Hello all -- I've edited this video as of Feb 2023 to remove my #4 recommendation on not planting too many seeds. I had previously said to limit seed count to a number that I've realized is not the best advice. I recommend in general planting as many seeds as makes sense for the size of the jug and size the seedlings will get -- as a general rule i usually plant 7-9 seeds in my jugs, and sprinkle them if they're tiny. Thanks for your understanding.
Seed starting mix doesn't have the nutrients the plants need to survive past the sprouting stage. Because you don't pot up your seeds with winter sowing you need all the nutrients the plants need to grow to be in the jugs from the start. Using seed starting mix means your seedlings could be stunted and/or die once they get bigger than a couple of inches.
I'm in Kansas too and the weather has made me reluctant to use this method despite researching it every year for decade. I can see in places like the Northeast or upper Midwest where there's scant chance of temps picking up but here... I fear I'll be looking for greenhouse space by March.
I went to 2 Starbuck to ask for gallon milk jugs, gave them a kitchen garbage bag and my name. I went back the next day any received about a dozen. They were great about saving them.
Maybe add "Forgetting to label the containers" and "Using a labeling method that will disappear over time" as easy mistakes to avoid? Last year was my 1st year with Winter Sowing.. and I am SO glad I labeled outside the container (I numbered each jug and entered them into a spreadsheet) and I did a label IN each container with the plant name(so I did not need to run to the computer each time I wanted to plant a jug into the garden). Worked well for me.
I agree with the above. Researching now to do first winter sow. (Great tips btw!! ❤ ) I have read many stories of labels washing off. I am going to put labels on inside, too, after lots of reading. Just going to use some cut up old window blinds!
The ten mistakes: don’t use seed starting mix rather use potting mix; planting seed too early; pre-filling milk jugs with potting mix too far in advance of the season. It will lose moisture; putting too many seeds in a container. Only put three to six plant seeds per container; planting more than one seed in the same spot. Only plant one seed per hole; inadequacy soil depth. Give your plants About four inches of soil; don’t plant seeds too deep; be sure to check your jugs regularly for sprouting and moisture; make sure your jugs has proper drainage; compare your seedlings with other seed starts. Outside seeds in jugs will be slow to sprout. Look to see how healthy and green they look.
Oh my. I already put out 7 jugs . It was really cold but then the weather warmed up to 75 last week. Ugh. But I wanted you to know that I dared to winter sow last year when I saw your videos, that was in late January and I had so much success! Thank you!
Well I'm glad to hear it worked for you last year. You may still have success with the jugs you sowed. The good news is you can always sow more of the same seeds in jugs later as a back up.
Fox Farm ocean forest is excellent potting soil…also here’s some more tips - don’t go nuts with the duct tape, you just don’t need to. Keep the jug closed with a strip of tape, or holes and twist ties, or even twine and holes in plastic jugs to tie together. In my experience too much duct tape is wasteful and annoying and remember in early (fool’s spring) spring you will want to open and close the containers depending on the weather (open for hot days, close for cold nights.) All that opening and closing is not conducive to lots of annoying duct tape.
I've not found the duct tape as annoying as some people do. I'd rather it stay sealed (as opposed to just using twist ties) to help ensure you get the full greenhouse effect benefits winter doing containers provide.
@@EsthersGardeningAdventures This is my experience too; I'm in high-desert climate, and they need to stay closed to not dry out so quickly.Opening and closing is more work than necessary.
THANK YOU for addressing the temp fluctuation issue!!! I'm in Missouri and our temps are all over the place. I would have to babysit those sprouts for weeks 😢😢 That's why I bought grow lights so I can control the temperature.
I love what you said about not comparing success to others. So many times I have had wild success with something one year but not the next. Those huge success should be celebrated for everyone because they are so precious
I’ve used this method without fail for some years. Until last year. The temps were all over the place in Ohio. What did germinate didn’t grow beyond seedling size. I probably didn’t pay enough attention to them during the germination time, though some of those temp dips were not forecasted. I had to settle for picked over plants at the nursery. Hopefully this year will be better. I agree with what you said about the plant s being smaller at first. But they are much hardier. Great video.
Yeah you have to watch those night forecasts like a hawk once your seedling sprout. I tend to cover my sprouted jugs if the forecast is 38 or lower because ground level temps can be colder...and because forecasts can be wrong. Good luck this year.
Fantastic video today! I followed your guidance last year as a newbie and we ate fresh veggies all summer. I can't wait to start up again:) Thanks, Esther, you're a great teacher. Happy Holidays:):):)
Thank you precious Esther! This year I will try growing radishes to full harvest maturity in gallon jugs without transplanting. This Texas Zone 8b heat is very unforgiving and often relentless, but I am relentless as well! 😎👍🌱
Thanks for the videos. I learnt to winter sow from you last winter. I tried it for the first time and things went mostly well. There were a couple of casualties which may fall into the category of planting when winter weather was inconsistent. I lost the cosmos and marigolds almost didn't make it. One thing that was a complete write off which I won't try again was carrots. They decided that because they had experienced winter that they must be in their second year. They didn't need to make big roots, they thought it was time to flower. I had some lovely carrot flowers in the veggie garden.
I'm glad to learn you has relatively good success winter sowing last year. Like you, I've learned that winter sowing root vegetables can be tricky and so I generally plan to direct sow them this year and in the future.
