Last updated on February 19th, 2017
This week, I received the following winter-sowing question from reader Patti:
“Hi Kevin – new to gardening and just discovered your winter-sowing method. I haven’t seen in the comments or your articles any general instruction on how many seeds to plant per milk jug . . . do you have a general rule of thumb to apply according to seed size, flower seed, vegetable seed, etc? Thanks for the great site and voice of experience!”
And here are my thoughts on the number of seeds to plant per gallon-size container:
Tiny, dust-like seeds (Nicotiana, Alyssum, Creeping Thyme, etc.). I sow these as thinly as I can, which means not “thinly” at all. No worries! When the crowded seedlings emerge in spring, I simply cut them up with a knife as described in this post, and then plant them out in the open garden.
Medium-size seeds (tomato, lettuce greens, columbine, hollyhock, etc.). These seeds are large enough to handle (and count!). I sow 6-8 per gallon-size container.
Large seeds (morning glory, lupine, sweet pea, and etc.). It seems the larger the seed, the larger the seedling. To keep the youngsters from shading each other, I sow only 4 to 6 seeds per container.
Now, the above seed-count guide is just that — a guide. You might like to plant a dozen tomato seeds instead of my recommended six per gallon-size per container. In any event, you can always cut through tangled roots at transplanting time. Winter-sown seedlings are tough little animals!
New to winter-sowing? Be sure to read these articles:
How to Make a Milk Jug Greenhouse
How to Transplant Winter-Sown Seedlings
In the comments field below, let me know how your 2017 winter-sowing project is coming along. If you live in a mild zone, seeds are probably already germinating for you. Meanwhile, my own containers are buried beneath a mountain of snow!
xKevin
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Mary in Iowa says
I’ve 42 jugs out there. It has been a bizarre winter, weatherwise. I normally shovel heavy snows 2-3 times a week here in central Iowa. So far, all winter long, I’ve shoveled but 3 times, and at one inch, one inch, and 3 inches it was barely worth the trouble. Had I not desperately needed to be active in the fresh air I could have left it to melt as a goodly number of people did. After peering into the winter sown jugs for any signs of early sprouting, I noted that I’m going to have to water since some of them are looking quite dry. Flocks of geese have been honking raucously overhead as they migrate northward, cardinal couples are looking for promising real estate for new home builds, and two robins were imbibing last week’s snow melt from the avian pub atop the concave lid of the recycle bin. These things aren’t supposed to happen until March. Yesterday, 63, today, 73!!!!! Never in my 73 years have I seen anything even close to these temps here in February. I understand from people in high places that Climate Change is non-existent, and a product of a Chinese hoax. Someone neglected to get word pf this to our little feathered brothers and sisters.
Cindy says
Bummer, didn’t winter sow this year due to a very mild winter here in Illinois. I plan on putting my gallons of seeds out mid to late March. The typical April seeds will go out as usual.
Julie Zone6B says
I just discovered this website and am excited to try winter-sowing for the first time. For years I have started seeds indoors, and never had very sturdy seedlings.I have a couple of questions: 1) would it be a good idea to put landscape fabric over the bottom holes to avoid losing some of the finer soil? 2) Could I plant tender annuals at same time as hardy ones but keep those jugs indoors until late March so they can start growing safely…or would it then be too much of a shock to put them out in the cold? We haven’t had any snow for ages and this weekend is already 14ºC, but I know that winter isn’t over yet!
Deborah Goodman says
Yesterday I did a winter sowing of rhubarb. I’m hoping they will take. If they all do I’ll have enough rhubarb plants to share with friends. I received a gift certificate for Christmas for my favorite seed company. Needless to say I will be making the garden a little bigger this year. I went a little crazy when I was ordering my veggies, herbs and flowers. That’s okay though. My nephew ( he’s nine) says I’m planting a rainbow garden this year because I have vegetables that are in so many different colors. Heirloom, Non-GMO seed is the way to go for a pretty garden in my opinion. Come end of March or early April I’ll start the tomatoes, peppers and cabbage. I’m really looking forward to doing winter sowing. So much cheaper in the long run than buying plants. And better for the bees too as the nursery plants are sprayed with insecticide.
