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The first time you lifted the lid of one of your winter sowing containers and found a tiny green sprout, your eyes grew wide with wonder. It worked! You threw seeds in a milk jug, stuck it outside under your deck, and suddenly you have a baby plant! Amazing. Then another sprout appeared. And another. Now you have thickets of sprouts in an acre of winter sowing containers… What to do?
Some winter sowers plant just a few winter sowing containers but sow the whole packet of seeds because they don't see how more than a few could possibly survive. Others get carried away and plant hundreds of soda bottles, milk jugs, and other containers in an effort to winter sow every possible seed in their stash. But no matter how they get there, many enthusiastic winter sowers reach a point where they look out at a sea of 10,000 spring sprouts and wonder what they can possibly do with all those tiny plants. Don't panic!
As soon as seedlings start getting their first set of true leaves and the weather starts warming up, you'll want to harden offyour little plants to get them ready to transplant. Although being grown outside means they're already halfway hardened off compared to plants grown inside under lights, winter sown seedlings have still been sheltered by the greenhouse like environment of their enclosed containers. Exposing them gradually to increased amounts of wind and sun will keep them from going into shock.
Seedlings can go directly into the garden from their winter sowing containers, or they can be potted up to grow a little bigger first. The choice depends on the type of seedling and on your own gardening style. Many winter sowers never pot up any of their seedlings, and they tell me I baby my plants needlessly. However, my success rate seems better if I grow seedlings on for a while in pots before planting them out. An in-between option would be planting winter sown seedlings in a nursery bed, where you can keep a close eye on them.
Those who plant their seedlings directly out into the garden usually use the HOS or "Hunk ‘O Seedlings" method. With this method, do not prick out tiny individual seedlings to transplant into the garden. Instead, transplant large clumps of seedlings as a group. The tangle of stems gives the plants structural stability, and the larger mass of roots makes them better able to take up water from the surrounding soil.
For those faced with 10,000 spring sprouts, an additional benefit of the HOS method is that an entire container of winter sown seedlings can be divided into a few hunks for planting. Upending a milk jug filled with seedlings into the palm of your hand and then quartering the rootball will give you 4 large hunks of seedlings, for example. There's usually no need to thin the seedlings after planting out the HOS. Competition means that the strongest seedlings will survive.
I find that when I put tiny seedlings out into the "wild blue yonder" to fend for themselves, I simply don't pay enough attention to them. More often than not, they end up getting overrun by weeds, eaten by bunnies and slugs, or dried up when a splash from the hose would've saved them. Except for a few plants (like poppies) best planted out as tiny seedlings before they develop tap roots, I up-pot nearly everything I winter sow.
Winter sown annuals may only get potted up briefly in cell packs, giving them a chance to form really good roots before planting out. Perennials usually get potted up in quart or gallon pots. By fall, they'll have nice root systems, and I'll plant them out into the garden. I'll often overwinter potted perennials seedlings in a sheltered location for planting out the following spring. It does make for a lot of watering of pots over the summer, but I get a lot of sturdy plants for my garden with this method.
Potting up is also useful if you're trying to maximize the number of plants from your winter sown container. I often winter sow plants such as dianthus or alpine strawberries that I want to use for a border, which means I'd like to have a flat or two of plants. If I use the HOS method, I may only be able to divide my container into 6 or 8 clumps of seedlings. But by transplanting clumps of just 2 or 3 seedlings into each cell of a 36 or 48 cell flat, I can turn that one winter sowing container into many more plant divisions.
I use a good quality soil-less potting mix for potting up seedlings. Adding time release fertilizer provides nutrients for strong growth. I generally use a 3 month fertilizer such as Osmocote (14-14-14) for plants that will stay in containers until this fall. For plants that will overwinter in their containers, a 9 month fertilizer such as Dynomite's general purpose 13-13-13 might be a good choice.
Regular water from rain or a hose is crucial to good growth of plants in containers. Polymer moisture crystals can be a tremendous help in keeping moisture levels more even. Follow the application instructions when adding the crystals to your potting mix–more is not better!
Don't get overwhelmed by that wonderful abundance of greenery in your winter sowing containers. Start dividing the seedlings into hunks, either planting them out or potting them up. One or two containers at a time, just get started and work your way through them. Before you know it, your sea of winter sowing containers will dwindle, and your garden will start looking lush. This fall and next spring, you'll be able to "shop" among the pots on your patio rather than at your local nursery.
