13 Feb 2010
WINTER SOWING
Learn to Winter Sow
Liza is trying to Winter Sow for the first time. She took milk jugs, water bottles any clear plastic container, cut them about 3/4 around, punched hole’s in each side to allow closing using pipe cleaner. Used a seed growing medium, scattered some seeds in them. She labeled each one and placed them out along the garden fence in the cold. You do not cover them. The plan is that the seeds will go through the same cycle they would if they had fallen on the ground and gone through the winter. When warm weather comes the bottles will act like mini cold frames and help the germination process. Most of the seeds were seeds from our garden or through seed swapping. You can check out wintersown.org for specific directions…
Here is Liza’s list of what she has sown so far.
WINTER SOWING
A Soul mate Butterfly weed
A-l Pink Colada Phlox l4-l6”
B Hardy Hibiscus White
B-1 Pink Phlox
C Pink Coneflower
c-1 Purple & white Datura 2008 lw seed
D Hardy Hibiscus Red
D-1 Purple Datura from swap
E Rudbeckia Cherokee Sunset (Dave)
E-l Tall Mix Morning Glories
F Eryngium blue glitter (Sea Holly)
F-1 Purple Cleome
G Echinacea White Swan
H Pink Cone Flower
I Monarda Red
J Monarda Purple
J Monkey Grass
K Pink Bee Balm
L Blanket Flower
M Pink Aster
N Gaillardia blanket flower
O Gaillardia Golden goblin all yellow short l2” plant from swap
P Tall purple Phlox (lw)
This weekend we are going to try some more. Vegetables like Broccoli and other cold climate vegetables and a few other flowers. Some of what we are trying may not need to go through the cold process but we are trying everything. We do have a couple of Hoop Houses we could set up when it warms up a little and we may do that. We will be also starting some plants inside like we have always done. Time will tell what worked and what did not but it will all be in fun and a good learning experience..
I realize I have not posted much lately. Will be posting more now that we are back from Florida . Also now have a high-speed connection in Florida but will have to refine it a little more next trip down.
NOW THAT IS YEAR ROUND GARDENING
Felicia
February 13th, 2010 at 10:24 ampermalink
I did some winter crop planting last October. In my raised beds, I planted spinach, turnips, radishes, bak choi, and garlic. I know the garlic will make it. Everything came up and showed permanent true leaves. As of one complete thaw we had, everything still looked good although the baby radishes had pushed up out of the soil. Then snow cover again. So, we’ll see.
Good luck on your winter crops.
Beth
February 13th, 2010 at 11:38 ampermalink
very interesting, looking forward to progress updates!
Christina
February 13th, 2010 at 11:42 ampermalink
Wow you are going to have a beautiful garden this summer. I hope you post lots and lots of pictures!
Good to Grow
February 13th, 2010 at 3:54 pmpermalink
As someone who is never going to have to deal with those conditions I’m amazed and facinated at the idea of this type of sowing! I’ll be watching with great interest as things progress.
Heidi
February 14th, 2010 at 2:55 ampermalink
I’ve just got to try this some time. It sure doesn’t seem like it would work, but so many people do it that it must!
RobinL
February 14th, 2010 at 7:12 pmpermalink
HI Felicia: It works for Mother Nature so don’t see why it wont work for us.
Have a great evening,
Dad
jwlw
February 14th, 2010 at 7:23 pmpermalink
High Beth: A lot of your plantings should make it, snow cover is good. Protects the plants from the cold. I am sure you will do a post showing the results, looking forward to it.
Have a wonderfull Evening,
John
jwlw
February 14th, 2010 at 7:28 pmpermalink
HI Christina: Not to late for you to try. Round up some containers and set them out side.
Have a Good Evening,
Dad
jwlw
February 14th, 2010 at 7:34 pmpermalink
Good Evening Liza TPL: Guess you cant do winter Sowing where you are but if the weather keeps changing you may be able to.
Have a Good Evening,
John
jwlw
February 14th, 2010 at 7:37 pmpermalink
HI Heidi: Don’t say never, the way the global weather patterns are changing you never know what next. Yes we will be doing a post or two showing the results.
Enjoy your Evening,
John
jwlw
February 14th, 2010 at 7:42 pmpermalink
HI Robin: Welcome to Liza and Johns Garden. Try it you will find that it does work.
Enjoy the Evening,
John
jwlw
February 14th, 2010 at 7:57 pmpermalink
That’s a lot of containers you guys have going there! I hope you;ll have success! It seems like a lot of work to me–but I have never tried it…yet. I’ve been ‘thinking’ about it, for another year;-0
Jan (ThanksForToday)
February 14th, 2010 at 8:38 pmpermalink
HI Jan: Not any more work than starting seeds inside or waiting until spring and sowing outside.
Have a gread day,
John
jwlw
February 14th, 2010 at 9:51 pmpermalink
True, John…you’re probably right about that. I was just looking at the snow and thinking I’d rather wait until I could just do it directly in the dirt;-) Thanks for visiting. Jan
Jan (ThanksForToday)
February 14th, 2010 at 9:56 pmpermalink
That is impressive! I love the idea, but haven’t started it yet. Liza doesn’t do things half hearted I see- I hope you have a bumper crop!
Ilona
February 20th, 2010 at 4:06 ampermalink
here in ga. many plants left to mature seed in the autumn
give amazing results, all by themselves. kale, late lettuce,
even a very hardy habanero have produced many seedlings
to transplant out. usually frozen hard ground without benefits of
snow cover… my coneflower bed had expanded over the
years from 5-6 plants to huge proportions. mostly i give away
the many seedlings
nature does it all the time
johanna-lea
February 21st, 2010 at 3:50 pmpermalink
HI Ilona: Your right Liza does things full blast no half way. We will also be starting seeds inside this week. Weather permitting will be setting up some small hoop houses soon. Some Rose bushes on order and I keep being asked where I am going to but the new bed for them. Sound familiar, bet the handyman would have a comment about that.
Have a good evening,
john
jwlw
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:17 pmpermalink
Hi Joanne: Near as I can tell we are better off down here in NH than your are in Georgia. Our place in Florida has had freezing weather and so have you. We are use to dealing with the cold and have learned to roll with the punches. Reports coming out of some areas in Canada say they are having a mild winter. how do you figure that? anyways with the cool weather you should have good lettuce and kale cops.
Have a great evening,
John
jwlw
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:27 pmpermalink
Liza has certainly been busy! I look forward to seeing updates. Your garden really is going to be lovely this summer.
Jayne
March 6th, 2010 at 10:56 pmpermalink
HI Jayne: Most of the snow here is gone, frost still in the ground. Expect at least another couple of weeks before frost goes out. Then perhaps Spring and then Summer. Hopefully not like last year.
Have a great day,
John
jwlw
March 7th, 2010 at 8:43 ampermalink
I went nuts on winter sowing this year since I have a new garden to establish. It’s sooo easy! Thank you for the good recommendation for gardeners.
Karyl
March 9th, 2010 at 8:41 ampermalink
HI Karyl: Welcome to our garden. First year winter sowing for us, won’t be long now that we will begin seeing the results.
Enjoy your evening,
John
jwlw
March 9th, 2010 at 7:42 pmpermalink