WinterSowingGivesPlantsAHead Start

Many gardeners start seeds indoors but others don’t have the space

or the lights necessary to give plants a good head start on our short

growing season. Others buy all their plants, which can break a

gardener’s budget. An alternative to buying plants or starting them

indoors is a system called winter sowing, a method for starting hardy

seedlings.

Winter sowing doesn’t require indoor space. Mother Nature,

recyclable items that work as mini-greenhouses, some potting soil or

soiless mix and seeds are all that’s needed to take advantage of

this inexpensive method of seed starting. Perennials and annuals can

be sown in January, February and March. All perennials should be

hardy in our area. Many annuals will work as well. Here’s what

you’ll need.

.Plastic containers such as gallon milk jugs, 2-liter soda containers

or the clear plastic bakery or deli from the grocery store will be

the greenhouses. These containers will need to hold at least three

inches of soil and have room for the plants to grow. Gather scissors,

clear duct tape, a utility knife, plant labels, a marking pen and the

soil.

With a utility knife, make several small slits in the bottoms of the

containers for drainage. On a milk jug, start at the bottom of the

handle and make a horizontal cut around the jug, stopping an inch or

so from the start of the cut, thus making a hinge. Next add the soil

and water it until water drains out those slits you cut in the

bottom. Sow seeds according to the package directions. If the seeds

need to be covered, be sure to gently add more water. Next add a

label either inside the container or on the jug or both. A permanent

marker works best. All that’s left is to use the duct tape to seal

the top and bottom together and take off the cap of the milk jug or

pop bottle. The clear duct tape withstands freezing best.

The flat-topped containers from deli or bakery products are handled

in much the same way. With these you’ll have to make some holes or

slits in the top to allow transpiration. And remember the drainage

holes in the bottom.

Once all the mini-greenhouses are filled with soil and seeds, place

them outdoors on the south or west side of your home or in a sunny

spot in your garden where snow and rain will be able to filter into

the containers.

As the weather warms you’ll need to increase the size of the holes

or add more holes to the container tops, even the milk jugs. The

additional openings ensure that the plants don’t get overheated and

get hardened off for transplanting. Making sure the containers don’t

dry out is important. If there’s no condensation on the inside of

the containers, you’ll want to add some water with a gentle mist so

the now sprouted seedlings don’t dislodge. By mid-May you can take

the tops off and start thinking about where you’ll transplant all

your new seedlings.

Additional information including lists of plants, pictures and more

can be found on the internet by doing a search for ‘winter

sowing’. It’s not too late to try this new technique for starting

plants and saving money.