Turn 10,000 spring sprouts into an abundance of wonderful new plants for your garden!
Photos by Jill M. Nicolaus.
About Jill M. Nicolaus
Better known as "Critter" on DG, Jill gardens in Frederick, MD. Some of my extra plants found new homes at the plant swap I hosted recently... but there's still plenty of digging to be done here, as I couldn't resist adding a few from the wonderful selection people brought along. I've started browsing through fall bulb catalogs, too, finding good buys and making notes on my top picks. We've had wonderful gardening weather lately, and I sure hope it continues! (Images in my articles are from my photos, unless otherwise credited.)
Posted by Spunkster (from Stafford, VA) on July 20, 2008 at 11:22 PM:
Hi, I love all of your articles, thank you for sharing such great information! I am a 'neighbor' of yours, here in 7a, and I am also a beginner and going to start some plants (well, try anyway!) from seed over the winter. You mentioned setting a jug of water out with the seedlings, but will this really help with the frost/snow we get here in winter? It looks like your seedlings keep well protected since they are set so close to your house?
...
Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on July 21, 2008 at 12:20 AM:
In general, winter sown seedlings won't need extra protection... the container lids act like miniature greenhouses. Sometimes, if you get early sprouting during a January warm spell followed by really cold weather in February, you can lose seedlings (that's why I don't start sowing here until Groundhog's Day or later).
I'm trying to recall, but I think the jug of water tip had to do with providing extra protection while hardening off seedlings? You're right, a jug of water isn't going to do much to protect tender seedlings against a winter snowstorm...
Are you talking about starting seeds inside under lights, winter sowing seeds, or both? Regardless, I hope the information in the articles I wrote will get you off to a good start. :-)
And I hope you'll drop by the MidAtlantic forum... we have some local get-togethers every so often, too.
...
Subject: Winter Sowing
Posted by Melineke (from Dubuque, IA) on May 23, 2008 at 9:39 AM:
Hello, I am origionally from California and moved here to Iowa back in 1994. Boy did I have a time with plants. I didn't know what perrinnials and Annuals were at all. I probably spnt thousands of dollars in plants and such just for them to die. Since then I've learned to put my favorite annuals in pots and bring them inside through winter, heck I've even had miniature roses blooming through winter as well as other flowers, it's wonderful. I love flowers and plants and am building quite a showcase, I guess. I've learned about some blooming perinnials that bloom continuously and which annuals I don't mind purchasing each year. I am still new at this so I forgot to get my seeds planted early enough to plant by mothers day. It's still cool here, especially at night and I'm having a time with all my plants. The perinneals I planted last year are thriving right now, awesome but the ones I jsut planted desperately want warm weather, I can tell. Anyway, I'm interested in Winter Sowing and need help. I also need help with some of my plants from time to time. is there someone out there who would be my garden pal whom I can ask questions. I'm not sure what zone I'm in, I've heard 3 different zones. Please help. Lyn [e-mail:Melineke@yahoo.com]
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on May 23, 2008 at 10:12 AM:
Lyn, welcome to DG! You might be able to find some answers over in the Beginner Gardening forums, which are open to both members & subscribers. With your wide-ranging interests and obvious passion for flowers & plants of all stripes, I'd like to encourage you to consider subscribing to DG. That would give you full access to a huge number of forums, including winter sowing discussions and a regional forum for your area. I think the $5 trial subscription should be more widely publicized... it's a good way to check out everything that's here! (Although the way the forums keep expanding, I don't think I'll ever really mange to check out everything, myself! LOL)
For your plants that are struggling with cool nights, jugs of water placed near them will absorb heat from the sun during the day and release it slowly at night, acting at "heat sinks" to moderate temperatures.
...
Subject: Potting up ?
Posted by Indynannyof8 (from Brownstown, IN) on May 15, 2008 at 10:55 AM:
Okay, When you pot up plants that will get planted out later do you put them under lights or do you put them in a GH? I'm talking annuals at this point. I know how to do the perennials as they can take more but I want to grow my own annuals next year and want to do it right. This year my ws and grown under lights have stayed very small. Would I Spring Sow them as apposed to Winter Sow? I will say though that the plants I have planted out have done better than the ones in the trays (not the ws) The rainy cloudy weather has not helped but so far very few have died.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on May 15, 2008 at 10:59 AM:
When I pot up plants that I've winter sown, they stay outside.