I don't know how many mistakes I made 1st year newbie, I'm in zone 8b,North Central Florida we haven't had a winter! So, you can imagine! Good learning experiences! It gets cold but by noon, heats way up, good thing I planted cool flowers! They can take our cold, some can freeze and thaw, then awake like normal! Of course, there's always Fall sowing method!
Okay, so I probably made 8 of the mistakes listed in this video last year. Thanks for this info-a lot of good tips that I will incorporate in this year’s winter sowing!
I loved all your points; these are often questions people will ask, when starting this method. Other tips; 1. Don't forget to take off the lids! Don't move them inside when the temps are expected to drop; rather, cover them with a blanket.
I put the sprouted ones in greenhouse and should have just covered. The broccoli stretched a bit as the warmth and less light was not good. They are still healthier than inside grown. Zone 5a and have my blankets ready for this next week.
This was very helpful and clear. I tried winter sowing for the first time last year, and hardly anything grew. I think my biggest problem was planting seeds too deep. I have a question about watering. How wet should you keep the soil?
Excellent Ester, this was spot on and you hit on almost all the mistakes I made last winter 😂🤣 Here are 3 more... 1. Firm down the soil probably more so than what you do on indoor trays. I found I got cracks in the soil that allowed seed to fall into and also the soil dried out fast around the crevice. 2. I put all my holes in the bottom then set them out on my deck. 2 days after a heavy rain I went and checked in on a literal swamp. Tonight I was using an old soldering iron to melt the plastic in a way it was opened from the bottom and up the side a bit. I'll also place the jugs into the garden now that I have a garden to put them into this year. The flat surface of the deck was just blocking the holes. 🤦♀️ 3. The sharpie permanent marker wasn't visible by Spring. This time I wrote with pencil on popsicle sticks inside the container (graphite on wood seems to work wonders on UK channels I watch) and used sharpie on white duct tape on the outside. Apparently it lasts longer on the tape than on the jug. Wish me luck for attempt #2 Gypsophila and Poppies were my champions last winter. 💪🏻
@@craftsandchlorophyll271 How do you keep paint pen tips from clogging and drying up. I've used them in the past and they aren't cheap so I stuck with the sharpie on tape for the outside of jug and popsicle sticks with pencil for inside the jug for 2022 and see how that goes.
Interesting. I find 2 paint pens last me most of one season. I sow so many containers that I usually get to use most of the pen before the end of year. I'd say one tips might be to only use the pen on clean surfaces and to put the lid on immediately after each use.
Just had you in my feed, 10 mistakes got my attention =^) I see you're in Md., me too, I'm on the shore, grew up in Perry Hall. Now I have 3 Marylander's to watch, hope you made out ok with this last storm.
@@EsthersGardeningAdventures ...yes we had a bit of snow, sleet and ended with a ton of rain. We haven't had any amount of snow in 10 yrs until a couple weeks ago.
Thanks.. good tips. I've been winter sowing for a few years with good success. I made a winter sowing music video too!...just for winter sowers. I just tried to search for it...it came up for me when I searched "winter sowing song"
So glad I found your video! Recently discovered this method and going to give it a whirl for the first time! Lots of great intro videos, but you went the extra step that made me feel comfortable enough that I'll do it the right way as someone newer to the gardening game! Thank you! Take care
Just an excellent video I will take all that on board and try this year to grow my own veg as much as possible ... thank you for all that information ....
Thanks for the recap and tips! My jugs are itching to come out of storage! I look forward to the stratification topic. A couple of my flower seed packages call for it.
My wife grew a bunch of flowers last year and suggested I try squash and tomatoes in milk jugs this season. I have always started toms and squash indoors under lights 8 or 10 weels before settng out. She says the veg plant sprouts will do fine with a frost if they are covered by an old blanket. I'm willing to try new gardening procedures, but I have to admit, I've sprouted my plant seeds indoors for many years under lights in a 65 degree growing room and always had a good crop of fruits. We are in the dead of winter here in MT with zero or below temps. Hard to believe in 2 months or so I should be starting out my seeds outdoors in jugs. Thanks for the tips. Bob in Montana.
First time watching you, OMG- ADORE YOU. I made several of those mistakes when I did WS couple years ago. My favorite was when I used a plastic bin to move a bunch of jugs. Then it rained. A lot. Panic ensues. Me outside scrabbling on hands & knees to pull the sad little seeds from their watery graves… But oh it is a lot of fun! Thank you so very much.
Relating to your segment "Comparing your winter grown seedlings to others (at 12:45): Last season I became intrigued by winter sowing so I decided to do a trial comparing winter-sown onions, leeks and shallots with the same plants I started indoors. The season turned out to be one of my best ever for these crops but the winter-sown plants weren't even close to the production I got from my indoor plants. There's no doubt I was following the winter-sowing method perfectly but even if I did perfectly follow the method, I couldn't possibly imagine that it could improve my crops enough to warrant learning the method. I do these kinds of trials on all kinds of things, and I've learned that what works for some gardeners doesn't necessarily work for me. This project was fun to do and I'm thinking I might try it on some other plants. Thanks for posting. Cheers.
