2023 01 07 All the Dirt on Winter Sowing Native Plants

Thank you for the very informative video! I have been growing veggie and flower plants indoors from seed under lights for years but this seems like it would be a whole lot easier. I'm going to give it a try!

I keep the caps but put a lot of holes in them. I do this because we sometimes have heavy rains in winter instead of snow. This allows venting but stops the rain from blasting the seeds in the jug or washing them all to one side. Dripping through the lid allows moisture in and air ventilation in a more controlled manner. It also keep mice out- one year I found two mice had gotten into jugs that were in the most protected corners. I use a soldering iron to do this as well as make the drainage holes. Leave the caps on the jugs while you put several holes in it so you don’t burn your fingers. Maybe this method might be helpful to others like me in SW Ohio where we get less snow these days. Great presentation!

Outstanding!

There is an issue—our temps are too warm the last two winters. We should be cold and stay cold and we are getting rain and 10-20+ degrees warmer than we should be. Last year many seeds started to germinate In winter then they froze. Will try some on east side of building this year to keep them out of direct sun. In February we should be high temps of 20-30 and we are past 60 degrees!😮 I hope one of you addresses my concern as the unusual temps are an issue. You say the sun/shade requirement is for the plant and not the seed and believe this should be corrected. If those artificial environment jugs are set in the sun here they will prematurely germinate and we are nowhere close to spring. These temperatures started increasing from Halloween to Christmas—not decreasing and now January-February we’ve had huge jumps and dives to the extreme. Not one or two days of warm temps but weeks with killing freezes sometimes at night and some nights in the upper 30-40 range. It’s weather I’ve never experienced in Z5a, WI in my whole life. Mother Nature out in the natural environment tells the seeds when to germinate—But these are in an artificial environment! They can sprout too soon with these abnormal warm temps we are having. A plant to far advanced cannot survive freezing temps. I would like to hear from you on what you think could be the answer—set them in the shade and closer to spring full sun?

Also, how do I identify which season the cold stratification? It is not always identified on the seed package.

This is amazing information! I am curious if this works in warmer society? I live in Texas.

Thank you for this information. I’m new to gardening and just learned of winter sowing and seed stratification. Can any seeds -veggie and flowers-be winter sown ( except tubers) (even brassicas, melons, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes). If so, this is a game changer for my spring garden 🪴! How do I find native Maryland plants to add to my garden space? Is there a list available?