Winter Sowing

[Barbee]

I have had good luck winter sowing lots of different perennials. I will be starting several containers this weekend. Just wondered if anyone else does winter sowing, and how your success rate is?

[Zana]

I have done it in the past with perennial flowers, with some moderate success. I'm not sure if my failures were due to my own incompetence or the seesawing freeze-thaws the years I did it or some other factor like the quality of the seeds. But by the time I planted them out in mid May they were at least a foot high and fairly full plants. I actually was able to take cuttings from some they were so large.

[Alberta]

Barbee
This will be my 8th season for winter sowing, I assume you are speaking of the method that had been started by Trudi. It has been very rewarding for me, and I have beds and beds of perennials, so much in fact that this year I will be doing very little WSing, as I've pretty much run out of room in my yard. I do post occassionally at the other site, . Good luck with it, its really fun.

Alberta

[Barbee]

Alberta,

I'm not familiar with Trudi, so I'm not sure what her method is. I just sow in containers and place out on the deck for 2 or 3 heavings, then bring them in under the grow lights. I bring them in because I just can't stand it. Ants in my pants. Last year, I got about 75 plants going this way and saved myself quite a bit of money in the process. I'm going to try doubling that this year.

I think I set foot in a nursery about mid August last year..to buy some sale shrubs. The owner looked at me and said "Where have you been? Have you been sick?" LoL

[zeroma]

ha, love it! just thought I'd bump this post up to see what response it gets now that I want to try it.

[sdambr]

Tried it this year for the first time. Very successful with so many,. A complete failure on my tomatoes, i think i may have started them too early, and possibly they may have started to germinate when we had a warm week. Will definitely do it again next year.

[luigiwu]

winter sowing makes me wish I had a ginormous piece of land. I winter sowed perennials last year - only this year did I learn that most perennials only flower in the 2nd year! So Im only seeing the results now! I didn't wintersow this past winter but I'm re-inspired for the next one!!!!!

[sdambr]

Luigiwu, please post pics if you can.

[zeroma]

It sure makes me want to do it, after all look how many weed seeds lay-in- wait for years and years. As long as they don't rot?

[Slg Garden]

I winter sowed in gallon milk jugs the last couple of years. It worked great with greens, some flowers and tomatoes that are more cold tolerant such as Stupice and Siberia. I'm planning on trying it with more varieties next year.

[luigiwu]

Blanket flower - WIN! I will be doing a lot of these this upcoming winter for my front yard!
I've heard you can also winter sow Petunias but I did these indoors and are really enjoying them too!

[sdambr]

Luigiwu, fantastic! My blanket flowers were a bust. Had lots of luck with many others; violas, petunias, dianthus, daylillies, sunflowers, lettuces and more.

[luigiwu]

Beautiul viola!
My coreopsis came back this year (though in a diff. spot) I need to learn how to save seeds finally!!

[sdambr]

Really beautiful, save those!