Interesting. I haven't tried winter sowing leeks and onions so that's interesting to hear about your experience. I've heard using winter sowing for bunching onions works pretty well though I'm not sure which varieties you were growing. I tend to use winter sowing less for root vegetables now (had same kind of results as you on beets and radishes when winter sowing vs direct sowing) and i tend to use it more for my first set of greens (i direct sow for succession planting aftet that), for flowers, native plants, herbs, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Admittedly, I never got into growing seedlings indoors under grow lights and if you've worked out a system that works well for you I can totally see the logic in continuing it. I'm thinking of starting my pansies indoors so they'll flower earlier this year than they would if winter sown too. I'm glad you are still experimenting with Winter Sowing too. Best of luck!
@@EsthersGardeningAdventures Yes to starting flowers early!! I looked at those Zinnias and cosmos last year like, when am I going to see the flower--the last 2 weeks of Fall?🤣🤣 my neighbor is a newby at bee keeping and I have flowers, but no flowers. He's not having much luck with keeping bees either--bummer. It figures, I start a mini orchard and the bees die.😭
@@dustyflats3832 That's too bad about your neighbor's bees at least the Mini orchard you've started will still benefit other still benefit other native pollinators. I kind of rely on native plants and things people consider to be weeds like dandelions and violets and other Spring flowers that are native to feed the bees and then by the time those things are dying away usually I have some chamomile and calendula blooming as well as then followed by some other flowers. I also usually buy a 6 pack of marigolds from the garden center to help out until winter sown plants can catch up.
@@EsthersGardeningAdventures I think he should leave the hives outside all winter. He puts them inside this huge closed shed and I think it condensates and kills the bees. He doesn't live here just uses land so we water the bees with bird baths. Hundreds of the thirsty critters. I don't think he will try again. I thought what we don't have in worms we made up in bees. I have no idea how me, the gardener, ended up on this Dusty Flat. I'm waiting for the compost fairy to bless me with semi loads of compost🤣🤣
Your video was worth the wait! I promise I will resist! One seed per hole! I definately want to see how to plant seeds that need cold stratification. I got some wildflower seeds and a sprouting broccoli that says to stratify. Thanks, Esther!
Thanks for the info. You're right. I was confusing it with the planting instructions indicating the plant needs to be exposed to the cold in order to flower--not the seeds! Instructions say needs a vernalization period of at least 6 weeks. Suggests to overwinter. I should have planted in September or October. Will try it next year. I am new at this!
Ah interesting. I wonder if the winter sowing process provides this. How mature do the plants need to be? If it works for seedlings then winter sowing might help
Ì believe you hit all the points! Great video! Thanks for covering the covering of jugs if they sprouted and temps are freezing at night.😊 I DID throw the sprouted ones in the cool greenhouse because it was freezing at night, but I probably shouldn't have as it may have reduced the lighting and warmed too much as the broccoli started to stretch a bit--still no where near what happens to them inside. I will have blanket ready for next week starting Monday night. This is my first year and I'm Hooked! I dread every year of filling up shelves of flats and babysitting and taking up precious room and window space. This will save me time, $$$ and no more mold or fans or lights and gnats; Although, I think the gnats started when I brought a plant in to overwinter which I normally never do. There is just no guessing in WS--set it and almost forget it. My plants are SO Much healthier. One point I go by for seed depth is plant them approximately 2x's the depth of seed Except for those tiny seeds like foxgloves, just sprinkle and gently press them down. I'm even trying some late sowing as of yesterday as it will be at least 5-6 weeks to plant the garden. We will have ANOTHER cold Blast this week after a record breaking day today of 80°F or more--zone 5a WI. Hopefully this will be the last week of freezing, but I know there will be a few more days here and there. Patience everyone--ENJOY!
Great tips Esther! I've tried this 2 years in a row now and have had dismal success. The jugs blew over many times and the seedlings that did survive our freeze / thaw cycles, were pretty sad looking. But being a gardener -- I will give it another go with some of your tips! Thank you :) !
Fingers crossed for you. Try anchoring your containers together with a long stick or wooden pole through the jug handles. It may reduce the wind impact.
Great information 👍 Thank you for sharing with us. Happy Holidays 🎊 🎄 🎉 😊 😃. Hope you have great holidays. 👍 Peace and good fortune and good health to you and your husband. 😃
A british dahlia grower channel suggested " artline garden marker"....so far so good..worked thru the summer heat and watering and still really good...as good as first day.. We.shall see...but i really.like them more.than sharpie...who always fails during the summer. #3 is a good one..
Compost might be too heavy on its own. You'd need to add a portion of perlite or vermiculite and coconut coir (or Peat moss). If you follow Mel's mix formula it would be equal parts of each of the 3
When it gets freezing outside or just too much rain, I temporarily put the caps back on. That's enough to keep it protected for a short period. I also avoid using potting soil as that encourages algae growth. Instead I wait for germination, and then just add some worm castings and half strength fertilizer to my peat mix. In the following weeks I slowly add a little compost and/or organic potting mix. I also sprinkle on some horticultural vermiculite which really helps against mold and algae.
This is so helpful to a newbie! Thank you so much! Starting ours this weekend (last week of Jan) is this too late for cold stratification? Its our coldest weeks of the year the next few weeks.
It's not too late as long as you are in a cold enough area. Check out my video on cold stratification and winter sowing. th-cam.com/video/SaA2db_di4M/w-d-xo.html
Unfortunately that's not so easy to do with Winter sowing unless you open up the container which basically defeats the purpose of the process. And these seedlings end up competing for nutrients and space until you can open it up and snip off one so it's better to just do 1 seed per hole.
