Winter sowing - How to

Tools needed: knife, sharpie or paint pen, scissors

1. Choose containers for winter sowing. You can use milk jugs, pop/coke bottles, aluminum baking pans with clear lid, cups, milk creamer bottles etc or anything you think off.

2. Remove the plastic wrapper from the creamer bottle



3. Wash thoroughly and make drainage holes in bottom with knife or soldering iron. Please be careful with knife and not to hurt yourself. Do not forget to make drainage holes in bottle, milk jug, so that water runs off and it may not rot the seeds.



4. Snap the lid off from creamer bottle or take the lid off of soda bottle/milk jug so that it gets rain water.



5. Make a tiny slit in the middle of bottle with knife carefully. Now cut around it with scissors.



Let the lid stay attached.





6. Now fill it with potting mix. water it thoroughly so that water runs off of jug.



7. label the milk jug, bottle inside out with sharpie, I do it inside too so the label stays till the end. You can write the names of the plant or just put number on it and can keep record or journal of it like plant name, height, zone hardy, sowing date etc.



8. Sow seeds on the top and pat it down if seeds are tiny. You can sprinkle little bit of soil too but not needed. Sow seeds deeper if they are bigger. follow the sowing depth instruction given on seed packets.

9. Spray the soil with water if needed.

10. Close the lid with duct tape and it will make a tiny green house. If you don't want to use tape You can put a small hole on both (lid and bottom part) of jug and close it with twisty tie.



11. Keep them out in sunny location were it gets maximum sunlight for quick sprouting. After sprouting seeds if temperature is above 70f you can move it in semi shady location. Make sure bottles may not fly away in wind so keeping them in milk crate or tub is good.

12. Check occasionally during winter months if it needs water. Water it with spray bottle if soil looks dry. You can water jugs from bottom too by keeping jugs in tub and by filling water in it upto 1-2 inch level.

If you want to sow seeds in small quantities you can use creamer, coke bottles, cups and for larger quantities milk jug. If you are using cups you need to place it inside baking pan or tub with clear lid taped. Make sure you don't forget to put drainage holes in bottom and holes on top so that it gets rain water and air exchange takes place.

Winter sowing is done during winter months from January to April. Starting with most hardy and native perennials to less hardy varieties should be sown each month. Annuals should be sown after temperature rises above 50f and it could be done during April - May according to your zone.

Happy Winter sowing!

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