Heather says
I made up some jugs with perennials and herbs. I’m not doing as many this year since I am expecting a baby due April 6th. I usually start my veggies on 4/1. Do you think I can start them early this year due to the mild winter? There is no way it will happen in April. I am in Illinois zone 5b. Thanks!
Lisa Ronan says
One of these years I’m gonna do this! I wanted to let you know how much I loved the above pictures though! I would love to see more close up pics of your garden as it goes through the seasons. I’m sure it’s beautiful in person!
Sandra says
Do you still recommend the leaf shredder ?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Mary – Nice to see you again! Speaking from experience, a warm winter will spell trouble when summer arrives. Roses and other perennials will behave…strangely. Keep us updated!
Hi Julie – Better to start all plants outdoors for the very reason you described. You can put landscape fabric over the drainage holes if you like, but I’ve never found the need to do so. Have fun with your project!
Hi Deborah – a “Rainbow” garden. Sounds wonderful!
Hi Heather – A baby? Congrats to you! And yes, you can start veggies early if mild weather is expected to remain.
Hi Lisa – To see close-ups of my gardens, just type “garden walk” in the search box located at the top of this site. Enjoy the various “tours”!
Hi Sandra – Yes, I love my leaf shredder!
susan says
well, last year was the 1st time I tried. super amazed. so in fall we put more newspaper down and manure to expand this spring. I also read about Back To Eden, they use a cover of tree chippings on top of all the good stuff. I got some free, will use it too. I’m super excited about this because, usually I buy full grown plants($) for my seeded garden(yeap, year after year I tried). I live in zone 5 upstate NY. by the time my seeds sprout in the garden its never long enough for them to really produce a lot. Thank-you Kevin for showing this crazy(to me at least) idea of milk jugs. I had so much last year I was able to share with my grown kids and their family. And they are healthy.
Margaret Vanhull says
Filled with enthusiasm, I organized a workshop for my local garden club last Feb. We sowed dozens of containers then offered them for sale at our May plant sale. Some members including myself kept a few for ourselves. I still have some of the herbs on my kitchen sill after they spent last summer in porch pots. And the perennials I sowed are wintering in pots on the porch. I have some physical issues with digging in the beds, so this project brought beautiful colors adorning porch and steps. Thanks again!
Carol Samsel says
We are experiencing way above normal temps this winter also with almost no snow or rain. I am just now starting my jugs and some of the ones that really need to freeze first are going into the freezer of the extra fridge in the basement for a few days and then set them out a few and back into the freezer for a few more and then outside until ready to transplant . I’m doing this with Lupines and the Herb Comfrey and milkweed. I have my broccoli, cabbage and beets planted and will do some onions and carrots today. I fear it will be a dry year here which is making me rethink my entire garden this year. I do alot of strawbale gardening and those require a lot of water.
Gale Dickert says
Am loving and sharing your website, Kevin –a bright spot in any day!! Thanks to readers’ info on washing machines, I hurriedly changed my order of a Kenmore without agitator to a Kenmore with one!! Saved in nick of time! Glad to learn about Speed Queens for future –although Kenmores (or the old ones, at least) often lasted for decades! You’re providing a real service for us readers –and loads of enjoyable reading. Do keep the good ideas flowing and THANK YOU! By the way, Spring has sprung here in FL, warm and flowery! In fact, a big clump of beautiful white vinca has bloomed on my brick patio all winter, barely touched by the one cold spell. And last summer was the hottest on record.
GALE from Florida
Laura K says
I’m in Canada in zone 3b – short season – very cold winter. This is my second summer here and I can tell you that every single thing I do to my garden I am told by a local that it wont work. It drives me absolutely bananas. Case in point – the 40 jugs I already have started out on my deck. I’ve been told countless times that I am wasting my time. I chose mostly seeds that would self sow in our region and a I pushed the envelope with a few that I wasn’t sure about but decided to do anyway to test. I also plan to put out lots of hardy annuals next month. I need something to germinate or I will never hear the end of it.