Oh shoot. Just listened and I just did mine for the first time. Did like all those things. O_o DEFINITELY too many seeds. Didn't water right away. Used seed mix..... well. Live and learn. Maybe SOMETHING will grow
It's OK. You can add diluted organic fertilizer once seeds sprout to make up for using seed starting mix. This is still salvageable...and I tend to sow too many seeds also so don't feel bad.
Going to look at your winter sowing 101 series. I've had very limited luck with my winter sowing, but now I think I know what the problems might have been; pushing seeds down too far, not enough potting mix and drainage. Wouldn't it be a good idea to place the jugs on a rack of some kind to allow for better drainage? I'll try it again this February and see how it goes...fingers crossed...missed your videos, glad to see your smiling face :)
Thanks. Yes having a place where containers can drain is good but too much elevation can also expose the jugs to more wind and less insulation so it's not necessarily the perfect choice.
I put the containers in milk crates to contain, about 1/2” off the ground ...had about 60% success first year of WS , hoping for better success next year!
Hello all -- I've edited this video as of Feb 2023 to remove my #4 recommendation on not planting too many seeds. I had previously said to limit seed count to a number that I've realized is not the best advice. I recommend in general planting as many seeds as makes sense for the size of the jug and size the seedlings will get -- as a general rule i usually plant 7-9 seeds in my jugs, and sprinkle them if they're tiny. Thanks for your understanding.
So I am not sure why not to use seed starting mix?
Will espomas organic seed starter work?
Seed starting mix doesn't have the nutrients the plants need to survive past the sprouting stage. Because you don't pot up your seeds with winter sowing you need all the nutrients the plants need to grow to be in the jugs from the start. Using seed starting mix means your seedlings could be stunted and/or die once they get bigger than a couple of inches.
“You don’t want to plant seeds when temps are still fluctuating”. Uh, hello Dorothy, we’re in Kansas. It’s what we do all year.
Ha. Well that is a challenge.
Uh the wind! I swear it never stops!
Set them in the shade with wind block.
same for Virginia lol
I'm in Kansas too and the weather has made me reluctant to use this method despite researching it every year for decade.
I can see in places like the Northeast or upper Midwest where there's scant chance of temps picking up but here...
I fear I'll be looking for greenhouse space by March.
I went to 2 Starbuck to ask for gallon milk jugs, gave them a kitchen garbage bag and my name. I went back the next day any received about a dozen. They were great about saving them.
Wohoo! I'm so thrilled that worked for you!
Thanks for the tip! I was wondering where
I would get the containers now- it's March!
Maybe add "Forgetting to label the containers" and "Using a labeling method that will disappear over time" as easy mistakes to avoid? Last year was my 1st year with Winter Sowing.. and I am SO glad I labeled outside the container (I numbered each jug and entered them into a spreadsheet) and I did a label IN each container with the plant name(so I did not need to run to the computer each time I wanted to plant a jug into the garden). Worked well for me.
Ah yes! That's an important one! That should definitely be on the list!
I agree with the above. Researching now to do first winter sow. (Great tips btw!! ❤ ) I have read many stories of labels washing off. I am going to put labels on inside, too, after lots of reading. Just going to use some cut up old window blinds!
Old window blinds sounds like a great resource
I totally agree, label in and out. Last year our sharpie on the outside was gone by May . This year they are getting stakes on the inside too.
I just bought a pack of wax pencils from Amazon. They come in various colors. We shall see.
The ten mistakes: don’t use seed starting mix rather use potting mix; planting seed too early; pre-filling milk jugs with potting mix too far in advance of the season. It will lose moisture; putting too many seeds in a container. Only put three to six plant seeds per container; planting more than one seed in the same spot. Only plant one seed per hole; inadequacy soil depth. Give your plants About four inches of soil; don’t plant seeds too deep; be sure to check your jugs regularly for sprouting and moisture; make sure your jugs has proper drainage; compare your seedlings with other seed starts. Outside seeds in jugs will be slow to sprout. Look to see how healthy and green they look.
This was hands down the most helpful video on this topic I’ve seen. Thanks so so so much for breaking it down.
Wonderful! I'm so thrilled you found it helpful! What a wonderful compliment! You made my night!
Oh my. I already put out 7 jugs . It was really cold but then the weather warmed up to 75 last week. Ugh. But I wanted you to know that I dared to winter sow last year when I saw your videos, that was in late January and I had so much success! Thank you!
Well I'm glad to hear it worked for you last year. You may still have success with the jugs you sowed. The good news is you can always sow more of the same seeds in jugs later as a back up.
Fox Farm ocean forest is excellent potting soil…also here’s some more tips - don’t go nuts with the duct tape, you just don’t need to. Keep the jug closed with a strip of tape, or holes and twist ties, or even twine and holes in plastic jugs to tie together. In my experience too much duct tape is wasteful and annoying and remember in early (fool’s spring) spring you will want to open and close the containers depending on the weather (open for hot days, close for cold nights.) All that opening and closing is not conducive to lots of annoying duct tape.
I've not found the duct tape as annoying as some people do. I'd rather it stay sealed (as opposed to just using twist ties) to help ensure you get the full greenhouse effect benefits winter doing containers provide.
