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Post by daylilydude on Nov 8, 2017 4:57:37 GMT -5
Is this something that you do, or even thought of doing and if so, what do you winter sow, and just how does it benefit you in the long run?
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Post by paulf on Nov 8, 2017 8:22:47 GMT -5
I tried putting in a crop of winter rye as 'green manure' a few times but my season is so short it did not do much good. The next year there was so much rye coming up it was like planting weeds. Too much trouble without much benefit.
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Post by coppice on Nov 8, 2017 8:29:48 GMT -5
I use Trudi Davidoffs 'milk jug' wither sowing for annual plants and vatiants for tender tree seed.
The back porch will have 18 to 24 jugs of annuals, and a half dozen trays (or totes) with bigger tree seed in them.
I am keeping back indoors under cover some tomato and pepper seed. They are nestled in with bonsai under lights in the dining room.
Some tree seed are damaged or killed outight if they freeze. So those go out late in winter as frosts are diminished. They are the ones in pots or totes.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Nov 8, 2017 9:53:37 GMT -5
It's kind of pointless to winter sow most veggies and annuals here because in many winters we get long mild (or even warm) spells followed by more frosts. Anything winter-sown comes up during those warm spells only to get killed again in the next frost.
In the case of veggies or annuals that can take some frost, I am able to grow most of them all winter anyway. And I do keep most of my garden in use all winter.
Winter sowing would work with plants that need very warm soil for germination, because they (probably) wouldn't come up until during those winter warm spells. But since I use most of my garden during the winter on cool-season plants, I don't have a lot of free garden space for winter sowing. It easier to just plant the warm season crops after the last frost, as I make space by taking out the winter crops.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Nov 8, 2017 11:47:25 GMT -5
I tried winter sowing peas last year. We had a freak couple of 70 degree days in February, so I went out to the garden, cleaned out a bed and planted some peas, hoping that once it thawed they would come up.
Nothing happened. Now, it might have been because none of the pea seed was fresh, but in that case, I would have thought I would at least get a couple stragglers, but nothing.
Doesn't mean I won't try again though. I might purchase some very fresh pea seed to have on hand just in case we get another little warm up like that.
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Post by spike on Nov 8, 2017 12:26:54 GMT -5
Well here in the NE Ohio aka: Holy Hades Snow Belt with Lake effect . . . I only plant garlic in the late fall. Gave up on anything else as here in Ohio, Mother Nature is a bipolar, schizophrenic, alcoholic, drug addict that is pissed off . . . >,< The only thing you can count on is that the weather will be interesting.
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Post by paquebot on Nov 8, 2017 18:34:48 GMT -5
Just planted 5 large pots with carrots a couple days ago. Three others were planted with onions. Also have 4 pots ready for radishes to get in before Saturday's rain and snow. And this reminds me that I haven't got the snow pea pots reworked with fresh compost. Can't do beets and chard yet as those from last fall are still growing. In short, all of those do quite well. Just today I dumped a pot with Laguna carrots which were planted 3 Dec last year. Pot was 14" wide and 14" deep. There were 112 carrots of varying sizes and they had consumed almost half of the medium which was old horse manure.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by september on Nov 11, 2017 11:55:00 GMT -5
I've thought about winter sowing, but have not done any yet. I'm worried that the huge temperature differential for our nights that can drop down to -10F or more, even in late winter/early spring would be too tough on newly sprouted seedlings in clear containers that emerged during a warmer spell.
I have had good luck with late fall spinach seedlings that survived in ground under snow cover to resume growing in the spring, so probably should do more with those. I like the idea of the carrots in a pot.
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Post by paquebot on Nov 11, 2017 17:13:44 GMT -5
Common vegetables which may be planted now in the North are beets, carrots, chard, lettuce, onions, parsnips, peas, radishes, and spinach. May be more such as melons and squash but I haven't tried them. But since they easily volunteer, they obviously work, too.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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