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01/29/15

Winter Sowing Zone Guides & FAQs



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You asked for it in our post, Winter Seed Sowing Anywhere, and I’m here to deliver. I told you all about how I start my seeds in the dead of winter and you all had a lot of questions for me. How do I know what to sow and when to sow? What kind of containers can I use? What about watering? I’ve got the answers to these questions and more. Discover how to winter sow seeds where you live.

How do I know what to sow and when to sow? What kind of containers can I use? What about watering? I've got the answers to these questions and more.

How do I know if my seeds are good candidates for winter sowing?

Look for these key terms on your seed packets.

  • Hardy seeds
  • Seedlings can withstand frost
  • Sow outdoors in late autumn or early winter
  • Sow outdoors in early spring when nights are still cool
  • Needs pre-chilling
  • Requires stratification (cold, moist conditions)

All of these key terms indicate that a seed is a good candidate for winter sowing. Of course, your climate and gardening zone will play an important part in the success of winter sowing.

How deep do I sow my seeds?

The general rule of thumb is to plant twice the depth of the seed’s smallest dimension at the spacing indicated by your seed packet. I’ll be honest, with tiny seeds, I don’t worry too much about proper spacing or depth. I sprinkle them in and cover with a light layer of soil. When they begin germinating and sprouting in the spring, I thin as needed.

What do I use if I don’t have enough milk cartons?

There are a lot of great upcycle container ideas out there. Basically, any container that allows light inside will do. Here is a small list to get you started:

  • Soda Bottles
  • Bakery Containers
  • Clear Storage Totes
  • Deli Chicken Containers
  • Travel Tin Foil Containers
  • Meat & Cheese Platters (for shallow-rooted seedlings)
  • Juice Cartons with the tops cut off and a baggie over the top (more suitable for southern locations)

Just be sure if you are using a container that doesn’t have a lid or cap that you drill in a few ventilation/moisture holes along the top.

What if I don’t have snow?

Winter is just a cooler season, not necessarily bitter cold and snow. Winter Sowing is merely getting a head start for your growing season, allowing nature to take care of everything. It’s like greenhouse gardening on a small-scale.

When is the earliest I can start Winter Sowing?

The Winter Solstice seems to be a good starting point. The days are at their shortest and typically the temperatures are at their coldest. The concern with starting too early is that the seeds will begin to sprout while the temperatures are too low to support the plant. By planting in the “dead of winter”, you can be fairly confident that the seeds won’t start until spring is beginning.

What do I do come spring?

You treat your winter sown seedlings just like you would any other seedling. You’ll want to remove the lid during the daytime to harden them off and transplant them when the soil is warm enough. 

How do I know what to sow and when to sow? What kind of containers can I use? What about watering? I've got the answers to these questions and more.

What about watering?

Mother Nature does a pretty good job at keeping your winter sown containers at the right moisture level during the dormant period. By keeping the cover off your container or cutting ventilation holes, rain and snow will enter the top and excess water will drain through the drainage holes. If you notice your soil is looking dry and crumbly, just dribble water along the edges of the soil. It won’t take much water and you want to do it slowly so you don’t dislodge the seeds. Be sure to use cold water so you don’t shock your seeds.

Once spring arrives, keep an eye on your sprouting seeds. Again, the containers should create a mini-ecosystem. If you notice your containers seem soggy, try moving them to a sunnier location. If they seem to be drying out frequently, move them to an area that gets sunlight, but not direct sunlight. If they need to be watered manually, use water the same temperature as the outdoor temperature and gently water around the edges.

The following guides are just that, GUIDES. Trial and error is the best way to figure out when to grow what in your zone. Click these links below to find out what zone you’re gardening in.

US Garden Zones | CAN Garden Zones | EUR Garden Zones | Other Zones

Zone 3 Growing Guide

February

Perennial flowers and hardy annuals.

  • Bellflower
  • Blanket Flower
  • Butterfly Weed
  • Canterbury Bells
  • Coral Bells
  • Coneflower
  • Delphinium
  • False Indigo
  • Helleborus
  • Hollyhock
  • Hosta
  • Lily-of-the-Valley
  • Mountain Bluet
  • Ox-Eye Daisy
  • Pincushion Flower
  • Pyrethrum
  • Rudbeckia
  • Veronica
  • Yarrow

March

Most herbs and plants that require stratification.