@@EsthersGardeningAdventures This is my experience too; I'm in high-desert climate, and they need to stay closed to not dry out so quickly.Opening and closing is more work than necessary.
This is the first time I’ve seen your videos. Love your excitement about winter sowing and your well organized, concise tips!
Thank you! Welcome to my channel!
THANK YOU for addressing the temp fluctuation issue!!! I'm in Missouri and our temps are all over the place. I would have to babysit those sprouts for weeks 😢😢 That's why I bought grow lights so I can control the temperature.
You are most welcome. You shouldn't have to do that much babysitting for winter sowing. I suggest putting out a few jugs to test out the experience.
My new trick last year was using alfalfa pellets meant for horses as a side dressing fertilizer. Everything flourished!
Nice tip. Thanks.
Wait what?! Shhh don't tell my husband what the extra bag of alfalfa cubes is for 🤣
I'm going to try alfalfa this time, thanks
I love what you said about not comparing success to others. So many times I have had wild success with something one year but not the next. Those huge success should be celebrated for everyone because they are so precious
So true!
Straight to the point no pretensions. I love it.
Thank you!
I’ve used this method without fail for some years. Until last year. The temps were all over the place in Ohio. What did germinate didn’t grow beyond seedling size. I probably didn’t pay enough attention to them during the germination time, though some of those temp dips were not forecasted. I had to settle for picked over plants at the nursery. Hopefully this year will be better. I agree with what you said about the plant s being smaller at first. But they are much hardier. Great video.
Yeah you have to watch those night forecasts like a hawk once your seedling sprout. I tend to cover my sprouted jugs if the forecast is 38 or lower because ground level temps can be colder...and because forecasts can be wrong. Good luck this year.
This has been such a mild winter so far. Definitely going to wait until February. Thanks for the list!
Excellent. I'm glad you found it helpful!
Fantastic video today! I followed your guidance last year as a newbie and we ate fresh veggies all summer. I can't wait to start up again:) Thanks, Esther, you're a great teacher. Happy Holidays:):):)
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that it worked well for you last year! And I'm glad my videos helped you succeed!
Thank you precious Esther! This year I will try growing radishes to full harvest maturity in gallon jugs without transplanting. This Texas Zone 8b heat is very unforgiving and often relentless, but I am relentless as well! 😎👍🌱
Thanks for the videos. I learnt to winter sow from you last winter. I tried it for the first time and things went mostly well. There were a couple of casualties which may fall into the category of planting when winter weather was inconsistent. I lost the cosmos and marigolds almost didn't make it. One thing that was a complete write off which I won't try again was carrots. They decided that because they had experienced winter that they must be in their second year. They didn't need to make big roots, they thought it was time to flower. I had some lovely carrot flowers in the veggie garden.
I'm glad to learn you has relatively good success winter sowing last year. Like you, I've learned that winter sowing root vegetables can be tricky and so I generally plan to direct sow them this year and in the future.
Inspirational Esther !
My first time winter sowing this year. 10 jugs sown and going to add more drainage holes. So happy to have found you. ❤
Great info. Thank you!
This weekend was the first time I tried winter sowing. I wish I had seen this video before. Great information!
Thank you. I'm sure you did fine!
Excellent job explaining winter sowing.
Thank you!
Oh my goodness. I just found this post. I really appreciate your take on winter sewing.
I don't know how many mistakes I made 1st year newbie, I'm in zone 8b,North Central Florida we haven't had a winter! So, you can imagine! Good learning experiences! It gets cold but by noon, heats way up, good thing I planted cool flowers! They can take our cold, some can freeze and thaw, then awake like normal! Of course, there's always Fall sowing method!
Great information, i have already started a few jugs and its to late for them, I have more i can work with using your tips thank You
Okay, so I probably made 8 of the mistakes listed in this video last year. Thanks for this info-a lot of good tips that I will incorporate in this year’s winter sowing!
Haha. Well at least now you know some stuff not to do this time. Glad you found it helpful!
I loved all your points; these are often questions people will ask, when starting this method. Other tips; 1. Don't forget to take off the lids! Don't move them inside when the temps are expected to drop; rather, cover them with a blanket.
These are also great points. I'll probably have to do a part 2 next winter lol
I put the sprouted ones in greenhouse and should have just covered. The broccoli stretched a bit as the warmth and less light was not good. They are still healthier than inside grown. Zone 5a and have my blankets ready for this next week.
@@dustyflats3832 fingers crossed for you
Thank you so much! I’m checking all your winter sowing videos because I need a low cost way to start my seeds this year. Excited to try this!
Excellent. It really is a great low cost option. Best of luck to you.
Thanks for the information.
You are most welcome
Thanks for the info esther. Tried winter sowing for the first time with your help and had some success. Getting ready for this year!!
I'm sure you'll have even better success this year.
Also consider the amount of soil the seed is in is small - warms up quicker, freezes quicker too
Thanks.
This was very helpful and clear. I tried winter sowing for the first time last year, and hardly anything grew. I think my biggest problem was planting seeds too deep. I have a question about watering. How wet should you keep the soil?
It needs to stay damp/moist but you want to ensure it drains properly too
Excellent Ester, this was spot on and you hit on almost all the mistakes I made last winter 😂🤣 Here are 3 more...