Some annuals I start inside under lights, and some I start using the winter sowing method, although the more tender ones don't get put out in their containers until early spring (see my article on using the winter sowing method to grow annual flowers, [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]).
A lot depends on the particular annual, how tender it is, and how long it takes to bloom. The article at the link above should give you a little additional info.
...
Subject: Very Timely!
Posted by chatnoir (from Downers Grove, IL) on May 15, 2008 at 8:12 AM:
Tried winter sowing for the first time this year. I'd say overall the results were pretty good -- I definitely learned quite a bit along the way. Just yesterday I was staring into the containers thinking what on earth am I going to do with several hundred datura! LOLOL! Will use HOS and see what happens. Thanks for the great article!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on May 15, 2008 at 8:22 AM:
Datura are very popular... the option I somehow neglected to mention is... pot them up and trade them, swap them, give them away! I'll be taking some WS extras to a swap in a week and a half... :-)
I'm glad it was timely for you!
...
Posted by wind (from Mount Laurel, NJ) on May 15, 2008 at 8:24 AM:
hi Critter :) enjoyed your article
Chatnoir, this my first year to winter sowing and I do have ALOT of seedlings too! So far I only transplanted poppies so THANK YOU, Critter, for inspiring me to start "potting up"!
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on May 15, 2008 at 9:26 AM:
Jill, I just can't bring myself to 'pot up'. It's an extra step I just can't find the time for. But I do like the HOS. If you prick them all apart, you'll be exhausted before you get thru one container LOL. I do have containers with only 1 or 2 plants, which is a relief. Sometimes, you only want one. My biggest problem, and what I'm working on this week, is where to put the results of 144 bags. I guess you can't help with that ;0)
Keep these great articles coming. I always get something I can take away. jan
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on May 15, 2008 at 9:55 AM:
Everybody finds what works for them! I don't prick apart every seedling when I pot up, though... I transplant clumps, so it's like doing little HOS's. For me, the extra step is worth is with perennials because I just haven't had good luck planting those little seedlings right out into the garden.
I figure if you've got a huge container of seedlings, you can always try it both ways... split off a couple of little clumps to pot up, as "back up" plants, and put the rest right into the garden, HOS style. :-)
...
Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on May 15, 2008 at 2:51 PM:
I want to add (although I know I'm the only one who needs constant reminding) LABEL, LABEL, LABEL! Even though you've nursed a seedling through sickness and health, or, I should say, successfully ignored it through snow, frost, cold and hail, you still may not know it when you finally meet it face to face with its 32 sets of true leaves (which aren't bluish gray but sort of grayish green), that smell (well, you know teenagers) and the fine down on its leaves.
I always wound up potting up some or most of my seedlings because the beds weren't ready yet (who me? successfully make plants out of seeds? never happen!) . . . and they had outgrown their 1 liter soda bottles, poor dears.
...
Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on May 15, 2008 at 3:10 PM:
Good point! LOL
I've found that silver Sharpie markers work really well on those black or green plastic nursery pots... and for good measure, I try to stick a vinyl marker into the pot as well (cut from a window blind slat and labeled with a paint pen or an *industrial* Sharpie marker, not a regular one).
...
Posted by Lindawalkabout (from Holden, MO) on May 16, 2008 at 12:36 AM:
Critter I have been doing the HOS on my containers after I too just stared at all those containers filled w/ thousands of seedlings.
I think I will do that little clumps of potting up on some, plus the time it is growing bigger & stronger it will give me a better idea where I'm going to put it in the garden.
I am so sold on WS, being my first year, its just amazing how they do so well.
Another great artical with good ideas for a very overwhemling project of gardening passion. I love to see the containers being emptied one WS container at a time. I'll need to get more pots tho to do the pot ups.
Plans- half of each WS containers will go into garden and other half potted up, this is perfect timing for this weekend.
We are planning a fall roundup for the midwest and my potted up WS plants will be nice to share with others.
Thanks too for the types of soil we should use for this potting up.
...
Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on May 16, 2008 at 8:08 AM:
If you're doing a lot of potting up, you might chat up your local nursery people... a guy near me lets me buy a yard of his "special mix" (bark fines, sand, etc... a lot like the blend that Tapla recommends, I think... coarser than the peat based bagged mixes but just right for perennial containers). He charges me about $15 more than he would for topsoil, and he's generous with that scoop!
