berry seeds and maybe milkweed if I get more seeds.
Mother nature(trees), I think I will try my own saved white magnolia because it also had a main branch knocked down in the little snow we got(i was upset to say the least) and red twig dogwood for winter interest!!! and just to try for fun, lol I haven't tried a whole lot of tree or shrub seeds!
and for Faith, even tho it says something a zone above the one you are in, I will be doing seeds my mom saved from years past when she used to garden. She did not mark the seeds really so its a guessing and wait game to see if they sprout and what they are but I still have Faith in them :):)

Anywhos, wondering if anyone else will be doing those?(I hope I remember too! Lol)

~michael
southerngardening24
Original Author
9 years ago
Ok so back to the original plan to start sowing on dec 21st. :-)
sandyslopes z5 n. UT
9 years ago
"The farmer's almanac website says good planting dates are Jan 04th, Jan 05th, Jan 11th through Jan 15th. "

I like reading this because I don't start until after I get all the Christmas decorations put away. That's usually about the 4th or 5th. But I don't think the seeds care as long as they have the conditions they need, which is so easy to do with WSing.
bukasmom
9 years ago
I started last year on the 21st of December just for the relaxation of it.I had great success,and will do the same this year as well.

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