1. Firm down the soil probably more so than what you do on indoor trays. I found I got cracks in the soil that allowed seed to fall into and also the soil dried out fast around the crevice.
2. I put all my holes in the bottom then set them out on my deck. 2 days after a heavy rain I went and checked in on a literal swamp. Tonight I was using an old soldering iron to melt the plastic in a way it was opened from the bottom and up the side a bit. I'll also place the jugs into the garden now that I have a garden to put them into this year. The flat surface of the deck was just blocking the holes. 🤦♀️
3. The sharpie permanent marker wasn't visible by Spring. This time I wrote with pencil on popsicle sticks inside the container (graphite on wood seems to work wonders on UK channels I watch) and used sharpie on white duct tape on the outside. Apparently it lasts longer on the tape than on the jug.
Wish me luck for attempt #2 Gypsophila and Poppies were my champions last winter. 💪🏻
These are great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Paint pens do not fade ! Mine are still visable after a year outdoors,
Yes they are a great! I find darker paint pens fade slower too
@@craftsandchlorophyll271 How do you keep paint pen tips from clogging and drying up. I've used them in the past and they aren't cheap so I stuck with the sharpie on tape for the outside of jug and popsicle sticks with pencil for inside the jug for 2022 and see how that goes.
Interesting. I find 2 paint pens last me most of one season. I sow so many containers that I usually get to use most of the pen before the end of year. I'd say one tips might be to only use the pen on clean surfaces and to put the lid on immediately after each use.
Great video, clear, informative, well organized, with a hint of motivational encouragement. Thank You from Ohio
Glad you enjoyed it! Best of luck with your gardening season!
Just had you in my feed, 10 mistakes got my attention =^)
I see you're in Md., me too, I'm on the shore, grew up in Perry Hall. Now I have 3 Marylander's to watch, hope you made out ok with this last storm.
Wohoo! Hello fellow Marylander! Last storm wasn't too bad. Hope you did ok too.
@@EsthersGardeningAdventures ...yes we had a bit of snow, sleet and ended with a ton of rain. We haven't had any amount of snow in 10 yrs until a couple weeks ago.
Great video and I agree with all that! I grow hundreds of plants like this and they are always so hardy
Wonderful! Glad you've had success with winter sowing and agree with the tips.
Good talker, easy to listen to and makes total good sense!
Thank you!
Such great info!
So glad!
Thank you Esther for taking the time to read our comments and then answering them. That's awesome!
You are most welcome!
Great info, this will be my first year winter sowing ;) Thank you.
Wonderful! I'm so glad you found this helpful.
Great information...I love winter sowing.. its been a game changer for me.
Thank you. It really is!
Thank you for all the good info on winter sowing. This will be my first year trying it.
Awesome. I'm glad you are trying it!
Thanks.. good tips. I've been winter sowing for a few years with good success. I made a winter sowing music video too!...just for winter sowers. I just tried to search for it...it came up for me when I searched "winter sowing song"
Nice. I'll check it out. Thanks.
So glad I found your video! Recently discovered this method and going to give it a whirl for the first time! Lots of great intro videos, but you went the extra step that made me feel comfortable enough that I'll do it the right way as someone newer to the gardening game! Thank you! Take care
Wohoo! I'm so happy you found this channel and are trying winter sowing
Just an excellent video I will take all that on board and try this year to grow my own veg as much as possible ... thank you for all that information ....
You are most welcome. Best of luck!
It's my first year trying this method. I will add a few more drainage holes:P
Thanks for the recap and tips! My jugs are itching to come out of storage! I look forward to the stratification topic. A couple of my flower seed packages call for it.
Excellent. I'm glad you are interested in the stratification issue. Seems to be coming up more and more as people try to grow more native plants.
This was very helpful!!!
Wonderful. Glad to hear it!
Excellent information! This is my first year to try winter sowing.
You are most welcome. Best of luck to you!
Just found your video. Very good info as this will be my first year trying this.
Excellent. I'm glad you found the videos helpful.
Thanks Esther, great refresher coarse for me. I forgot one year and used seed starting mix. Got. Super tiny plants only. Thanks again
Glad you found the refresher useful!
Thank you so much! I just started my winter sowing for the first time yesterday, Your tips are very helpful and your so sweet!
You are most welcome! Best of luck with your winter sowing.
My wife grew a bunch of flowers last year and suggested I try squash and tomatoes in milk jugs this season. I have always started toms and squash indoors under lights 8 or 10 weels before settng out. She says the veg plant sprouts will do fine with a frost if they are covered by an old blanket. I'm willing to try new gardening procedures, but I have to admit, I've sprouted my plant seeds indoors for many years under lights in a 65 degree growing room and always had a good crop of fruits.
We are in the dead of winter here in MT with zero or below temps. Hard to believe in 2 months or so I should be starting out my seeds outdoors in jugs.
Thanks for the tips. Bob in Montana.
Indeed. Best of luck to you!
First time watching you, OMG-
ADORE YOU.
I made several of those mistakes when I did WS couple years ago.
My favorite was when I used a plastic bin to move a bunch of jugs. Then it rained. A lot. Panic ensues. Me outside scrabbling on hands & knees to pull the sad little seeds from their watery graves…
But oh it is a lot of fun!
Thank you so very much.
