As part of our seed-starting comparison, in this video we tried starting our seeds directly in the garden, both under plastic domes, and under snow.
Table of contents:
Recap (Sowing in Containers) – 0:00
Direct Sowing under Plastic Domes – 1:17
Direct Sowing under SNOW – 2:22
What about mulch? – 4:30
Other Youtubers on Direct Winter Sowing:
MIgardener – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcAo00APnR0
Tamra Dickinson – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5WfIHta7ss
That 1870’s Homestead – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWJthq9UJa0
JuicingGardener (Sheryl Mann) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp5VCWD_uuk
OFF GRID with DOUG & STACY – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhS4A3Gp5x8
1:51 "beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes"
Yes,You can actually sow directly onto snow it’s called “frost seeding” it’s usually only done with cover crops and with native forbs but I don’t see why you won’t be able to do it with some cold hardy vegetable species
here in Macedonia, we just cover the ground with gardening black plastic sheet and it serves as a solar heating
Glad to see you guys post! I always look forward to your videos…
I always look forward to your videos, and this one is super interesting to me as I still have at least 2 ft of snow on my garden in northern WI. Thanks for this experiment. It is getting me more excited for spring planting!
I'm in zone 6. My best suggestion is to prepare your garden in late fall, amending it as desired, then sow your seeds where they will eventually grow next year, and then stop fussing with them! I do this with kale, thyme and parsley, with tremendous success. There may be a few species that won't do well this way, but I haven't found them! Seedlings I started indoors looked terrible by comparison.
My kale self-seeded originally, and this was what got me started sowing in the fall a few years ago. Incidentally, 2nd year kale produces LOTS of edible foliage, and in Spring, also produces a hedge of beautiful yellow flowers that feed the pollinators for ~6 weeks.
Volunteer tomato plants are abundant and maybe tastier that their hybridized forbearers. Thyme was a pain to start indoors, but just a few seeds sprinkled in place outdoors produced huge clumps by summer.
I’m on the edge of my seat. Keep up the awesome vids.
Wonder if that'd work up here in Edmonton
I know a guy who sow his leeks in the fall and they come in spring and are doing great. I want to try this fall along with onion seeds. Just to experiment. If that works, it will be a lot of seedlings I won't have to take care from February to planting.
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I can't believe my eyes, so soon a new video?
I'm really looking forward to the result, even if I'm pessimistic 😀
I have planted spinach seeds in buckets on my deck in February and when conditions were right they sprouted and grew. No covers. Elevation 7500 ft. Zone 5. Colorado.
Can't wait to see what happens.
Direct seed tomatoes. They will catch up and have little to no blight due to a lack of transplant stress. Works a charm. No plastic, just plant or place on frozen ground and cover with a thin layer of soil. Plant enough to have to thin out the stragglers. Mark the locations. Mulch like crazy once they start to grow.
I"m a huge fan of overwintering seed. I have dumped extra fruit/veg in certain areas of the garden and have the following return year after year: tomato, tomatillo, onion, garlic (you can never get it all out), Potato (never get it all out) and some squash. It works, no domes. However I do still start seed in the high tunnel but i have started counting on my over wintered fruit seed…we shall see….last year I pulled out 2 year old celery…seed went everywhere! I suspect i'll have a ton of it this year.
To experiment more, try black landscape fabric over bare seeded potting mix. Or clear plastic, black plastic. Remove when germinated and put clear domes over instead.
I buy lettuce, spinach, chard seeds by the pound from true leaf market. I broadcast it in a bed and rake it in.
Why not wait til snow melts?
Old farmer trick was coffee can seeding. In the Spring fill a can with alfalfa walk around sprinkling on the frost. The frost would pull the seeds down to the ground to fill out the crop. Snow afterwards didn’t matter. Anyway, it’s a thing my husband is a certified crop advisor and still chats with farmers who use this method. Love the channel.
I would like to see a few more videos.
Hey Derek, Im not too far from about where you guys are and so can say this method wont work cause WINTER ISNT ENDING!!! Like WTF???
This works in all climates. I am experimenting with it in Arizona zone 9b. So far all my flower pots in the courtyard are self seeded and wonderful. In the garden so far tomatoes and lettuce are successfully self seeding and coming up at the proper times. I just have to provide proper water as that is not reliable here.
Artic continental climate here and still -20c at night. Last year on Easter Sunday I noticed the ground was frozen still 1cm down. I drew a few lines through the top cm along the iceblock under and sowed carrot seeds. Covered them back over and put a sheet of builders plastic over them, a stone on each corner. Biggest carrots ever!
Great video and I love your tuque 🙂
I still have two foot of snow on my garden space atm but this is definitely something to keep in mind. Thanks for sharing. -Kirsten
Just a humble though and on topic: "How does fruit/seeds get planted by plants themselves?"
Sounds like self seeding is the way to go and thus "like nature" it will grow.