Using distilled water bottles I get from work. Homemade soil mix is:
3 parts coco coir
2 parts sand
2 parts perlite
1 part vermiculite
1 part large chicken grit
1 part worm castings
Species list for those interested:
Monarda fistulosa Wild bergamot
Agastache foeniculum Anise hyssop
Geum macrophyllum Large leaved avens
Cleome serrulata Rocky Mountain bee plant
Asclepias speciosa Showy milkweed
Leymus cinereus Giant wildrye
Festuca roemeri Roemers fescue
Angelica arguta Sharptooth angelica
Verbena lasiostachys Western verbena
Aquilegia formosa Western columbine
Monardella odoratissima Coyote mint
Eriogonum umbellatum Sulphur buckwheat
Verbena hastata Blue vervain
Stachys coolea Cooleys hedgenettle
Sidalcea oregana Oregon checkermallow
Oemleria cerasiformis Osoberry
Grindelia stricta Coastal gumweed
Adelinia grandis Pacific Hounds tongue
Danthonia californica California Oatgrass
Luzula subsessilis Prairie Woodrush
by quartzkrystal
21 Comments
Yeah but I’m in zone 5, we already had a couple of light frosts and winter is around the corner. When I procrastinate winter sowing too much we get hit with a surprise snow in November and then it never ends up getting done, lmao
I didn’t sow any seeds yet, but I did prepare all my bottles/totes. Last year, I used a soldering iron to make the holes and it worked out great. But you need to do it outside for proper ventilation cause you don’t want to inhale plastic fumes. And it was so cold! So this year I made sure to do it while the weather was still nice.
Me! I put seed down in my wildflower bed in late September, and I’m about to put down some native grass seed.
why not just plant the seeds where you want them to. You don’t need to artificially stratify them outside.
Naw…just you! LOL. JK.
I’m not there yet. The next items of business for me are food gardening related – prep pepper plants to overwinter and plant garlic.
Trying to resist! Thinking already about Spring 2026 though.
I’m not winter sowing yet but *am* a lil freaky.
I have dirt in about half my jugs, but I’m waiting in sowing the seeds till December after asking in here about it.
Collecting seeds from the yard as they get ready in the meantime so i can use those to plant and hopefully spend less on seeds this time 😬
My fridge is full of baggies with stratifying seeds, and my dining table is a mess full of seeds I’m currently cleaning, so yes.
This is my new favorite way to lazy garden. I’ve been saving all my jugs but I probably won’t actually set them out til December.
Would you mind explaining this method to me? I’m about to do some winter sowing but this looks extremely efficient!
Edit: do you know if it’s worthwhile to use on a large plot of land? Something like 500 square feet?
I collected my seeds. Now I’m hoarding bottles. This will be my first time (northern Virginia). What kind of sand do you use and where do you get it?
I normally wait until the end of December or beginning of January to start my winter sowing. Here in Minnesota, I try and wait until there is a decent snowfall predicted and then put them outside. This timing has worked great for me!
🫡 eight jugs and about twenty types of seeds planted already
So excited to! Have two trash bags full of milk jugs and soda bottles ready to go!
I’m a freak who touches himself while staring at other gardeners jugs! Could you post more pics of your jugs?
It’s too early in most of the Eastern US. You don’t want to risk early germination before winter and have the seedlings freeze
I was today years old when I found out you could, in fact, winter sow BEFORE the first blizzard hits. I might just do it too… normally I winter sow in January and working in my garage when it’s -15F outside sucks
I am California born and raised. I don’t know what winter sowing is
I’m currently going bananas collecting leaves for composting and mulching – and fall planting potted plants
Right? Those surprise snows are the worst! Gotta get that winter sowing done before Mother Nature throws a curveball.