You are most welcome. Indeed. The drowning jug happens to the best of us
Relating to your segment "Comparing your winter grown seedlings to others (at 12:45): Last season I became intrigued by winter sowing so I decided to do a trial comparing winter-sown onions, leeks and shallots with the same plants I started indoors. The season turned out to be one of my best ever for these crops but the winter-sown plants weren't even close to the production I got from my indoor plants.
There's no doubt I was following the winter-sowing method perfectly but even if I did perfectly follow the method, I couldn't possibly imagine that it could improve my crops enough to warrant learning the method.
I do these kinds of trials on all kinds of things, and I've learned that what works for some gardeners doesn't necessarily work for me.
This project was fun to do and I'm thinking I might try it on some other plants. Thanks for posting. Cheers.
Interesting. I haven't tried winter sowing leeks and onions so that's interesting to hear about your experience. I've heard using winter sowing for bunching onions works pretty well though I'm not sure which varieties you were growing. I tend to use winter sowing less for root vegetables now (had same kind of results as you on beets and radishes when winter sowing vs direct sowing) and i tend to use it more for my first set of greens (i direct sow for succession planting aftet that), for flowers, native plants, herbs, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Admittedly, I never got into growing seedlings indoors under grow lights and if you've worked out a system that works well for you I can totally see the logic in continuing it. I'm thinking of starting my pansies indoors so they'll flower earlier this year than they would if winter sown too. I'm glad you are still experimenting with Winter Sowing too. Best of luck!
@@EsthersGardeningAdventures Yes to starting flowers early!! I looked at those Zinnias and cosmos last year like, when am I going to see the flower--the last 2 weeks of Fall?🤣🤣 my neighbor is a newby at bee keeping and I have flowers, but no flowers. He's not having much luck with keeping bees either--bummer. It figures, I start a mini orchard and the bees die.😭
@@dustyflats3832 That's too bad about your neighbor's bees at least the Mini orchard you've started will still benefit other still benefit other native pollinators. I kind of rely on native plants and things people consider to be weeds like dandelions and violets and other Spring flowers that are native to feed the bees and then by the time those things are dying away usually I have some chamomile and calendula blooming as well as then followed by some other flowers. I also usually buy a 6 pack of marigolds from the garden center to help out until winter sown plants can catch up.
@@EsthersGardeningAdventures I think he should leave the hives outside all winter. He puts them inside this huge closed shed and I think it condensates and kills the bees. He doesn't live here just uses land so we water the bees with bird baths. Hundreds of the thirsty critters. I don't think he will try again. I thought what we don't have in worms we made up in bees. I have no idea how me, the gardener, ended up on this Dusty Flat. I'm waiting for the compost fairy to bless me with semi loads of compost🤣🤣
Oh man that's rough.
Thank you
First time meeting you and I'm very happy! I subbed and will be watching all that you post! Good job!!!
Thank you and welcome to my channel
Your video was worth the wait! I promise I will resist! One seed per hole! I definately want to see how to plant seeds that need cold stratification. I got some wildflower seeds and a sprouting broccoli that says to stratify. Thanks, Esther!
Awesome. What variety of broccoli is that?
purple sprouting broccoli
Oh interesting. I've not heard of any vegetable varieties that require cold stratification before.
Thanks for the info. You're right. I was confusing it with the planting instructions indicating the plant needs to be exposed to the cold in order to flower--not the seeds! Instructions say needs a vernalization period of at least 6 weeks. Suggests to overwinter. I should have planted in September or October. Will try it next year. I am new at this!
Ah interesting. I wonder if the winter sowing process provides this. How mature do the plants need to be? If it works for seedlings then winter sowing might help
Ì believe you hit all the points! Great video! Thanks for covering the covering of jugs if they sprouted and temps are freezing at night.😊 I DID throw the sprouted ones in the cool greenhouse because it was freezing at night, but I probably shouldn't have as it may have reduced the lighting and warmed too much as the broccoli started to stretch a bit--still no where near what happens to them inside. I will have blanket ready for next week starting Monday night.
This is my first year and I'm Hooked! I dread every year of filling up shelves of flats and babysitting and taking up precious room and window space. This will save me time, $$$ and no more mold or fans or lights and gnats; Although, I think the gnats started when I brought a plant in to overwinter which I normally never do. There is just no guessing in WS--set it and almost forget it. My plants are SO Much healthier.
One point I go by for seed depth is plant them approximately 2x's the depth of seed Except for those tiny seeds like foxgloves, just sprinkle and gently press them down. I'm even trying some late sowing as of yesterday as it will be at least 5-6 weeks to plant the garden. We will have ANOTHER cold Blast this week after a record breaking day today of 80°F or more--zone 5a WI.
Hopefully this will be the last week of freezing, but I know there will be a few more days here and there. Patience everyone--ENJOY!
Thank you! I'm glad to hear you are having such success with winter sowing! These last few frosts are always a nail biter.
Thank you!!!
You're welcome!
Good video, thanks for all the good tips. BTW a hot screw driver will work really well for putting those holes in the milk jug. ;)
Thank you!
thanks. very helpful
You are most welcome!
Great tips thankyou!
Glad you found it helpful!
Just incredible. Well thought out, super helpful (wish I’d watched it much sooner)…thank you!
Glad you found it helpful!
Just watched this twice and subbed!
Thank you! sorry for the delayed response!
