SOWING SEEDS IN THE WINTER

OK believe it or not I am going to start blogging again about gardening.  Burrrrrrrrrrrr.  It is about 20 degrees below outside and it is cold in my house.  I don't start seeds indoors but I have always been intrigued about starting seeds outdoors in the winter.  Recently my master gardener group needed a speaker for January and I thought this would be a great opportunity to research and present on
"Sowing seeds in the winter".  I am so glad I did as I learn a lot.  Now I am collecting clear milk jugs to grow both vegetable and flower seeds outdoors even in this cold.

Here are a couple of resources that you can look up:
http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/How_to_Winter_Sow.html
http://blog.northerngardener.org/day-14-winter-sowing-for-your-vegetable-garden/

Look for seed packages that indicate sowing in cool weather and other words.  You can look on the
www.wintersown.org site to find out what you can sow outside and it is a ton of stuff.

First, decide what you want to  grown as seedlings for your garden,  Be sure they will grow in your growing ZONE.
Second, start collecting milk jugs, water jugs, yogurt containers, plastic food take out containers
plastic soup containers and other plastic containers that are clear enough for the sun to get through and eventually help the seeds to germinate
Third, wash containers out with soap and hot water and rinse well
Fourth, label the bottom and side of the container with the information you want regarding what is being seeded in this container, date, etc.
Fifth, poke 3-4 holes with an owl, knife or other in the bottom of the container around the tape so that moisture can drain out easily; also poke holes in the top of the container to allow heat to escape so you don't burn up the seedlings when the weather is warmer.  For information on containers other than milk or water jugs, check out one the resources above
Sixth, Cut around the belly of the jug  but not all the way.  You want to end up with the ability to open and close the container easily.
Seventh,  fill the bottom of the container with about 3-4 inches of seed starting soil
Eighth, Water the soil well and let it drain
Ninth, Plant your seeds, then cover with a thin layer of the seed soil mixture and then gently pat it down
Tenth, close the top of the jug and using duct tape, tape up the jug where you previously had cut it open.
Eleventh, Do not put the cap on the jug and place the seeded jug outside somewhere near your home and not fully in the shade but in a protected area. 
Twelfth, in the spring or summer when the weather is warmer, begin to poke more holes in the top of the jug.  You will be able to completely cut off the  top of the jug as the seedlings grow.  You will not need to harden off the seedlings because they are naturally hardened off through the process of being outside in the winter.
Enjoy.

SPRING GARDENING BEGINS IN JANUARY

Yes, it is true.....I have started to dream and think about fresh food from the garden and gardening.  I know, it is bitterly cold out there.

 All I really want to do is sit in front of the fire place wearing "lots of layers of cloths" cuddled up with my dogs.  But there seems to be an internal alarm that is set for January 1st each year that says "wake up"!!!!  It's time to plan your garden, get your seeds ordered and decide what, where, how much, what type of vegetables I want to grow this upcoming growing season.   And what gardening approaches I will want to try this year.  Of course, I also want to do a little research on unusual or different vegetables that I haven't tried before but am interested in exploring.  I try to grow 2-3 new vegetables each year.

So, the seed catalogs are arriving and I need to decide if I am going to start my own seeds this year.  I have an open house design
with animals and it is hard to find a place to start seeds where the dogs might not get into them or the cats in the basement.  But I have been researching "Winter sowing".  Instead of starting seeds indoors I can sows seeds and growing them into seedlings out in the cold of winter.  A fascinating approach and something I am going to try this year.  Stay tuned.  I'll be sharing how I do that so if any of you that are interested in trying it, we can do it together.  Enjoy!!!