Seeds of tropical and tender plants will die in the cold. Some good choices for your first efforts at winter sowing include: Flowers: Alyssum,
butterfly weed, calendula, coreopsis
, cosmos, foxgloves, hollyhocks, petunias. Vegetables: Beets, broccoli, cabbage, chard, carrots, kale, mache, radishes, spinach.
What seeds can I sow in winter?
- Onions and Shallots.
- Garlic.
- Spring Onions.
- Perpetual Spinach.
- Broad Beans.
- Peas.
- Asparagus.
- Winter Salads.
What vegetable seeds are good for winter sowing?
Some edible options for winter sowing include the classic cool-season crops – like
broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage
. Leafy greens – like lettuce, kale and bok choy – are also hardy annual options. Herbs like sage, oregano, dill, and mint are good winter sowing candidates too.
What do you use for winter sowing?
The best ones to use for winter sowing are
cold hardy annuals, herbs and cold crop vegetables
, or plants that are perennial in your zone. If you're unsure, check the seed packets. Look for terms like “self-sowing”, “direct sow outside in the fall”, “direct sow outside in early spring” or “cold stratification”.
Can I start seeds in winter?
Winter seed sowing gives you a jump start on the growing season!
Starting seeds indoors
while it's still cold and snowy outside starts with dusting off your gardening gloves and getting a little dirty as you prepare your seeds for this pre-spring process.
Will seeds germinate in cold weather?
Cool-season crops can be planted when the soil and air temperatures are at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit. … Hardy vegetables tolerate cold temperatures the best—their
seeds will germinate in cool soil
, and seedlings can typically survive heavy frost.
What do I do after my seeds sprout?
Fill the containers and pack the soil firmly to eliminate gaps. Remember that most mixes contain few, if any, nutrients, so you'll need to feed the seedlings with
liquid fertilizer
a few weeks after they germinate, and continue until you transplant them into the garden.
What can you grow in a winter garden?
- Beets. Plant beets 6 to 8 weeks before your first expected frost. …
- Broad Beans. Slow growing but delicious, broad beans will grow through the winter months if planted in mid to late fall and staked in areas with lots of snow. …
- Garlic. …
- Cabbage. …
- Carrots. …
- Kale. …
- Onions. …
- Peas.
Can I winter sow carrots?
Carrots and parsnips will often be ready
several weeks earlier
if you sow them in winter. The winter sown seeds do just fine in the cold soil. Try sowing spinach, lettuce, cabbage, a few cold-resistant alliums, dill, parsley, parsnip, black and regular salsify and carrot.
How do you prepare jugs for winter sowing?
- Fill the bottom part of the jug with 3′′ of damp potting soil. …
- Plant the seeds into the soil as directed on the package for depth of planting. …
- Spray the surface with water so the top 1′′ or so of soil is quite damp.
- Close the jug and tape the jug closed all the way around.
When should I water my winter sowing?
This is why advance soaking or nicking of hard-shelled seeds, such as Morning Glories and Sweet Peas, is not necessary when you winter-sow. At the
first kiss of spring
, but while nights are still freezing, seedlings will begin to emerge. This is the time to check for water.
How late can I winter sow?
1Timing. Winter sowing can take place
from winter to spring, up until a few weeks before last frost
. It's helpful to organize your winter sowing into three main groups based on when the seeds can be started.
How do you start seeds indoors in the winter?
How do you grow seeds indoors in the winter?
Gather clean containers
, such as seed trays, peat pots, or flats. As an alternative, you may choose to go DIY and add drainage holes to recyclable plastic egg cartons. Add equal parts vermiculite and perlite to soilless peat moss to create your own soil for seed starting.
How warm does it have to be to start seeds indoors?
For seeds to germinate, most must be kept warm:
about 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit
. A favorite place to keep seeds warm in order to germinate is on top of the refrigerator. Or, you can purchase seed-warming mats to place under the seed trays.