Thank you!!! You answered all of my questions and gave me some much needed motivation 🙏🙏🙏😘😘😘
Awesome! I'm so thrilled to hear it!
Thank you! You saved me a lot of time and grief 😊
You are most welcome. Best of luck this coming winter sowing season!
Just found you! Good video - very helpful x
Glad you found it helpful!
The last tip was for me 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Haha. I'm glad you found it helpful.
Great tips Esther! I've tried this 2 years in a row now and have had dismal success. The jugs blew over many times and the seedlings that did survive our freeze / thaw cycles, were pretty sad looking. But being a gardener -- I will give it another go with some of your tips! Thank you :) !
Fingers crossed for you. Try anchoring your containers together with a long stick or wooden pole through the jug handles. It may reduce the wind impact.
Great information 👍 Thank you for sharing with us. Happy Holidays 🎊 🎄 🎉 😊 😃. Hope you have great holidays. 👍 Peace and good fortune and good health to you and your husband. 😃
Thank you!
Thanks Friend! I use a wet tooth pick for small seeds. Great info❤
That's a great suggestion.
👋🏾 Just found your channel. New subscriber. I'll be checking out your winter sowing series. Happy to find a fellow Md youtub'er
Hi Jay! Thank you for subscribing and welcome to my channel. I hope you find my videos helpful!
A british dahlia grower channel suggested " artline garden marker"....so far so good..worked thru the summer heat and watering and still really good...as good as first day..
We.shall see...but i really.like them more.than sharpie...who always fails during the summer.
#3 is a good one..
Very good advice and tips. Thank you.
You are most welcome. I'm glad you found it helpful.
Hello brilliant video thanks, also thanks to the tips in the comment section. Brilliant advice all round. Natalie from mid England zone 7..🙂🙂🙂🙂
I'm so glad you found the video and comments helpful!
Excellent points! Thank you for sharing this information. Plus your energy level is so inspiring!
Thank you!
Thank you. Great suggestions!
You are most welcome.
Great suggestions! 👍 🌱
Thank you!
Great tips 😁
Thank you!
Enjoyed that,good information,ty
You are most welcome
Esther you are awesome for this Thx
You are most welcome. sorry for the delayed response!
Very good I will use this for the class I wil be teaching
Excellent! I'm glad to hear it will be useful!
Great information. Can I use sifted compost in my jugs?
Compost might be too heavy on its own. You'd need to add a portion of perlite or vermiculite and coconut coir (or Peat moss). If you follow Mel's mix formula it would be equal parts of each of the 3
This video is very informative, thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
very helpful!!! Thank you!!!
You are most welcome.
When it gets freezing outside or just too much rain, I temporarily put the caps back on. That's enough to keep it protected for a short period. I also avoid using potting soil as that encourages algae growth. Instead I wait for germination, and then just add some worm castings and half strength fertilizer to my peat mix. In the following weeks I slowly add a little compost and/or organic potting mix. I also sprinkle on some horticultural vermiculite which really helps against mold and algae.
Interesting. Thanks.
Pretty sure algae is actually very good for your soil and fine for your seedlings. Check out Ashley soil scientist. She has a great video on algae
Oh interesting. I will check her out. Thanks!
This is so helpful to a newbie! Thank you so much! Starting ours this weekend (last week of Jan) is this too late for cold stratification? Its our coldest weeks of the year the next few weeks.
It's not too late as long as you are in a cold enough area. Check out my video on cold stratification and winter sowing. th-cam.com/video/SaA2db_di4M/w-d-xo.html
The information was so helpful.
Fantastic. Thank you!
Thanks so much for all this great info :)
You are most welcome!
I make my own potting mix.
Nice!
I’ve heard if you sow more than one seed per hole…be ruthless and snip off the smaller plant. Ouch!
Unfortunately that's not so easy to do with Winter sowing unless you open up the container which basically defeats the purpose of the process. And these seedlings end up competing for nutrients and space until you can open it up and snip off one so it's better to just do 1 seed per hole.
Oh shoot. Just listened and I just did mine for the first time. Did like all those things. O_o DEFINITELY too many seeds. Didn't water right away. Used seed mix..... well. Live and learn. Maybe SOMETHING will grow
It's OK. You can add diluted organic fertilizer once seeds sprout to make up for using seed starting mix. This is still salvageable...and I tend to sow too many seeds also so don't feel bad.
Right at 8:00 was a fart LOL
Great video. Very easy to. follow you! Thank you Subscribed!
Wonderful. Thank you for subscribing and welcome to my channel.
Going to look at your winter sowing 101 series. I've had very limited luck with my winter sowing, but now I think I know what the problems might have been; pushing seeds down too far, not enough potting mix and drainage. Wouldn't it be a good idea to place the jugs on a rack of some kind to allow for better drainage? I'll try it again this February and see how it goes...fingers crossed...missed your videos, glad to see your smiling face :)
Thanks. Yes having a place where containers can drain is good but too much elevation can also expose the jugs to more wind and less insulation so it's not necessarily the perfect choice.
I put the containers in milk crates to contain, about 1/2” off the ground ...had about 60% success first year of WS , hoping for better success next year!
I think it's best to put them on the ground. In the soil in a sunny spot.
Nice videos Esther, I am in Zone 9a, Northern England. When do you recommend sowing ?
Good info. Tfs.
You are most welcome
Your videos are great.
Thanks Tracey.
❤