  • Basil
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Hops
  • Horseradish
  • Kale
  • Marsh Mallow
  • Monkshood
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Spinach
  • St. John’s Wort
  • Swiss Chard
  • Tarragon
  • Wormwood

April

Frost-tolerant vegetables.

  • Beans
  • Beets
  • Bok Choy
  • Lettuce

May

Tender plants.

  • Corn
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Peppers
  • Pumpkins
  • Sweet Potato Slips
  • Tomatoes

Zone 4 Growing Guide

January

Perennial flowers and hardy annuals.

  • Aster
  • Astilbe
  • Balloon Flower
  • Bee Balm
  • Blazing Star
  • Carnation
  • Coreopsis
  • Daylily
  • English Daisy
  • Helenium
  • Iris
  • Lamb’s Ear
  • Lupine
  • Phlox
  • Poppy
  • Viola

February

Most herbs and plants that require stratification.

  • Basil
  • Bergamot
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Chives
  • Chamomile
  • Clary
  • Comfrey
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Mint
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Peppermint
  • Spearmint
  • Spinach
  • Sweet Woodruff
  • Swiss Chard
  • Thyme
  • Walking Onions

March

Frost-tolerant vegetables.

  • Bok Choy
  • Beets
  • Beans
  • Lettuce

April

Tender plants.

  • Corn (may be hard to transplant)
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Peppers
  • Pumpkins
  • Sweet Potato Slips
  • Tomatoes

How do I know what to sow and when to sow? What kind of containers can I use? What about watering? I've got the answers to these questions and more.

Zone 5 Growing Guide

December/January

Perennial flowers and hardy annuals.

  • Blackberry Lily
  • Catmint
  • Chinese Lanterns
  • Chrysanthemum
  • Clematis
  • Cupid’s Dart
  • Evening Primrose
  • Flax
  • Heather
  • Jack-in-the-Pulpit
  • Primrose
  • Shasta Daisy

January/February

Most herbs and plants that require stratification.

  • Agrimony
  • Basil
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Lavender
  • Onions
  • Oregano
  • Peas
  • Sage
  • Spinach
  • Swiss Chard
  • Valerian

February/March

Frost-tolerant vegetables.

  • Beans
  • Beets
  • Bok Choy
  • Lettuce

March/April

Tender plants.

  • Corn
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Melons (a gamble)
  • Peppers
  • Pumpkins
  • Sweet Potato Slips
  • Tomatoes

Zone 6 Growing Guide

December

Perennial flowers and hardy annuals.

  • Broom Flower
  • Fleabane
  • Fountain Grass
  • Lily-of-the-Nile
  • Red Hot Poker
  • Sea Pink
  •  Verbena

January

Most herbs and plants that require stratification.

  • Agrimony
  • Basil
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Garlic
  • Hyssop
  • Kale
  • Madder
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Sage
  • Spinach
  • Swiss Chard

February

Frost-tolerant vegetables.

  • Beans
  • Beets
  • Bok Choy
  • Lettuce

March

Tender plants.

  • Corn
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Melons
  • Peppers
  • Pumpkins
  • Sweet Potato Slips
  • Tomatoes

Zone 7 Growing Guide

December

Perennial flowers, hardy annuals, and plants that require stratification.

  • Blue Beard
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Leadwort
  • Onions
  • Pampas Grass
  • Peas
  • Persian Buttercup
  • Peruvian Lily
  • Spinach
  • Swiss Chard

January

Most herbs and frost-tolerant vegetables.

  • Arnica
  • Basil
  • Beets
  • Bok Choy
  • Carrots (hard to transplant)
  • Lettuce

February

Tender plants.

  • Corn
  • Cucumbers
  • Melons
  • Peppers
  • Pumpkins
  • Sweet Potato Slips
  • Tomatoes
  • Eggplant

How do I know what to sow and when to sow? What kind of containers can I use? What about watering? I've got the answers to these questions and more.

Get more gardening advice by signing up for The Homestead Helper, a weekly-ish newsletter that shows you how to homestead where you live.

