Winter Sowing Seeds in Zone 6: Update
Winter Sowing Seeds in Zone 6: Update
An update on how the winter sowing of vegetable and herb seeds are doing in my Zone 6, Ohio garden.
Related Videos:
Winter Sowing Vegetable & Herb Seeds (how-to): https://youtu.be/Rc73y7IH6A8
Growing Brassicas from Seed: https://youtu.be/QdfHKJWpdes
Growing Overwintered Onions: https://youtu.be/L6e3HL0XHLo
Vegetables That Will Survive the Winter (for extra early harvests): https://youtu.be/Goa4FtgUFvQ
00:00 Intro
00:14 A Peak into the Milk Jugs – What’s Growing?
01:21 Some thoughts on the winter sowing process so far
03:29 Comparison to my seeds which were started indoors
04:41 BONUS- A peak at a few of my overwintered crops
#zone6gardening #ohiogardening
Hi, love your channel. I’ve been wintersowing for several years here in 6B KY. Definitely cover your seedlings when it’s below 30. I’ve lost many in the past because I didn’t. I just keep a blanket by them now because I know there will be many nights I will need to cover between now and end of April. Glad your doing this wintersowing experiment, I think you’ll be very impressed with how healthy and tough the plants are. And no need to harden off the seedlings is so nice.
Where did you get your greenhouse from?
I am covering with a double layer of tarp and just weighing it down. I have over 60 jugs of winter sowing and they are so precious. The last two frost nights they did really well. I’m doing a comparison of the cabbage now, the ones outside and neck and neck with my inside seedlings.
Great catch up video……. Appreciate you. This time of year is a mad dash to cover uncover water don’t water sew don’t sew yet. I don’t know about you….. but I love it
Thanks for the update! It’s my first year winter sowing and I’m glad to have someone else in OH to compare results to. Mine have been kicking butt and the only time I covered them is this weekend – due to our lovely OH temp swings. So far, they’ve handled the chilly nights just fine without cover but I expect that having had a longer string of sunny days in the 60s then dropping down to 30 and cloudy (and snowing!) for a few days at a time would kill off the tender plants.
You do a great job of explaining your seed starting timelines. I’m definitely going to follow your broccoli/cauli advice for next season. Can’t wait to start those tomatoes on April 1!
I only tried this this year and I have not covered mine at nite and we’ve had snow and temps in low 20’s and they are doing fine.
Hello Jenna!
Nights in Zagreb, Croatia are still cold and below freezing but I don’t cover my WS containers at all and they are going really fine. But I sow mostly flowers and herbs. Brassicas are sowed inside and in sort of greenhouse. Good luck!
I’m getting some sprouts on my winter sowed seeds too. I’m considering covering mine as well since the temps are dropping her in zone 7a this weekend. Thanks Jenna!!!
How about doing a control group like a lot of experiments do? Do you plant Brussel Sprouts?
Everything is looking good.
Since I moved here at the beginning of winter, I feel like I’m behind on everything. But I tell myself not to stress. II did get garlic in and it made it through the winter just fine. I have beets and spinach in the ground now and tomato starts just seeded in trays today. I know it seems late, but it can get frost here in May. Once I catch up on things hopefully I can do more.
I’d cover them all!!
I never cover my milk jugs here in zone 4a NNY. Last year I planted 45 jugs and 25 seedling survived. I lost the 20 because of that green fungus or algae that killed the seedlings. If I had covered the seeds with vermiculite and drilled drain holes around the sides of the bottoms (the actual bottoms had holes in them), I might not have lost so many. Just a guess. Last year I started them in Jan/Feb. I thought it might have been too early so this year I wanted to wait for April 1st. But, it got too warm to fast. So I rolled my little greenhouse to the patio and started the seeds in normal containers. But I did start two jugs of Larkspur and buried them in what snow was left. All my cold weather crops did very well in the jugs last year.Next year I’ll start in Feb/Mar. Might be a better time here. My Thyme, Italian Sage, and German Chamomile all came back this spring that I transplanted from the jugs last year. Enjoyed, take care!
Jenna, silly question, is there a time that is too early to fill containers for container soil or fill new raised beds with fresh soil mixture? If I’m over a month from planting outdoors, will the soil life loose nutrients and minerals essential to the plants? Should I wait just before planting season to put fresh soil in these containers & raised bed or is okay to fill them early before planting.
My tomatoes and annual type flowers have sprouted. I moved those jugs in to my unheated garage for the next 4-5 days with a low in the upper teens. I left my kale, onions out in the open. We shall see! I lost some last year so I’m learning from that and adjusting this year.
I moved my winter sowing jugs into my unheated greenhouse.
I am diggin the hat!!! 🙂
Yes….fertilize your WS seedlings with a 1/2 strength soluble fertilizer. Your plants are just at the point that you can start fertilizing.
I had zero success with this – I tried for 3 years — zone 6B on the east coast of Canada — way too rainy / windy/ icy / snowy– too many freeze thaw cycles. I’ll be interested to see how they pace along with the indoor sewn seedlings. Thanks for the update!
I have winter sown for a few years. Beginning when i lived zone 5b. Now in 6a. Your milk jugs will be fine if you leave the tape on. They may yellow a bit but will come back. Last year i planted “old seeds” of tomatoes in the jugs. I thought they were not coming up. But at the proper time they sprouted! And i ended up having so many tomatoes i gave them away! I also do perennial flowers in the jugs too. It works just like the tomatoes. They sprout at their own proper time. Everything does seem to catch up well too when i transplant. Keep on trying things! It is a great method. I plan to keep trying new things in the milk jugs in the future too! I enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work. 😊
Came to see your winter sowing update…seeing your overwintered area was a huge bonus.🤩 I had mesclun mix overwinter on accident. We had a LEGIT winter season. Lots and lots of snow, (that stayed), several sub zero temps, lots of below freezing temps, and they made it!! The area was heavily mulched and covered with a DIY low tunnel w/ 6mm plastic. The only reason I left it was because it snowed and things froze before I could take it down. 😂 Snow truly does help insulate! It was awesome to experience firsthand, even if it was a happy little accident.
