Winter: ‘Tis the season for sowing seeds of our native plants
“Winter sowing” is based on the seed’s normal lifecycle. All our native plant seeds can be sown from mid November through February, and many even require an extended period of cold moist exposure, “cold stratification”, to germinate. It is a fun and rewarding experience!
What’s Involved?
• Sow seeds in pots or other appropriate containers.
• Place containers outside, taking precautions to avoid extreme weather and/or wildlife damage.
• Add water as needed to keep the soil moist.
• Enjoy watching sprouting green shoots emerge in the spring or early summer.
• Transplant if needed to larger plots and continue to water as needed.
• Plant in the soil when the root system is well developed, usually in the fall
From your seeds not only will come new generations of plants, but these plants themselves will sustain the lives of a plethora of pollinators and other wildlife. Everything in nature lives in interdependent communities, embedded in relationships developed over long periods of interactions. What better than to ‘sow the seeds of life’ in your own landscape?