You May Also Like

  • Whether you are a backyard hobby homesteader or an avid homesteader on your journey to live off-grid, these are the homesteading articles you want to be reading.A Guide to Winter Sowing {Starting Seeds in Winter}
  • Discover to get your seeds, how to choose the type you want and best of all, I'll cover what are the jargon on the seed packet means.Your Guide to Reading and Understanding a Seed Packet
  • A resource for everything you could need to know about seed saving, from vegetables to herbs to flowers. Learn how to properly save seeds.Seed Saving 101 – An Encyclopedia of Seed Saving
  • Mike the Gardener is the man behind Seeds of the Month Club, a monthly subscription service that delivers open pollinated, non-GMO seeds to your mailbox.Mike the Gardener: Seeds of the Month Club
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Home » Backyard Garden » Winter Sowing Zone Guides & FAQs

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Comments

  1. anne kaplan says

    August 17, 2019 at 1:12 pm

    The guide stopped at zone 7. Please let me know what it is for zone 8a. Thanks

    Reply
  2. Dharmendra says

    March 21, 2019 at 7:52 am

    nice information

    Reply
  3. Rose says

    March 6, 2019 at 5:09 pm

    It is early March now and I am in a zone 6.
    I totally forgot about winter sowing– I had read about it last year–
    Can I still plant some hardy perennials using this technique or is it too late for this?

    Thank you!
    Rose

    Reply
    • Marita says

      March 23, 2019 at 10:17 am

      Hi. I think you may still be able to plant. There is a winter sowing group on FB by Sheryl Mann.

      Reply
  4. Maida says

    May 19, 2017 at 1:10 am

    Hello Jessica!
    This planting system looks so exciting. My husband just lives for fresh grown tomatoes. I am going to try this. Being in western KY, zone 7, I figure to plant my tomatoes and some green peppers in February.
    How many tomato seeds to sow in a gallon milk jug without being overcrowded? Or would a taller container be better?
    We have been buying plants from Wal Mart and they don’t seem to last too long, we get one batch of tomatoes then the plant starts to die from the bottom up. We figure they are sick with something when we bought them. So the next garden will be in a new location with home grown plants, I am saving jugs! I am excited to start my flowers too!

    Reply
  5. Kris says

    April 15, 2017 at 1:15 am

    Hi, I’m in Wisconsin and am trying this for the first time. When should seedlings start to germinate? I put tomatoes out late February but nothing has sprouted yet. Please let me know what you think. Thank you and Happy Easter!

    Reply
  6. Linda says

    January 30, 2017 at 12:24 am

    Fairly new at gardening. What is the best way to water them? I would think just pouring in water would not be good.

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      February 2, 2017 at 10:36 am

      I like to dribble it along the edges of the container.

      Reply
  7. Carol says

    January 23, 2017 at 11:49 pm

    Newbie gardener here. Since the Guide only goes up to Zone 7, am I to take that to mean that attempting Winter Sowing in Zone 8A would not work? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      January 25, 2017 at 9:21 pm

      Hi Carol! You might be able to winter sow, but your climate may make it so you don’t really need to. I’m not familiar with gardening in such a warm climate. I’d ask locals in your area for advice.

      Reply
      • Janice says

        February 13, 2018 at 10:54 pm

        I live in central FL, zone 9a/b. While it isn’t totally necessary to winter sow here, it is beneficial. It helps to protect from pests and helps prolong length of time between watering. Sure, we don’t get freezing temps too often, but having the jugs does make it easier to protect when we do gave them. The key is to not start too early. No earlier than late Dec, but mid to late Jan worked best for me. It’s very difficult to wait, what with temps in 60-80. But if you start too early, the seedlings will need to be transplanted, long before the last chance of frost. You can also sow your seeds in jugs during the warmer months, for a jump start on the next cycle of planting. I just suggest you keep the jugs in the shade, and regularly check for need to water.

        Reply
  8. Kate says

    January 8, 2017 at 1:42 pm

    Dear Jessica, Quick question – after winter sowing, in the spring, do you transplant from milk containers into the ground?? Can I do that so that the crop has more room to grow, more nutrients, etc. How has this gone for you if you’ve done this before? Thanks! Kate

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      January 18, 2017 at 8:18 pm

      Yes, once the soil and air temperatures are appropriate, you’ll want to harden them off and transplant them into the garden.

      Reply
  9. michael says

    December 11, 2016 at 5:20 am

    i have just purchased almost 4 acres in northeatern ga. moving from TEXAS to get out of the insane world cities provide. my only gardening to this point is tomatos from seed. thanks for your site. look forward to using your milk jug starter kit…lol, why didnt i think of that?
    thanks

    Reply
  10. shaela says

    February 28, 2016 at 5:43 pm

    Can cabbage be planted the same time as Broccoli? I don’t see cabbage mentioned.