I winter sow my alpine strawberries in milk jugs and the only thing I do is tape around where I cut the jugs.It drop to the lows 20’s and they did fine. Happy gardening
I Jenna, just came across your channel. Wanted to let you know this was my first-year winter sowing. I started mine in the red solo cups placed into the big plastic storage containers. It just made more sense to me and very convenient if I needed to water. As it turned out my little babies are kicking butt and I’ve only had to water twice. I’m a 75-year-old woman who’s been gardening for about 50 years now, I just followed the old timer’s way of doing this. No need to cover the containers, the most important thing is making sure they stay watered but not soaked. I can’t wait to get them in my new raised bed!! enjoyed your channel and have subscribed too.
I like the hat … yee haw!! LOL
Awesome video. Love this time of year. Are you leaving your Brassica seedlings inside the greenhouse when night temps dip below freezing?
Looks great, looks like the next 4 nights here in Delaware County Ohio are gonna be ruff!!! Row covers in place, fingers crossed!!
I planted potatoes in chicken wire towers on 3/17 and 3/21 in NE Ohio. We are in a winter storm warning right now on 3/27, with temps as low as 19 F and 2 inches of snow. Several days in a row will be well below freezing. I covered the potato towers with 30-gal trash cans (black plastic) and am hoping for the best!
💙🤍💛💜❤🧡💚
Looks like your Winter sowing was mostly successful. I have yet to try it. I fertilize my seedlings once, sometime prior to transplanting, with half strength, Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed liquid fertilizer. Killer hat by the way!
Another great video with such great info. You have convinced me to try winter gardening next year.
Great video, very helpful in 6b
Where did you get the white stands for your brassicas in the green house? Looks like those brassicas perferred the green house method for seed starting.🤔
I do it almost exactly the same… But I use 2 liter soda bottles, because I don’t drink milk. Lol
They are calling for low twenties the beginning of next week in Central PA and I am concerned about my snow peas that are 3" tall. I already have trellis up and no good way to cover them, unless I try and bury them in straw… thoughts?
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Great update, I have green too but sadly I think it’s going to die. Next 5 nights hard freeze and snow again 19F is the low Monday night. By next Wednesday back to 50s during day. Going to try and cover with a blanket and hope for the best.
Hey Jenna I am sorry I know I have bugged you about potatoes before . I planted my potatoes in large 60 gallon buckets .. we just got snow and it’s supposed to continue for a few days .. will I lose them ? Should I drag them in ?
Hi Jenna! This is Lauren from the Domesticated Gardener. This was my first year winter sowing. I did not do vegetables, but did do loads of perennials. Things are popping, so that’s exciting but I do have some reservations. First off, like you said, fertilizing. I always start with a half strength root builder when my seedlings have a few sets of true leaves. I can’t do that with winter sowing. Second, I am big on pinching things back – can’t do that either. But I do think winter sowing is easy for people that don’t have grow lights. It’s better than nothing right? I will continue to do it – but I’m still happy with my hands on approach.
What kind of skull is in you greenhouse? A ground hog?
Another great video – thanks. I start my winter sowing seeds in December, but have never had much luck with brassicas. Your winter garden looks amazing! Forgot to mention I’m in zone 7B.
Interested to see what happens to them after Monday! I currently see 19 as the low on Monday morning…
We put out some lettuce / cabbage / broccoli already but I don’t feel as attached to it since we bought starts this year. They are under a fleece layer…we will see what happens to them!
Your brassicas in the greenhouse look great compared to mine under grow lights. I still have problems with them even watering and spraying them the hydrogen peroxide. So frustrating. Parsley, celery, peppers, tomatoes all good so far but not brassicas. Cabbage MEH, cauliflower not so good, and broccoli horrible. I planted some outside under plastic and they look good so far. I’m fertilizing with the same stuff you are from gardens alive. Not very scientific with the hydrogen peroxide mainly because I’ve watched different videos and everyone seems to suggest different ratios so I just squirt some in with my water. Oh well it will all work out in the end. Just a week or two later than I was hoping for. Maybe I’ll try winter sowing next year.
I dont fertilize when they babys , i could shure use your baby onions lol! But yeah got some lettuce growing and turnup things straight sow into ground hands off letter grow type seeds is my favorite 😍 ! Making the smallest moves with the biggest impact for my garden anymore gotta use brains 🧠 when you get older
Jenna, you done good.
Nice small skull collection lol.
Winter sowing does not make earlier transplants. I do it because I don’t have an indoor option. Yes I will cover the containers that have sprouts when the weather dips into the 20’s. Thanks for the update!
I absolutely love your channel, especially because I’m in Ohio as well! I’m newish to veggie gardening so your information is very helpful! Where did you get your greenhouse shown at 4:07? Did you build it or buy it outright?
Digging the hat Jenna. Has a southwest flair to it.
I would do it. The experiment. Half anf half.
We thought about it, but, well I am looking at your result and we are right there with you straight to soil, so I think the zone difference indicates we really don’t need to do it, other than for self-amusment. (For anyone reading this, Jules and Beth are in zone 7b.)
Oh goodness. Indoor brassicas are kicking butt.
Thanks for the demo Jenna. Good stuff.
🐟🐟🐟☀️👊👍
I’m curious about covering them this weekend, too. I’m only winter sowing native perennials and know that they are built for cold weather, but I’m still nervous since it’s getting down to 20 degrees Sunday night.