The following post was the December Master Gardener article for the Ruston Daily Leader. Tomorrow I will include pictures of my winter sowing along with pictures and plants lists from fellow Master Gardeners.)
Love ya'll,
Shelli
Winter Sowing
First, a questionnaire: (True or False)
___I want big, beautiful, mature plants as soon as possible
in my spring flower beds.
___I would like to acquire these big, beautiful plants for
pennies on the dollar.
___I have experienced past frustrations trying to germinate
seeds in my kitchen.
___I don’t want to fool with heat mats and grow lights.
___Damping off is my mortal enemy.
If you answered “true” to most of these questions then you
need to try winter sowing! Winter sowing, as defined by the United States
Department of Agriculture, is a propagation method used throughout the winter
where temperate climate seeds are sown into protective containers and placed
outdoors to foster a naturally timed, high percentage germination of climate
tolerant seedlings. The idea of winter sowing was hatched by Trudi Davidoff who
didn’t have the indoor space or expensive light set-ups to germinate seeds
indoors. Instead, she gathered empty recyclable
materials such as milk jugs and turned them into mini green houses. After adding
potting soil and seeds, she set her "greenhouses" outside and let Mother Nature
take over.
In their natural setting, many seeds go through a process of
stratification where their seed coat is loosened by a series of freezes and
thaws. Then, when the conditions are
just right, the seed germinates. Mother Nature supplies the light, temperature,
and moisture. Growing outdoors the seedling acclimates itself to its natural
conditions producing a hardier plant. Using the winter sowing method also
lessens the chance of damping-off, a condition that results in the collapse of
many seedlings started indoors.
Winter sowing is not appropriate for all seeds. This method
works best for most perennials, hardy annuals, cool-weather vegetables, and
some herbs. When perusing seed catalogs for plants that respond well to the
winter sowing method, look for key words and phrases such as reseeding, self-sows, needs stratification,
hardy seeds, or cold hardy. Many
seed catalogs contain germination tables that will help you identify seeds to
use for winter sowing. Some examples are
angelonia, arugula, bellflower, calendula, carrot, catmint, columbine,
coreopsis, delphinium, larkspur, oregano, phlox, salvia, thyme, and Virginia bluebells.
Upon first hearing about winter sowing, my initial question
was, “What’s the difference between winter sowing and direct sowing?” With direct sowing (planting seeds directly
into the ground), the gardener must hope that the seeds don’t get washed away
in a heavy rain, rot in the soil, or get eaten by rabbits, bugs, or birds. With
winter sowing, seeds are in a protected environment increasing germination rates. But on a personal note, there’s something
else that really appeals to me about winter sowing. When I direct sow a patch
of larkspur, I imagine an evenly distributed bed of beautiful spring plants
when in reality I might get three seedlings in one corner of the patch and six
in another, with a big empty spot in the middle. By winter sowing my larkspur, I can evenly
space hardy transplants into the flowerbed, placing the plants right where I
want them!
Many people winter sow on the Winter Solstice, but this year,
with El Niño wreaking havoc with our weather, after the holidays will be a perfect
time to set out your homemade greenhouses filled with promising seeds. For step-by-step directions to get you
started as a winter sower, visit the following websites:
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