I had enormous success with winter sowing last year with all of my seeds except those designated “surface sow” which require sunlight exposure to germinate (right??)
I imagine I was just doing it wrong. Does anyone have any tips or best practices for surface germinating seeds? Specifically for winter sowing in containers left outside in the snow
Thank you!
NW Michigan zone 6
Will attach a photo of this year’s lineup too. So exciting!
by Durham62
5 Comments
I’ve always had a hard time with these varieties as well. Commenting for exposure.
did you use milk jugs? They help protect the seeds from moving, among other things. Seeds in open containers can easily wash away with a little rain.
I always push the soil through fine (1/4 inch) hardware cloth/mesh to make it finer. Tamp it down slightly and let it be moist a while before making it as smooth as you can and adding seeds.
Cover with a lid and be gentle with spraying when watering.
I just put the seeds on my damp potting soil and gently pressed them down for good contact. Taped the lids shut and let them be until spring.
Last year was my first year and I had really good germination rates that way so I’ll do it again this year.
hmm I wonder if you could put some clear plastic wrap or something over the ones that need light instead of the top half of the jug. otherwise i’d just remove the top once we start getting into warmer temps. you could put it somewhere slightly protected so rain doesnt splash your seeds away. the tip about using screened soil and tamping it down is good, or sometimes I use a layer of sand on top of the soil, and water really gently with a spray bottle or mister setting if they get dry.