In my effort to create a native perennial garden for pollinators, I’m trying to save some money by using a planting method called “winter sowing in plastic jugs.”
Because I live in zone 7a, many of the native flowers for this region require 60 or 30 days of cold stratification before they will germinate. This means they need to be planted in soil and exposed to cold and wet conditions for 60 or 30 days (depending on the variety) before the seed will break dormancy and germinate.
I’ve researched this method on several websites and joined a Facebook group to learn as much as possible before starting.
Of course I purchased too many seeds but couldn’t limit myself to just a few, so I have way too many for my small urban yard.
All these seeds are native to my region of the U.S. and require 60 days of cold stratification. I’ll plant the next round at the end of February; those will need 30 days of cold stratification.
Wish me luck! Hopefully by the end of March or beginning of April, I’ll have sprouts, and by the end of April or beginning of May, I can start planting them in the garden.
You can plant non-native flowers, annuals, vegetables, herbs, etc using this method. The main thing that’s important is TIMING…when to plant based on where you live and the seeds you are planting.
To learn more information about winter sowing in milk jugs you can read more at the following links.