A quick question – I am adding hoop houses over my raised beds this year to extend my season. If the weather is still cool come early April and I haven’t seen anything germinate could I not move my jugs under those hoops to give them an earlier push?
Regina says
Have 6 jugs planted with the beautiful GA Butterfly Weed seeds. Hoping some of them sprout.
Ellen says
Woah!! First we want to know which washer and dryer you chose!
Judy says
Oh we are moving south to St.Croix VI, reading all the early gardening items makes me want to go out and plant. Next year in the warm island life I will be planting, great reading as is usual.
Judy
Elaine says
I’m in the Piedmont of North Carolina and we have had way above normal temperatures and lots and lots of days of full sun. I checked my jugs today and two of them (poppies and dill) already have lots of little seedlings. Not sure if this is good or bad. We’ve had snow here up until late March so who knows. I may have to bring the jugs in if we start having winter again. But that is one of the beauties of the jug method – you can move if necessary. I’m more concerned about the trees like the tulip trees which are in bull bloom – way too early.
Joanne says
Maine zone 5 with 24 inches of snow on the ground. I planted up 20 jugs today and have them all sitting in a snow bank in the sun. When the snow melts I will move them to the garden –which is also covered in snow. Last year I did 5 jugs (all I could find) and the perennial grass (Elijah Blue) germinated and we divided and repotted them–they are over wintering in the raised bed–I have 20 healthy little clumps. So, with that success in mind–I started more perennials!!!! Last year I had great sage plants, salvia etc. the onions didn’t do well but will try again.
I teach classes at the local greenhouse and am teaching them jug sowing!!!
Holly says
Great question. Thanks for sharing how many you sow in each container. I make these every year and just started saving jugs this past week.
Paula Beattie says
I tried winter sowing last year and nothing grew 🙁 I am not sure what I did wrong.
Karen says
I love winter sowing. I am in zone 5a and I have jugs out in the snow now. Echinacea , Holly hocks, Columbine and Foxgloves. Today I did Kale (Blue Curly Scotch and Prizm). Also Peppermint Swiss Chard and leaf and head lettuce. So rewarding when spring arrives and you have all of these wonderful little transplants ready to go into your garden.
Elizabeth says
I am in Ontario & zone 5b. Our winter is unusual as well this year. Very little snow left & quite mild this weekend. I will start some kale, spinach & maybe some sage very soon. Peppers & tomatoes later in April. I have some lovage seeds that need to be put in the fridge in a damp paper towel & then a plastic bag for 3 days before planting. I think I will try just planting them out in my jugs & see what happens. I would think by being outside it might do the job of being refrigerated & then warmed.This is my first attempt at winter sowing so hoping for success.
Marjie T. says
68 degrees and sunny here in Wisconsin…..climate change makes it really hard to decide which direction to take. We should be skiing (and winter sowing) but instead we are walking the shores of Lake Michigan and thinking about shoving the kayaks in as the waters are dead calm.
badger gardener says
It’s in the 60’s here in WI and I feel like I could sow directly into the ground. So far I have kale and chard in their winter jugs. I have to recheck your “what to sow when” post as I have lots of other seeds waiting in the wings but most are tender annuals and veggies. I miss a good old-fashioned winter. This winter was quite lame.
Karen Simmons says
I love to winter sow, I already have several perennial seeds started. Today I planted Columbine and Foxgloves, also two varieties of Kale, Peppermint Swiss Chard and leaf and head lettuce. In the spring it is very rewarding to see your little transplants ready to put in your gardens.
Emily says
Northwest Ohio
Broccoli, Chard, Kale (lacinato), Swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), Butterfly weed (A. tuberosa), parsley, cilantro, winter aconite and calendula.
I’m also tempting fate by starting lettuce in the house.
