Val Burgess Presents Program on Winter Sowing

Although most people start seeds indoors to get a head start on Wyoming’s short growing season, Master Gardener Val Burgess presented a talk at the Sheridan Fulmer Public Library on Thursday, Jan. 19, about winter sowing, starting seeds outdoors during the winter instead of indoors in early spring.

Davidoff said using this concept, she came up with the idea of winter sowing, planting seeds in milk jugs, keeping them watered but leaving them outside in all weather.

Burgess said that plastic milk jugs could be used for sowing the seeds in, but she said for her milk jugs were not successful.

Last year she did 55 bags, and she put them outside. “They got rained on and snowed on, oh my gosh. I thought this was never going to work,” she said.

She cautioned the audience not to plant too many plants, or they might be overwhelmed when everything comes up and has to be replanted. She had handouts giving ideas of what plants could benefit from winter sowing. Some plants prefer a cooler environment, and these do well with winter sowing.

She demonstrated how to fill the ziplocks with potting soil, add the seeds, and then prop them open using skewers and a clothespin.

She talked of the potting soil, good potting soil is important for planting the seeds.

The first year she tried it her plants got too dry, it is important not to let them dry out.

One thing she added about winter sowing, was that the gardener does not have to ‘harden off’ the plants, because they have been outside in the cold all winter. She added that almost any plant can be started by winter sowing and that herbs are great for winter sowing.

Burgess provided handouts about plants that can be sown this way, and which months’ work best. Zone 4 perennial flowers and hardy annuals, such as asters, carnations, bee balm and others can be sown in January; while most herbs, basil, mint, and thyme as well as broccoli, brussels sprouts and peas, can be started in February. More tender plants, like peppers and tomatoes, can be sown in April.

Burgess also had a collection of books that she passed around about gardening and plants.

Denise Gillenwater Programming Coordinator at the SCFL, mentioned what the library has on the shelves for gardeners.

Burgess provided seeds, soil, zip lock sacks, clothespins and skewers for each attendee to plant their own seeds and give winter sowing a try.

Burgess will present two more programs at the library later this spring, one titled Passive Solar Greenhouses, Wallipini, Cold Frames, & Hoop Huts on March 18th from 1-3 p.m., and on April 15 from 1-3 she will present a program titled Wars’ Voices ~ Are We Listening? There will be more on these upcoming programs closer to the date of the event.