Gardening Tip: Giving Seeds Their Winter Chill Outdoors

 

Seeds that require winter chill can be planted out in winter or early spring.

Growing plants from seed has several advantages. It can be an enjoyable hobby, allowing you to appreciate all stages of a plant’s life. It is often less expensive than buying plants.  And for some native species, growing from seed can be the only option.

Seeds of many woody and perennial plants from colder climates need winter chill exposure in order to germinate. The need for chill is usually noted on the seed packet, along with other planting instructions.  Some seeds also benefit from environmental alternations of warmer and colder temperatures.  Giving such seeds a natural exposure in winter or early spring can be a good option.

We like to start our woody trees and shrub seeds in 1-gallon containers.  Those that need winter chill are planted and set out in a sheltered area of the garden in January (above). In our unpredictable climate, we check the pots every few days to be sure they aren’t drying out, watering as required.  That’s really all we do until spring warm up, when pots are moved to our shade structure.

Pots are moved to the shade structure in spring.

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We welcome your comments (below).  You can also send your questions to: monaturesmontrosegarden@gmail.com