Linda says
Kevin , you got me started last year when you posted about it. Everybody thought I was nuts -but it worked like a charm. So I have 20 jugs out right now. The only problem I had last year was I put them on the front porch and when they were sprouting a raccoon came along and turned them all over . I was so miffed but still a lot of them survived. So right now I have them in wire cages! It is nice here in Va. too and calling for a week of 70’s and 40’s at night????? Flowers are popping up everywhere.
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
I placed my 15 jugs outside on January 22. Since then the overnight temps have been below freezing regularly and it has also rained many times. We got about 7″ of snow last week that just disappeared completely today. (freakishly warm temps for Feb.) Seed varieties this year include: Clematis viorna (pink/white native vine), Culinary Sage with the round leaf, yellow Aurinia saxatile, gold Ligularia ‘Desdemona’, Malva zebrina, pink Physostegia, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, White Tricyrtis ‘Sononome’, Dwarf Blue Platycodon, Orange(!)Mirabilis, Belamcanda renamed Iris domestica, purple Liatris, pale purple Anise Hyssop, orange Asclepias tuberosa and Pink Oriental Poppies (perennials).
With some fierce winds on drier days, I felt the need to water once and spray with a mister twice, just to keep some of the tinier seeds lying on the soil surface from drying out totally. At least 4 times I dumped standing water out of the tray holding the jugs. I have labels wired onto each handle, separate signs inside and I wrote onto the jug as well – three ways to ID just in case a mix up occurs, or signs fall off or the sun bleaches my writing.(Learned this lesson the hard way.) I have rotated the tray to even out sun exposure. Squirrels have not bothered the set up (yet). It is sitting on a raised bed so my dog avoids upsetting the arrangement.
I always OVER-SOW in the jugs to hedge my bets, and plan to thin out seedlings IF NECESSARY later. The only seeds I purchased were the 4:00’s (Mirabilis). All others I collected from my yard. I just love having this project to work on in the cold months when I can’t dig in the traditional way.
Susan zone 5b Missouri says
This is my first year to try winter sowing. I am excited to see what comes up. The hint I have is that I discovered a heated glue gun (empty of course) makes a great tool for easy drainage holes in your jugs. I love your blog! I learn so much from your posts.
MermaidDeb Haack says
Hi Kevin, I have a Spring Thaw that has so far lasted 2 1/2 weeks in Nebraska. Our Temps have been above 70° for the last week. I planted garlic at the end of fall last year. The little buggers are growing. They are about 3 inches tall. Do you know if I can put milk cartons over them when it freezes again? Or are they going to die. We still have at least a month of freezing winter to go, starting this weekend when we will have a blizzard come in. Please can you help my garlic? I have many others that I can just put more mulch over. The grass is even greening up.
MermaidDeb Haack says
Hi Kevin, I have a Spring Thaw that has so far lasted 2 1/2 weeks in Nebraska. Our Temps have been above 70° for the last week. I planted garlic at the end of fall last year. The little buggers are growing. They are about 3 inches tall. Do you know if I can put milk cartons over them when it freezes again? Or are they going to die. We still have at least a month of freezing winter to go, starting this weekend when we will have a blizzard come in. Please can you help my garlic? I have many others that I can just put more mulch over. The grass is even greening up. Thank you, Kevin. I knew if anyone could help it would be you❤☄
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi MermaidDeb Haack – Probably no need to worry about your garlic. My own crop sprouts and grows in autumn, and then freezes later on. The plants always recover and produce a substantial harvest. Garlic is hardy!
MermaidDeb Haack says
Thank you, Kevin. I knew that you would have the answer. I have been enjoying the garlic that I planted in a pot in the house this year also. They have added a delicious flavor to many recipes
Love all of your newsletters, MermaidDeb
Janet Metzger says
In Dallas, I am not doing winter sowing even if I could, but I did plant this week! Walking onions, strawberry, kale, arugula; local onion or garlic bulbs are sprouting in the grass; daffodil in full bloom; crabapple starting.
In January I pulled up the yams I planted last May; I planted one little bud; I got 15 tubers; those are sprouting now; I cannot plant them here until May. SOS! do I put them in the fridge or in little tiny containers to keep them going till May?????
