Do it now. I sow seeds when I get my hands on them, working on the principle that plants know what they need. Seeds are primed to germinate when conditions are right so hardy annuals, for example, will germinate in the warmth of late summer and gently overwinter, making roots. Hardy perennials usually need stratification, so a winter of vernalising is essential - spring sown hardy perennials may not even germinate until the following year. Theoretically, tender seeds such as tomatoes will spend the winter in the soil...but there is a good chance of rotting. Also, quite a lot of tender seeds need to grow fast, with no checks to growth so there is no advantage to be gained from an early sowing but a lot of risks (so I would always wait till spring to sow zinnias, MGs, tomatoes...and often quite late in the year because once they germinate, they grow away rapidly., Hardy plants always fare better with an autumn sowing.

This week (and last) I have had an orgy of seed sowing. All the seeds are stashed in open 1 litre, 5inch pots, covered with netting (to keep mice, birds etc. out)and left in the garden all winter. A coldframe is a good choice for this, as is a cold greenhouse (but mine is full of tender plants needing some winter protection).

I don't do the winter sowing milk jugs scenario but I would suggest a visit to the winter sowing forum as the basic principles of seed sowing are more or less the same as my methods.

As you say, seeds fall when ripe and nature does the rest. We are just shortening the odds and increasing our chances of success.

Thanks for pointing out that what I am planning to do is also considered winter sowing. I had misunderstood and took "winter" literally, as in the actual winter time. I did look up the winter sowing forum, it was not easy to find. a long search And yes, I have netting and also markers ready to indicate what is to expected where...

Thank you rosaprimula for suggesting to sow sow zinnia and marigolds in spring. Would you mind telling me why you prefer to sow in pots vs direct sowing ? I already have certain areas in mind for the echinacea, gaillardia, painted daisies, and columbine, and was thinking of just directly sowing the seeds there and protecting them with nettings and a light mulch cover that I would remove in early spring. That would eliminate transplanting. I can start them in pots if there is a benefit though...

Heya Doris,

I sow in pots for several reasons: often, especially if sowing bought-in seeds, I just don't feel I have enough to risk on direct sowing. I am much more inclined to try direct sowing with my own saved seeds because I usually have generous amounts. Mostly though, I simply forget that I have actually sowed certain seeds in certain places...and get a little hoe-happy (indeed, Ken). Finally, I like the convenience and control of sowing in pots which I can keep an eye on (my land is not part of my housing space), can prick out into individual pots and can pot up until the plants are at a good size to be released 'into the wild' (where I promptly forget about them).

I will say that May sown zinnia are so easy and reliable that I always sow them direct - they germinate in days and grow away to bloom in as little as 6 weeks in favourable circumstances.

I have also used a nursery bed, sowing plants in drills and transplanting them into their final positions when big enough - wallflowers (and other biennials) for example.

All seeds (and plants) have their own genetic imperatives: some of which we can change and control, others less so. I have not determined whether morning glories are short day bloomers: if so, it won't make any difference when we sow them because they will only be triggered into flower with enough hours of darkness.

Many, if not most, flowers are day-neutral. but there are many long day spring bloomers. There are lots of triggers to growth - not just temperature. As gardeners, we are in a position to mess around with natural circumstances - artificial lighting, withholding/adding water, using hormones, scarifying etc.etc. but if in doubt, it is always best to try to replicate the conditions of origin.

Winter sowing just means allowing hardy seeds to vernalise/stratify in order to break dormancy. It is pretty much the only way to sow hardy perennials as they are genetically ordered to recognise the end of winter and start of a new spring season. In truth, you can sow hardy seeds at any time of the year - they will simply wait in the ground until conditions are appropriate for them to germinate and grow. Tender/tropical seeds do not need a period of chilling because they do not normally experience killing frosts. Theoretically, winter sowing tomatoes is doable since the seeds will simply wait until conditions are favourable...but if they germinate in a mild autumn they will risk a chilly death.

All of the seeds I am planning to direct sow are my own saved seeds or from friends. I have substantially more than I could possibly use. Planning to cut up a worn out soaker hose and put in place for boundaries, and also to make a sketch to keep in my garden folder as reminder of what I sowed in which area. Thanks for helping me decide in favor of direct sowing. Plenty of vegetable seeds will still occupy my time and indoor space come spring.

I can relate to forgetting about having sowed certain seeds in certain places...also where certain bulbs went. In spite of taking many pictures throughout the seasons, writing things down, boundaries are not always totally clear and overlapping happens. Our garden is perfectly imperfect. Always will be. Love it.

Re: tomatoes, this year I am experimenting with different ways of overwintering. Whole mature plant without leaves and cut back to abt 1 ' high potted and kept in cool basement, plus the bare roots system, plus suckers rooted in water. Will see next year what works best for me.

Yes, you can definitely fall sow, and you’re right that it mimics what plants do naturally. I’ve had the best success doing this with things like echinacea, columbine, and gaillardia since they benefit from winter cold and tend to self-seed anyway. The more tender annuals (zinnias, marigolds, sometimes cosmos and morning glory) are less reliable seeds can rot over winter or just not make it. That said, if you’ve seen them self-seed before, it’s worth trying, just don’t rely on it 100%. For your morning glories, what you experienced is pretty common in colder climates they often start slow and bloom late unless they get an earlier start. Self-seeded ones sometimes do better timing-wise, but it’s still hit or miss. If it were me, I’d fall sow the hardy/perennial types and save some of the tender annual seeds for spring as backup.