Winter Sowing: A Guide to Gardening in Cold Climates

Who says you can’t garden in winter? Even in cold climates!? 

Winter sowing! I’m so excited to try this bag method this year on many of my perennials, annuals, herbs, and veggies! It only takes seeds, potting soil, and few other things to be gardening in January! 

This winter sowing method works in zones 3-9 and can be started in January and done up through March! Luckily I had a healthy seed supply and got started on my winter sowing(I started the last week of January)! I also ran and picked up a few more seeds to start later this week. 

Sow the seeds and LEAVE the bags propped open OUTDOORS in a garden space! They’ll germinate and then can be pricked out and planted saving SO much space, plastic trays, hand watering, grow lights etc… because many seeds require a cold stratification, that step can be skipped (I usually throw the seeds that need stratification in the freezer for a few weeks) because they’ll get it being outdoors. Since the seeds are being grown outdoor in your climate and under natural sunlight, they won’t have to be hardened off!

I started (I’m in zone 5) by getting my arugula, cabbage, lettuces, kale, spinach, cilantro, dill, salad burnet, lovage, delphinium, poppies, & cleome seeded going first… I have a whole stack of other varieties but had to bring in a bag of potting soil in to defrost (it was being stored in the shed for winter).

Are you ready to try winter sowing?

Gardening in January in cold climates seems like a dream! With this winter sowing method, it’s possible!

To get started you’ll need:

Seeds (not all seeds will work, see my complete list below), soil, gallon ziplock bags, scissors, marker, clothespins, long marshmallow sticks, gloves, water… You can also find my complete list here.

I find myself with left over seeds from season to season. This is still my favorite way to store my seeds! Find it HERE

This works for zones 3-9. Sow your seeds (not all seeds will work!) in bags starting in January and the seeds get placed OUTSIDE! I’m a zone 5 and finally go my around to sowing mine the last week of January! Lucky for me we had a dry January and I didn’t have to dig snow out if an area to set these flat. Once they are set, they can be snowed, rained, hailed, etc on… no problem! THEY STAY OUTSIDE!

Here is what you’ll need to get started! Comment LINK and I’ll send you the list! 

No greenhouse? No problem. This method works in hardiness zones 3-9. You can winter sow January- March depending on your seed’s stratification requirements. 

I have some videos on how I put my bags together here, here, here, here...

Steps:

1. Choose Seeds (find my list below)
2. label bags. I like to add the date I sowed the seeds.
3. cut 2-3 triangle slits in the bottom of each bag so that it can drain excess water.
4. fill with potting soil about 1/2 way full to have enough space for the roots to grow.
5. water soil in and press out excess liquid creating a brick of dirt
6. sprinkle seeds on top of soil
7. sprinkle a light layer of soil over the top of seeds and press to make sure seeds have good soil contact
8. skewer bags with sticks and support with sticks with boards, bricks, rocks etc… anything to ensure the bags can remain upright. make sure the bags are setting on the ground and not hanging.
9. close the bag leaving it open about 1/2 inch to 1 inch and use a clothespin to help prop it open so that it can breath plus receive rain, snow, hail etc to keep the seeds watered
10. set them up and LEAVE them outside!
11. make sure you check them periodically to see if they need to be watered. if we have snow, I will open the bags and add snow and then close them back up. As the snow warms it will melt and water the seeds.

What I’ve Winter sown so far:

1. Arugula 
2. Cilantro 
3. Lovage
4. Spinach
5. Cabbage
6. lettuce (several varieties)
7. Dill ( a couple of varieties)
8. Salad burnet
9. Breadseed poppy (a couple of colors)
10. Cleome 
11. Foxglove
12. Marigold 
13. Wild bergamot 
14. Broccoli
15. Asclepias
16. thunbergia alata 
17. delphinium
18. Craspedia
19. kale (couple of varieties)

I’m also running an experiment on a few to see if they’ll work! I’ll keep you posted! 

1. verbena bonariensis
2. Lisianthus
3. Black eyed Susan vine

I buy my seeds from a variety of suppliers both online and locally in store.

I have 28 bags and roughy 2800 potential plants waiting to germinate!

Below you will find a seed list of other plants that will work with the winter sowing method; as there are lots of things I’m not starting that can be started!

Hardy annuals / Biennials

1. Calendula
2. Celosia
3. Cleome
4. Cosmos
5. Marigold
6. Sunflower
7. Snapdragons 0°F
8.   Craspedia 20°F
9.   Sweetpeas 10°F
10.   Orlaya -5°F
11.   Bells of Ireland 10°F
12.   Delphinium 0°F
13.   Foxglove -10°F
14.   Scabiosa 10°F
15.   Hollyhocks 0°F
16.   Violas 10°F
17.   Chinese forget-me-nots 0°F
18.   Nigella 0°F
19.   Godetia 20°F
20.   Strawflower 10°F
21.   Winged everlasting 20°F
22.   Sweet William -10°F
23.   Bupleurum – 10°f
24.   Queen Anne’s Lace 10°F
25.   Feverfew (can be perennial) – 10°F
26.   Bachelor Buttons 0°F
27.   Larkspur 0°F
28.   Lisianthus 0°F (awaiting my trials!)
29.   Poppies 0°F
30.   Stock 20°F
31.   Honeywort 10°F
32.   Statice 20°F
33.   Cress 20°F
34. salad burnett

Spring veggies (all 15 20°F when covered)

1. Arugula
2. Beets
3. Broccoli
4. Carrots
5. Cabbage
6. Lettuce
7. Onion
8. Radish
9. Spinach
10. Swish chard 
11. Kale
12. brussel sprouts
13. snap peas
14. salad burnett
15. cress

Herbs:

1. Cilantro
2. Dill
3. Lovage 
4. Parsley

Perennials:

1. Butterfly weed
2. Delphinium
3. Foxglove
4. Orlea
5. Poppy
6. Queen Anne’s lace 
7. Black eyed Susans -20°F
8. Echinacea -20°F
9. Bee Balm -20°F
10. Yarrow -20°F

* I wouldn’t personally do root veggies as they need deep soil, but they do grow this way

Let me know if you have questions, save this post to refer back to, and tag me so I can see your progress! Happy planting! 

*This post contains affiliate links

XO, Carly