I've winter sowed for a few years and it's the best. Super high germination rates and very hardy seedlings with no diseases like damping off. Best of all you pretty much ignore the containers. Once it warms up you will have to water but that's about it. Gallon plastic milk jugs make great containers.

I'm giving it a try this year. My mentor told me to start in January here.

I'm all for anything that's a little easier --- and doesn't involve covering the breakfast table with containers of seeds/seedlings.

My husband will be overjoyed if I switch to wintersowing.

Thank you Kylie I'll check it out.

I started to sow a few brug crosses and some seeds germinated but they do not have leaves, it is just a stick. They look like they were beheaded. Am I doing something wrong or the seeds have a problem?

Pat

I decapitated mine trying to help them out of the soil once. You didnt pull his little head out of the soil did you, lol.? Sometimes they stick into a U shape and you just have to let them fight their way out or it will kill them.

No, I did not touch them ,they just emerge from the ground without the head :(

Pat

Pat are you sure they aren't upside down with the root coming up instead of down? I'd just leave them alone and see what happens.

yupp I say to, just to leave them alone.
I beheaded some too by trying to pick of the seed shell...well the little seedling developed new growth on the sides ;-)

Lucy

Thanks Kylie for the website. What causes "damping off"? Seems that's what happened last winter when I started seeds indoors. The seeds germinated, sprouted a bit, and soon after died.

I winter sowed for the first time last year. I rarely have success with seeds, but with winter sowing I really great germination, even with some 3 year old seed I found laying around. And I love the wintersown.org website I just got tomato seeds from them!!

Mary

oh and if you need more help there is a forum for wintersowing and Trudi, the founder of wintersown.org frequents there and answers questions and she can also be found on facebook.

Here is the link to GW for WS... There is loads of great info,Nice people and they actually post..LOL Not like some of the other forums... :O)

Kylie

Here is a link that might be useful: WS@GW

I have been wintersowing for 2 years,(this will be the 3rd). Seemed a bit unlikely to me the first year, especially because 'winter' is so short here. But it worked great!

eloise_ca
Damping off is usually caused by a combination of poor air circulation and too much moisture, this results in a fungus forming on/in the soil which attacks the young seedlings causing them to rot. It can happen at anytime during the seed germination process.

figara

Some seeds do germinate and send the roots up instead of down! (I had several hundred hosta seeds do that last winter!!!) Usually they will correct themselves and start growing in the right direction. Sometimes just covering the seed with a little fine sand or other growing medium will also help.

I can't wait to get 'growing' this year!

Frances

I am also a wintersowner. I wouldn't have half the plants if it wasn't for wintersowning. Seed are alot cheaper than plants.
Carol

No, it's not the root who is growing above the ground. I am positive. I could see them making the loop and then come out without head. The cork remains on the ground. I looked at it and inside was brown, nothing green. Could be that the soil was too moist and they rot?

Pat