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Posted by Lindawalkabout (from Holden, MO) on May 16, 2008 at 12:11 PM:
Ths Critter I will check on that. You know the seedlings I already planted look good but done in clumps. I think if I did each one they would have disappeared in the ground.
Now some of the plants in the containers are not as many and more sturdy to plant out in the garden. So really each container should be judged on the best way to get the best plants out of it.
172 containers with a mass of seedlings is a lot of plants.
Us WSoers are so different , we don't care what the containers look like, we don't care if our deck, porch, yards , etc look like a landfill at some point, and we really don't mine thousands of plants coming up after we stare at them awhile and wonder "what have I done"
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on May 16, 2008 at 12:39 PM:
LOL People look out at my deck and say, OMG! and I respond, yes, isn't it amazing? I'm so excited about all these new little plants for my garden! Then they don't know what to say...
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Posted by Lindawalkabout (from Holden, MO) on May 16, 2008 at 12:42 PM:
Now Critters thats the spirit, LOL. keep em wondering and speechless
You have a great day and all the rest of WSers too. I got to go into town and can't get in the gardens tell tomorrow.
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Posted by Jean530 (from Brownsville, CA) on May 17, 2008 at 3:56 AM:
Thanks Critter, for all your seed starting articles this spring. I am a long-time gardener, but new to DG, and a first time seed starter, and I'm hooked! Just about the time I was wondering what to do next, here came your timely article. Have had better luck with the seeds than our weather this year------- Tomorrow I will use moisture crystals when I replant my hanging baskets and planters.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on May 17, 2008 at 8:10 AM:
Jean, I'm glad you liked the articles, and I'm glad they were well timed for you. :-)
I tell people I start plants from seed for the selection of neat varieties, or because it's more cost effective, etc... but the truth is, it's just such fun to see those little sprouts poking up and to raise them into great plants for your garden! I'm glad you're "hooked" too!
Some winter sowers plant just a few 
As soon as seedlings start getting their first set of true leaves and the weather starts warming up, you'll want to 
Those who plant their seedlings directly out into the garden usually use the HOS or "Hunk ‘O Seedlings" method. With this method, do not prick out tiny individual seedlings to transplant into the garden. Instead, transplant large clumps of seedlings as a group. The tangle of stems gives the plants structural stability, and the larger mass of roots makes them better able to take up water from the surrounding soil. 
For those faced with 10,000 spring sprouts, an additional benefit of the HOS method is that an entire container of winter sown seedlings can be divided into a few hunks for planting. Upending a milk jug filled with seedlings into the palm of your hand and then quartering the rootball will give you 4 large hunks of seedlings, for example. There's usually no need to thin the seedlings after planting out the HOS. Competition means that the strongest seedlings will survive.
I find that when I put tiny seedlings out into the "wild blue yonder" to fend for themselves, I simply don't pay enough attention to them. More often than not, they end up getting overrun by weeds, eaten by bunnies and slugs, or dried up when a splash from the hose would've saved them. Except for a few plants (like poppies) best planted out as tiny seedlings before they develop tap roots, I up-pot nearly everything I winter sow.
Potting up is also useful if you're trying to maximize the number of plants from your winter sown container. I often winter sow plants such as dianthus or alpine strawberries that I want to use for a border, which means I'd like to have a flat or two of plants. If I use the HOS method, I may only be able to divide my container into 6 or 8 clumps of seedlings. But by transplanting clumps of just 2 or 3 seedlings into each cell of a 36 or 48 cell flat, I can turn that one winter sowing container into many more plant divisions.
I use a good quality soil-less potting mix for potting up seedlings. Adding time release fertilizer provides nutrients for strong growth. I generally use a 3 month fertilizer such as Osmocote (14-14-14) for plants that will stay in containers until this fall. For plants that will overwinter in their containers, a 9 month fertilizer such as Dynomite's general purpose 13-13-13 might be a good choice. 
Don't get overwhelmed by that wonderful abundance of greenery in your winter sowing containers. Start dividing the seedlings into hunks, either planting them out or potting them up. One or two containers at a time, just get started and work your way through them. Before you know it, your sea of winter sowing containers will dwindle, and your garden will start looking lush. This fall and next spring, you'll be able to "shop" among the pots on your patio rather than at your local nursery.