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      March 1, 2016 at 9:52 am

      Yes, Shaela, you can. It’s not an all-inclusive list because I haven’t gardened in every zone.

      Reply
  11. Melissa says

    February 6, 2016 at 10:46 am

    I have no green thumb whatsoever. I kill everything but would like to g8ve.it.to this a shot. I cannot find my zone. We live in NW Pennsylvania. My father seems to think that they will freeze and die if you put them outside because of the snow/frost. He’s skeptical but I’d still like to try. Though he does have me wonder how they do not freeze??

    Can u help me find my zone?

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      February 10, 2016 at 11:13 am

      There is a lot of variation of zones in NW Pennsylvania, but if you go here, you can pop in your zip code and it will tell you which one you are in.

      As far as the freezing, the seeds won’t be hurt by freeze cycles, only the seedlings will. The seedlings won’t begin to sprout until nature gives them the cue that it’s time. The mini-greenhouse created by the milk jug protects them from the temperature fluctuations we often see in spring.

      Reply
  12. Carmen says

    January 28, 2016 at 7:40 pm

    I dont even know what zone am i? I am in Glendale Arizona border of Phoenix and Glendale.I started winter sowing 1/15/16 in milk carton, i try to watch them closely, im not sure how often to water them, its been warm here lately 70’s this week

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      January 31, 2016 at 11:34 am

      For your area (I’m assuming you don’t have a freeze if it’s in the 70’s in January), I would water just enough to keep them moist. If they are drying out quickly, you can move them to an area where they are getting dappled sun instead of full sun.

      Reply
      • Susan Cowan says

        March 31, 2016 at 4:05 pm

        I used to live in the desert climate for more than 30+ years. This young lady is in the 7 to 8B or even possibly a 9 growing zone. Weather is unpredictable this time of year and she could be looking at 70 to 75 degree days and still have 35 to 55 degree nights. What is chilly to us and chilly to the desert regions is completely different. She should check sites like Mother Earth or Farmers Almanac to find her exact zone…. this advice is from someone who survived zone 11, but loves her zone 5.

        Reply
  13. Gail says

    January 27, 2016 at 7:36 pm

    This is awesome! Looking forward to trying this method. Thank you!

    Reply
  14. Bo says

    January 4, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    Great information,I’m going to give winter sowing a try.

    Reply
  15. Sherry says

    December 17, 2015 at 8:27 pm

    It would be nice if you had all the growing zones, where are 8-11? I’m new to growing in Zone 8B and still learning when to start seeds or direct sow.

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      December 17, 2015 at 10:43 pm

      Winter sowing is best suited for areas that have sustaining frosts. I’m not too familiar with gardening in warmer climates, but I think you can follow the standard seed packet directions. I encourage you to check out SchneiderPeeps. She is a great source for southern gardening.

      Reply
  16. brenda says

    February 26, 2015 at 7:21 pm

    thanks… i’ll let you know how it goes.

    Reply
  17. brenda says

    February 25, 2015 at 11:11 pm

    I am in zone 7… central mountains of Arizona… we have had an unusual warm spell and many of my jugs have started sprouting …. now they are predicting a cold storm this weekend…. should I cover the jugs or just pray?

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      February 26, 2015 at 7:34 am

      If you have sprouts and/or greenery beginning to show, I would cover them when there is risk of frost. Under the soil they are protected, but once they emerge, they are exposed to the elements.

      Reply
  18. Sharon Faria says

    January 29, 2015 at 9:22 am

    Is there a guide to find your zone?

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      January 29, 2015 at 9:35 am

      Hi Sharon!

      I just updated the post to include the US, Canadian, and European growing zone charts. I also included an additional link for those who don’t have a zone map so they can figure out what zone they would be based on annual temperatures. I hope that helps.

      Reply
      • Sharon Faria says

        January 31, 2015 at 7:36 pm

        Thank you

        Reply
        • Jessica Lane says

          February 1, 2015 at 11:11 am

          You are so welcome Sharon.

          Reply

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Welcome! My name
is Jessica Lane. I live a nearly self-sufficient lifestyle with my three beautiful children on 5 1/2 acres in Maine. We raise Nigerian Dwarf goats, ducks, and chickens, and we grow as much food as we can. What we can't grow or produce ourselves we barter for. If we can homestead where we live, what's stopping you?

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