Here in NE CO my Columbine sort of self-seeds itself from time to time, so I would say it "should" WS fine. I would not cover the seeds at all tho. My Munstead var. Lavender has self seeded a little bit. I remember reading on a seed packet to NOT cover the seed and NOT use your best garden soil. Like many herbs, Lavender is quite happy in a loose, gravelly kind of soil. (Here, anyway...) Best wishes!

Muffy, I have wintersown both the Columbine and Lavender successfully.

There are some things that are better sown in the spring, like late April, because they will germinate too early and then be killed off by a late frost. These include things like zinnias, marigolds, basil, sunflowers, and a few others that I can't think of right now.

Check out the link below. There are excellent lists of things that can be wintersown.

Once you try wintersowing, you'll wonder why you ever tried to grow seeds any other way!

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Wintersown.org

Hi Muffy we are close in zones too. I ws my columbine and it worked great. We had a lot of snow last winter and the containers were covered most of the winter. Which was good the neighbors didnt have to look at milk jugs all over the yard. PS your bubble is going out today. The seeds I included can be ws Have fun....Smile

I winter sowed both columbines and lavender. In fact I winter sow both every year.

Lavender.

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Columbines.

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Both may take two years to bloom.

Don (dem_pa)

Dem pa you always have the best pictures. You and Tiffy! Barb

Muffy, wsing is the only way i have been able to get lavender to grow. my columbunes are like irisgirls, they self sow. this year i'm going to ws columbines, to see if they will germinate. i have no dought they will. once you try it you'll never go back.

Thanks for all the advice and rosepedal thank you for the seeds! I'm really excited to try winter WSing. Dem_pa your columbines are very unusual and beautiful! The white and purple doubled ones in the last picture are so striking!

Thanks again everyone!
Muffy

For those who needs alternative method of growing columbines is to treat them with GA-3/ giberrelic acid, read more on JL Hudson website/. Works like a charm and does not need cold to germinate. I do that with those " special" columbines that might be too rare or too expensive where I want sure success.

Hello,
when exactly do I WS lavender? now, in late Nov/early Dec.? or should I wait a bit? also, does it matter that I will get 20-30 inches of rain between now and April?
thanks,
Dan

Columbine seeds have germinated well for me. I ws them anytime after solstice. They can be irregular germinators. I had some that didn't germinate until later in the summer, others were germinated early.

Columbine are slow and irregular for me, too, when wintersown. When fresh, dropped right from the plant, they come up everywhere, like weeds.

I have WSown lavender, too, but my germination rate isn't that high. Then they don't survive winters in my clay soil.

Karen

Both Lavender 'Vera' and 'Munstead' wintersowed ok, but now re-seed almost too well here. Had best germination with 'Munstead' via moist coffee filter/baggie method around X-Mas. As soon as radicals (first root) emerged (beginning within 7 days) they were pricked out and potted up (buried just beneath the surface)in individual 2" pots and re-inserted into baggies until first sign of green emerged. Gave seedlings a pinch to encourage side shoots once there was 4-5 sets of true-leaves. I started taking them out in early April when plants were about 4-5" tall (they grow slowly) and had planted all in ground by end of April.
I've wintersown Columbine two years in a row; with low germination in both attempts....just my experience.

Here up north I have had excellent germination with both these plants, when winter sown in February. I kept the Columbines in the containers all summer, planted them out in Fall and they bloomed this summer. Unfortunately, they were attacked by some little green caterpillars which I got rid of with my ammonia solution. I planted out 18 plants of Lavender Munstead and they all died. Will try again this winter.

Last year I wsed 3 types of columbine-barlow,harlequin and william guinness on 3/25 they germinated on 4/27 5/1 and 5/4 good germination rate planted out plenty looking forward to these this spring.

I also did lavender no luck for me the only notes I could find on these said "skanky" so I guess they really bit the dust will try again.

Annette

Northener, those might be leaf miners. They strip the leaves from the columbine but the roots do not die and plants should grow again in the spring and bloom.

Lavender is one of those plants that need more attention from me regarding placing, etc. My one ws sprout was still around this fall but is quiet small. One year I direct sowed English lavender which bloomed well but is not hardy in this zone.

If I remember correctly, my Columbine was one of the very last to sprout. Just about the time I was going to give up on it, it finally sprouted. I think it caught those "she's gonna dump me" vibes, and got off it's lazy butt and grew. If yours are late sprouting, wave your hands over the flat and think to yourself "I'm gonna dump you", repeating it a few times, then give it a week or two and see what happens.