Winter sowing seeds questions

[Anonymous]

What seeds have you had the most success with winter sowing?

When you take them out of the milk jugs, do you put them in pots or transplant them directly into the ground?

[Anonymous]

I’ve had great luck with foxgloves, campanula, larkspur, and forget me nots.

I start in the gallon milk jugs and then transplant to small pots or directly to the soil.

Foxglove and forget me nots are the must successful but I haven’t tried much else. They are pretty big by August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had great luck with foxgloves, campanula, larkspur, and forget me nots.

I start in the gallon milk jugs and then transplant to small pots or directly to the soil.

Foxglove and forget me nots are the must successful but I haven’t tried much else. They are pretty big by August.

Not op, but very interested in how this works. I plant seeds in milk jugs inside? Then put them in the ground when? I do have a greenhouse.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I cut my milk jugs nearly in half so there’s a hinged top. Make the bottom half deep enough for your soil. I poke holes in the bottom and sides along the soil line. Fill the jug with soil, water it first, then add seeds. Tape the top half with electrical or packing tape so it doesn’t pop up and open. Remove cap and set it outside all winter. Snow and rain are fine. Just be sure to mind your label since rain and sun can fade it.

In early Spring, I untape it and open the hinged top. After a few weeks, I transfer to a pot or in ground. No need to harden off. I throw a lot of seeds in and get a ton of plants to the point where it’s too much. Very easy and high success rate with this method.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I cut my milk jugs nearly in half so there’s a hinged top. Make the bottom half deep enough for your soil. I poke holes in the bottom and sides along the soil line. Fill the jug with soil, water it first, then add seeds. Tape the top half with electrical or packing tape so it doesn’t pop up and open. Remove cap and set it outside all winter. Snow and rain are fine. Just be sure to mind your label since rain and sun can fade it.

In early Spring, I untape it and open the hinged top. After a few weeks, I transfer to a pot or in ground. No need to harden off. I throw a lot of seeds in and get a ton of plants to the point where it’s too much. Very easy and high success rate with this method.

Oh wow. Cool. Thanks. I'll do this.

What does "no need to harden off" mean?

[Anonymous]

PP again. When you seed start indoors, you need to harden off which means a slow introduction to the outdoor weather. This avoids that process. It’s pretty low maintenance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had great luck with foxgloves, campanula, larkspur, and forget me nots.

I start in the gallon milk jugs and then transplant to small pots or directly to the soil.

Foxglove and forget me nots are the must successful but I haven’t tried much else. They are pretty big by August.

Have you tried winter sowing seeds for vegetables?

[Anonymous]

Echinacea
Native hibiscus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had great luck with foxgloves, campanula, larkspur, and forget me nots.

I start in the gallon milk jugs and then transplant to small pots or directly to the soil.

Foxglove and forget me nots are the must successful but I haven’t tried much else. They are pretty big by August.

Be aware that foxglove is poisonous to dogs (and children) even in small amounts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I cut my milk jugs nearly in half so there’s a hinged top. Make the bottom half deep enough for your soil. I poke holes in the bottom and sides along the soil line. Fill the jug with soil, water it first, then add seeds. Tape the top half with electrical or packing tape so it doesn’t pop up and open. Remove cap and set it outside all winter. Snow and rain are fine. Just be sure to mind your label since rain and sun can fade it.

In early Spring, I untape it and open the hinged top. After a few weeks, I transfer to a pot or in ground. No need to harden off. I throw a lot of seeds in and get a ton of plants to the point where it’s too much. Very easy and high success rate with this method.

Oh wow. Cool. Thanks. I'll do this.

What does "no need to harden off" mean?

Harden off means to get the hothouse grown seedling used to a harsher outdoor environment. Going from a controlled hot house environment (or basement grow lights with controlled temperature) to a windy, wet garden with fluctuating temperatures would kill a delicate seedling. Instead, you gradually expose the seedling to small doses of increasingly harsh outdoor conditions until it is strong enough to survive a transplant into the actual garden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had great luck with foxgloves, campanula, larkspur, and forget me nots.

I start in the gallon milk jugs and then transplant to small pots or directly to the soil.

Foxglove and forget me nots are the must successful but I haven’t tried much else. They are pretty big by August.

Be aware that foxglove is poisonous to dogs (and children) even in small amounts

Thanks. I have dogs and did not realize this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had great luck with foxgloves, campanula, larkspur, and forget me nots.

I start in the gallon milk jugs and then transplant to small pots or directly to the soil.

Foxglove and forget me nots are the must successful but I haven’t tried much else. They are pretty big by August.

Have you tried winter sowing seeds for vegetables?

I have not tried winter sowing for veggies but I do grow potted tomatoes and peppers.

[Anonymous]

Go on YT and search for winter sowing. You will find hundreds of videos. I do winter sowing in the large salad containers (a bottom and a top), but you can use many types of clear plastic containers.

Last week I sat out my 1st 11 containers. This is the first year I'm growing mostly flowers.

In previous years I've had success with lettuce (I grow about 8 varieties), collard greens, kale, spinach, and swiss chard. I know people also start their warm season veggies, but I've never tried as I prefer to start those indoors. I may do a few this year as an experiment because the hardening off process is a pain, especially since I have over 70 starts.

Again, Youtube is your friend!!! Happy gardening!