"... of course we could be in the 40s too." Having said that, you now know why some can winter sow in the months of March and April. I still get snowstorms in March, and frosts don't end here until the end of April. Others experience milder and warming temperatures.

"... baking at that time of year?" Yep, with temps of 70s into the 80s you'll definitely have to keep an eye on your containers at that time. When things start warming up we all watch those containers like hawks! :O)

After a few years of doing this, some of us have developed our little quirks and quarks about when and how we winter sow, but the idea is the same. For example, I find I have greater success when I winter sow starting in mid-February going into March. I am meticulous about what the outside temps have to be for a few days following the initial placing of the containers outside. But that's just me.

Welcome to winter sowing and may you have great success!!

Hi Carol,
My March/April is way different than your March/April, but I'm still zone 6 : )
Anyway, I do seeds that don't need a winter chill, like many annuals, at the end of winter. Perennials I start at the end of Jan./beginning of Feb. Many of those do need a winter chill to germinate and some just have better rates of germination that way. Oh and annuals/veggies(like lettuce and cabbage family stuff) that will germinate with low temps, I sow by the beginning of March so they will pop up at the earliest possible time.
Hope that helps a bit,
Remy
Remy

Because I got sidetracked with a new job in December, I didn't get around to wsing anything until April (zone 7/8 west TX). I just kept everything under a mesquite tree which gave them dappled sun and watered.

As for needing seeds, around this time and in the next few months/weeks, there are tons of newbie seed offers over on the seed exchange section, I think there are a few offers in the exchange section of this forum as well. You will find many that are willing to enable you :)

I guess I'm a little confused then too. If I should wait until March or April to WS I might as well start the seeds in the ground and save myself a lot of trouble. I thought everyone started winter sowing in December to have plants by April/May.

Hi guys,

Just because you are seeing records of winter-sowing in April and May doesn't mean everyone STARTS in April and May. I'd say most of start in January & February, with some starting in December and perhaps even earlier for seeds that need warm-cold-warm stratification.

A lot of us sow so much that we are *still sowing* into April and May (not just starting), and I know I wait on some things until that time to sow. Yes, in some areas you can direct sow at that time, but for me personally, it comes down to control - I have a lot more control over seeds sown in containers than I do with seeds that are direct broadcast over a bed.

:)
Dee

Carol B., Not all Zone 6es are created equal. Here in my Massachusetts Zone 6, we often still have snow in March and April (although not last winter, it was an anomaly, just like everything else about the weather this year). Not just on the ground, but falling from the sky. And freezing temps. So even though technically, April is not winter (March is, until March 21), I still consider it winter sowing.

Like Dee said, I had so many seeds to sow last year that I started in early February and didn't finish till the end of March. We had a strange January this year, but if we hadn't had temps then that fluctuated so widely, I would have started in January.

I've looked at the Zone 6 database too, and there are a few there that were started in March or April, but there are plenty that were started in December, January and February.

Winter sowing is a very adaptable method. You do what works for you. The database is not a mandate, it's just a record of what worked (and what didn't work) previously for a certain group of winter sowers who kept records. Do your winter sowing when your weather is cold, whenever that is.

Alison

I start all my perennials in December and January (sometimes as early as Thanksgiving), and even some of the hardy annuals go out that early. All Frost tolerant veggies in March and tender veggies in late April and May. I do direct sow some too but I find in a container they have half a chance of survival before the earwigs or slugs get them when they first sprout. This way I get get them bigger before I plant.

Vera

proudgm---people winter sow in Dec.-Jan. mostly for perennials that need cold stratification, not to have plants in April. Plants will germinate when "they" think it is right. If you want to start plants in Jan. to have plants in April you'll need a greenhouse or start them under lights inside.
Duane

I start with my perennials 12/21. This project is for ME, so I sow as I need to scratch my gardening itch. I keep going with containers of everything through March when things start germinating in Columbus, Ohio. I hold off on a few sensitive annuals until March/April, but continue sowing all kinds of perennials through July. The late sown perennials are set for fall plantout.

We all use the term "Winter Sowing" because the technique basically refers to sowing seeds, outside, in the winter months. But the technique serves just as well for the other seasons of the year, with some adaptations. Like others have said, perennials, especially those that need cold strat, are usually started in December/January. The process continues, mostly with annuals, on into the months of spring (and summer) - call it "spring sowing", "summer sowing", etc. The idea of sowing seeds in recyclable containers - outside - remains the same thru all the seasons.

A lot of the success with WSing, in any season, depends on knowing your climate conditions. My first year, I went all out, and threw EVERYTHING out there between December and March. I had great success, but that was mostly due to the fact that we had an extremely mild winter that year. In subsequent years, I've learned that seeds will germinate when they are good and ready; sometimes, if put out too early, some of them will rot. So I've taken to sowing my annuals and hot season veggies closer to the end of winter - in late March usually. And by then, a lot of the seeds put out earlier have germinated, grown and are ready to be planted out.

If you're looking to have a full-blown garden by April-May, then, as Duane says, you're probably better off sowing your seeds inside. And having to deal with that whole tedious process of hardening off, etc., and the (possible) death of your seedlings due to damp-off or any number of other things.

If you're looking for an easy, realatively effortless way to grow a ton of plants, use the WS technique. You will have plants in April/May, just perhaps not the big, blooming plants like those grown under lights or bought from the nursery. But you will have strong, healthy, hardy plants that will catch up to and outgrow those others in no time at all. And while you may have to wait a bit for flowers, when those others poop out, your WS plants will be blooming their fool heads off.

You can still do your plants inside, or direct sow - all of these methods work well. But give WS a chance. I think you will be very plesantly surprised.

PV

I'm trying to digest all of this.

So - I should plant my perennials in or around Dec., my annuals in maybe Feb or March or April?

I realize that conditions are different from one place to the next, and with all that I've read so far I have to ask - will someone please advise me on when I should winter sow my tomato and pepper seeds in middle Tennessee zone 6. (but please don't rehash the tomato thing) lol.

Oh you all will get so tired of all my questions! LOL

Carol B

Carol, traditionally, December winter sowing is done after the solstice on the 21st. What are your temperatures in December compared to January? Does it get warm enough in December for anything to sprout? Would things be in danger of sprouting and then getting hit by too much cold? A lot of perennial sprouts will survive a cold snap in their little greenhouses, but if you are sowing anything iffy for your zone you might not want to take the chance on them getting zapped by a prolonged freeze.

Sorry I can't help on the tomatoes and peppers question.