Garden Update – Winter Sowing Progress

After weeks of almost non-stop rain and even some snow (EW!), I think it’s finally really spring! It was 65 degrees today, and I took advantage of the nice weather by finishing up the first raised bed for my vegetable garden. (More on that in a few days.)

I thought I’d post my progress with my winter sowing project. I have lots of sprouts and seedlings now, which makes me do the happy garden dance. I’ve sown 86 containers so far! Here’s a picture of my so-called “pot ghetto”.

winter_sowing

Not the most attractive set up, but there’s no way I’d have enough space to start that many seedlings indoors. I’ll trade form for function any day.

Of the 50 or so containers I sowed in February and March, I’d say about 60% have sprouts now. I did a giant batch of containers a few days ago, including the first of my veggies!

Here’s a little sample of the progression my Russell Lupines have made, which were my first seeds to germinate:

lupine_sprouts_0330
These seeds were sown on February 14th and I saw the first signs of germination on March 30th.

 

 

lupine_sprouts_0404
A few more seedlings have poked out their heads! This photo was taken on April 4th.

 

lupine_sprouts_0422
April 22nd and the first “true leaves” have appeared!

So the verdict? Winter sowing totally works, and it is AWESOME. I’ve sown enough flower seeds to fill a 250 square foot bed. If I’d tried to buy plants to fill that, I’d have to spend over $1000.

With winter sowing, I got over half of the seeds for free in a seed exchange. The other half I bought and paid about $30. Add in the cost of potting mix, and I’m still only at maybe $50 total! The containers are free. The lighting is free. The space on my patio is free!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *