Winter Sowing with Susan's in the Garden (2024) #3 

Love winter sowing. Feeds the soul every year!

Thank you for the lists! Second year I've been in Zone 5b. Last year, I wintered sowed with some success. Winter sowing is new to me. I used to live in a zone that provided me about 300 days of gardening. Quite a change!

What a great list! Thank you ❤

I have successfully winter-sown for four years, and I'd recommend spraying some water on the top of the soil with a spray bottle just before sealing the jug, and also wrapping the tape completely around the jug so there is a good seal and there are no air gaps. Thanks for providing a list of recommended seeds for planting this way. :)

It’s fun! I started last year in NH and I love it!

I got a garden marker this year they were selling it with tags.

Winter sowing was made for me! My first attempt was somewhat successful. I've potted up volunteers for years, so this suits my habit! Peace and Blessings Susan and everyone 🌻

Thanks Susan, I made notes of your recommended seeds to plant. I tried it last year with some mixed results but I do think it's a great way to get some of the hardier plants an even earlier start. We can get gusty winds here so I do put my jugs in a deep tray and sometimes water from below and that worked well too. We're due for some colder weather today before it finally gets a little warmer. Hope you and Bill are keeping warm!

I had limited success a number of years ago;but you got me interested to try again. I can only start a few things indoors and prefer to do warmer crops so this will help a lot with cooler crops. Thanks

I live in Alberta and I am kind of excited to try this.😊 If you write on the tape with your sharpie, instead of directly onto the plastic, the label will stay on longer and it’s easier.😊

Thank you Susan. You work so hard to bring us along with you as you prepare for each season in the garden. If we all lived closer, you might find a team of helpers in the garden.🥰

Thank you for such a thorough tutorial, Susan! The only things I do differently, is I opt for white duct tape, and I write on it before I put the tape on around the jug. Also, if it gets warm in the spring, I open up the whole jug and can close it again with a piece of tape if I need to. That way, I can reuse the jugs next year, like you do. 😊

I did this last year after reading about it and will start planting again in the next few days. About 1/4 of the 90 jugs I planted failed. I did not think that was too bad. I had used some old seeds, especially peas, so I did not feel too bad. It was fun to do ad really did give me a head start.

Great job❤

I’ve tried and (mostly) failed twice, maybe I’ll give it another go this year. Also have you ever tried the Garden Marker? It’s supposed to hold up to UV and elements.

Wish you had shown planting in one of the alternate containers you showed at the beginning, I have stacks of those, but no jugs. Wondering how many holes to punch in the lid, or maybe just one big one, similar to size on the jug? Also surprised zinnias could be sown…would think they’d rot in the cold and wet conditions.

Lol, Definitely wouldn’t use my Gingher scissors 😂 I’m waiting to WS. Last year January in Z5, WI we had Extremely warm weather and rain. Most either rotted or prematurely germinated and froze. Hot and cold in whiplash fashion. This winter that warm month happened in December and winter arrived this January as we had 20” snow and now below zero. However January thaw is happening next week and back into the upper 30s-With rain possible. I looked at last year’s notes as I jot down weather notes and noticed mid February the seeds were swelling and 3 days later it snowed. I think that one early change did many WS projects in. So I’m waiting to see if the thaw will be brief. I do know we are between some nearby areas of higher and lower zone pockets. Some don’t have room or equipment to grow inside and have seen some successfully grow warm season crops by WS’g. I know soil temp is of more concern with those crops. I think I’ve read or seen they will catch up in time and produce in time. It could depend on growing zone and of course they would need to be WS’d later like April for Z5. About peppers-read to take off all flowers and fruit for the first month to let the plant establish roots and stems and then let it fruit. They say the fruit will ripen faster also. I’m going to try this and some in low tunnel into fall as that’s when our peppers are really kicking into production and then they freeze. So I’m not sure what will be most beneficial to get those peppers to the finish line-remove flowers for a month, early growing, soil warming in low tunnel and extended protection in fall? The thing about fall is less light and last fall the broccoli didn’t move much after less daylight in low tunnel. A lot of fun to WS and I think I need to wait to start in my location so I don’t have a repeat of last year.

Thank you for producing such an informative and nicely-paced video. I have what is probably a silly question....Will the seeds start germinating when conditions are right for those individual seeds, in terms of temperature, light, etc? Is the point of winter sowing to get a jump on the Spring growing season (rather than planting the seeds in the ground later in Spring)? Thank you in advance.

Love this! Your friend from Ohio😊 I need to find some water jugs!!!!!

Hello from Madrid, Spain. We don't have those large milk containers here. How about clear plastic water bottles? Would it work? Thanks ❤

I love winter sowing! When I was searching for videos on winter sowing a few years ago, your videos came up and have been so helpful. You are a wonderful teacher! I have had success winter sowing tomatoes and peppers. The early girl and cherry tomatoes are ripe in July. The peppers take longer, but I have a good fall harvest. Winter sowing tomatoes and peppers might be a disadvantage if you have a shorter growing season. The plants are small at first but healthy, and grow fast when planted in the ground. I would like an earlier harvest for peppers. I might consider starting those indoors. I do not have grow lights. Do you think they would do well in a sunny window?

I’ve winter sown seeds for the past several years and have shared short clips on my RU-vid page. Well, this yr my soil is FROZEN & delaying me! Silly me! I put my new bag of soil in the garage and it’s hard as a rock here in Indiana (19 degrees).

Can you share what other seeds you out in your jugs? Just curious 😊

Susan, we are looking at using this method to start seeds for our spring plant sale. I'm in zone 7b-8 but i was wondering in your zone about what month do you see seedlings emerge for transplant.

I heat the top of a screwdriver on the stove and it melts the plastic to put holes In very easily.

Thank you for sharing your tips for winter sowing. I have seen several videos where growers say to not use a seed starting mix but to use potting soil as it has nutrients in it. Which one is best or does it really matter?

Thank you Susan. I’m trying winter sowing for the first time this year. I’m in zone 6a according to the new USDA guidelines, but I’m in 5900’ elevation in the Eastern Sierra right on the border of high desert, my last frost date is June 20, first frost date September 6, so very short growing season. What zone and first and last frost dates are you working with?

I assume that if you Don't have raised beds you just place them southward where they won't blow over

I'm going to politely disagree with one point of this video. I think it is important for the soil to have some nutrition in it. The seedlings grow beyond the true leaf stage before being planted out and can benefit from feeding. I have started sunflowers and poppies so far. We aren't going through milk as fast as I would like LOL