First, anything you start inside will have to be aclimatized to the outdoors. No doubt. Even sprouts.

Some of the sprouts being reported by my fellow winter sowers at this time are used to the frosts and cool temps which they will face in the next little while. You are effectively germinating at room temps and bringing outside where the weather is still cold at times. No-go.

Whether we winter sow in December or February sometimes really doesn't matter. The December seeds won't necessarily germinate any earlier or by much earlier. But when they do they will be as strong as an ox and will not fail you if sown at the right times. By right times I mean perennials first, hardy/reseeding annuals and tender perennials next, then tender annuals.

If you don't have enough space inside then do try some winter sowing. Your weather in Massachussets is more than ideal at this time to place a few containers out there.

I'm doing that. BUT, and it's a rather large BUT, our climates are very different. Like tiffy said, the sprouts still need to be hardened off. Mine are in the hoophouse and covered by a shade cloth. They will stay there for a few days before I start giving them only morning sunlight. After a week of that, I'll open it up completely and keep an eye on them during the day, if I can.

Our night time temperatures are in the upper 30s and 40s now with days in the 60s and higher. I just moved my plants out today. Two weeks ago I did the same thing and had to bring everything back in thanks to some 20 degree nights that were in the forecast. It's a real chore to move hundreds of little seedlings even when you have carrying trays. If you want more info, head over to the conversation side of this forum. Seedmama started an indoor growing under lights party. Lots of pictures by me in that thread.

If you want to know my methods, you can email me or visit my blog. There's a link in my profile here at GW. It's a lot of work, really. Wintersowing is so much easier. Next year, I will be wintersowing a lot more. This year, I'm just too impatient.

This is a little different than what you're proposing, but this worked for me:

I have taken a few winter sown sprouts (just varieties I especially wanted) out of their jugs/containers and transplanted them into six packs or pots. (I left the majority of sprouts in the WS containers.) Then, I placed them in a zippered plastic mini greenhouse. In some ways, this can be a pain, as it's time consuming and the plants must be watered. However, I enjoyed the fact that if something something ate my WS babies when I transplanted them, I'd have some backup plants. Also, the plants got larger, as they had their own dedicated pot.

I would think it could work if you let the plants germinate inside first, but you would have to be diligent about bringing them indoors if it gets really cold. Some varieties would be fine, but those that would not naturally germinate this early outside through winter sowing would likely not be cold hardy enough to survive.

Thanks you all! I guess in my heart I knew it was a long shot but thought I'd ask anyway :-)

So, after the first few Cosmos containers, I'm really starting to like this idea and not be as freaked out. I took tiffy's advice and potted up a bunch of poppies (perennials), some columbine (might be too late), and other little things. My next pan is draining in the sink as I write this and that's going to get the alyssum. I really hope this works out. Even if it takes longer than germinating indoors, at least I don't have to worry about light issues and legginess AND it is so amazing that this could possibly work that I guess I have to try it. Working on keeping the expectations really low.

So do the directions on the seed packets still hold - e.g. 14-21 days for germination or should I expect to wait longer? I guess it must mean 14-21 days from when the optimal temperatures are reached in the containers?

Thanks again for all your advice. This is a really great, active and helpful forum.

Amna

Amna, I have gotten hooked on this WS'ing. I have some seeds indoors and I might just let them on their own. I am sick of babying them. I have over 100 containers outside and they take less work than a dozen small cells of seedlings inside.

I am a WS convert for sure!

Karen

Amna,

The info on the seed packets about germination do not matter when you WS your seeds.

Mother nature is in control and those seeds WILL germinate, when she tells them to and not before.

The only info of value on the seeds will be whether the seeds need to be covered with soil or surface sown, and how tall they grow, annual or perennial and the name of the seeds/plant.

You can ignore everything else on the packet.

Any seeds that are sown indoors, no matter how you start them and grow them, must be hardened off. If you don't harden them off, the seedlings will die.

That makes WS so much easier. Your seeds germinate outside when they are supposed to germinate and are automatically hardened off. You get to plant the seedlings when they and you are ready to do so, no need to harden off anything and waste any precious time doing it.

Fran

Oh hell, just throw the seeds on the moist soil. Let the seeds figure it out. They always do.

If you want to study efficiency, watch a successful lazy person.

Hi, Amna - I'm in zone 6 MA too. Last year, I potted up some WS perennials into individual containers to take on my move, which I thought was going to be more imminent than it is. Eventually, as I didn't think they'd survive the winter in small pots outdoors (I've had columbines that have, though!), I brought them into my basement, where I remembered to turn a light on over them and water them periodically - most survived that. I have been in the process of hardening them off. They're living outdoors now, but with the hard freezes we've been having (is it really spring here?), I'm still covering them at night. I wouldn't even think of moving the seedlings I've just started recently outdoors yet. Sorry!

Also in MA...
I did Veggies only INSIDE and every one else outside.
I just planted 6 containers last night..I am now over the 50 mark for any one keeping score!!WOOOHHHOO
I had zero sprouts last sat... By yesterday I have 8 sprouting containers..larkspur,delphiniums,African Daisy,hyssop,alyssum dianthius...and a few other things.

I'd say you could hedge your bets and cold strat anything that really needs it in the freezer before you winter sow since we are getting in to the low 40's some nights and not constantly under 32.

YMMV and clear this with the Veteran sowers this is my 1st yr winter sowing.
Are you near Brockton MA.. I have extra containers...

It's my understanding that when one cold strats a seed inside one uses the fridge not the freezer. Outside it's the freeze/thaw cycle that does the cold strat, not the constant freezing.