Thanks also for the tips on the leaves. The dirt in the two raised beds is very nice. I spent the weekend adding compost and other necessary ingredients (molasses, seaweed, etc); another layer of leaves and mulch and then LOTS of rain. The ground should be just right for planting the main garden in March! Thank you so much for the all the reminders!
Bethany says
I am new to your site and I just love it!!! So many great tips, recipes and ideas! I started winter sowing for the first time last week and my lupines have already begun to sprout! It has been a strange and humid 70 degree February week here, so the seeds must be loving the weather! As I continue to make more mini greenhouses I am being more careful and spreading the seeds out. Very exciting to see those sprouts! Looking forward to reading more of your awesome posts!
-Bethany
Trudi says
the Batchelor buttons and Cosmos are up and running here in Ga. Time to put in some less hardy ones perhaps .We’ve also had a mild winter , but we’re known for late March early April freezes so who knows. . It s late Feb and i have azaleas coming into flowering! just weird … I will plant peas in the garden on the 26th accordion to the Farmer Almanac. and not before. hahaha. This looks promising ! Thanks for the yearly encouragment !
Lori says
What kind of soil do you use for winter sowing? I have never been fond of the peat that the stores sell but might have to settle for that as I’m running out of winter. Doesn’t peat soil dry out quickly?
Leisa Joan says
I started my Delphiniums, Lupines, Hollyhocks, Asclepias, Dianthus, Gaillardia, Wormwood, Maltese Cross and a few others…yes all my gardening (and a few non-gardening) friends think it’s a crazy idea, but if it works, then all the babying of sowing in row trays, transplanting, and keeping moist will go out the window! yay.
Maribeth says
This is my third year of Winter Sowing thanks to you Kevin! Fortunately this year I started right after the first of the year with things that need the cold stratification. On the Colorado high plains we have also had record high temperatures in February but I am hopeful we have had enough cold days mixed in. A few things that I have found to work for me in my dry environment is occasional watering and keeping my Winter Sow (WS) containers on the East side of my house where they are not in direct sun all day. I have a storage container that does not have drainage holes which I fill with several inches of water and let the WS containers soak up water from the bottom. I can tell when they need water by the weight of the container (dry soil is very light weight). Looking forward to adding more native plants to my expanding gardens!
Maggie says
Love website and especially this wintersowing! Last year had success…feeling good about this year. Question Poppies that are perennials Do You use newspaper in those areas of garden to control weeds with composted mulch over it? Do you do this late fall or early spring? And do you use wintersowing for poppies ? Thanks.
Patti Law-Poggi says
Dear Kevin,
Should I keep my milk jugs in the shade. I’m zone 7/8 in California and it will soon be getting hot.
Joan says
I live in zone 4a. Saw this on Pinterest in early March of 2018 and gave it a try. I’m a novice gardener but I figured what do I have to lose? I winter sowed the 3rd week of March. I used the milk jugs (dozen)to plant zinnias , marigolds, impatiens. I put them on the south side of the house and basically forgot about them. Beginning of May I started to check for growth, nothing so I figured lost cause, going to get rid of the jugs. Around Memorial Day a visit from family member who took a walk around the jugs and pointed out growth! I saw these little bitty seedlings poking out of the jugs labeled marigold, zinnias. Transplanted them in small peat containers and put them in a little plastic greenhouse my husband bought for me. Out of the dozen jugs I planted six seeds to a container. Around the last part of June early July I had 6 marigold plants with a bunch of flowers, filled 3-10 inch container full until Oct. I got 2 zinnia plants that were beautiful! I planted in garden, they each had 10-12 different colors of flower and the thrived until fall! No inpatients but now know those are not easier to grow. Today trying petunias, marigolds, zinnias, portoluca.
Trish Dycus says
Can I sign up to follow you
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Trish – To get my email updates, click the link at the end of this (or any post) that reads “Get My Email Updates.” And thank you!