In the Garden : Winter Sowing
Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Columbia County
It was winter, 1999. Trudi Davidoff had a dilemma. She had many seeds to start for her garden. However, she had limited space indoors, poor lighting, a small budget, and curious pets. Finally, a potential solution occurred to her. In nature, those seeds would have fallen to the ground as they ripened, and some would naturally sprout the following spring. Would a similar process work for her? Could she improve the percentage of successful seedlings? Trudi proceeded to experiment, beginning in late December. Gathering many disposable containers, she added drainage holes, filled them with potting mix and seeds, watered them, sealed the sides, and set them outdoors. She left the tops of the containers open to allow precipitation to enter, adding additional holes if needed. Then she waited. The results were astonishing. Almost all the containers filled with green sprouts as spring progressed. Not only that, but
by Julie Neves
the seedlings were stocky, had impressive root systems, and were well-adjusted to outdoor weather. Transplanted directly into the ground while tiny, they flourished, with almost no transplant shock.
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