Winter Seed Sowing

Native plants are essential to pollinators, local food webs and ecosystems. Despite high demand for pollinator-friendly flowers and shrubs, most traditional garden centers in Central Ohio sell plants that are native to Asia, Europe and other parts of the world. Unfortunately, exotic plants don’t support the full lifecycle of butterflies, wild bees and other pollinators, plus some are considered invasive. 

Thankfully, it is relatively easy to grow your own native plants. The timing and techniques for growing native plants from seed are different, however, than those used for most vegetable garden plants such as cucumbers or tomatoes. 

Winter seed sowing is a simple, space-saving way to mimic nature’s process of seed germination using recycled containers. But it can be hard for experienced veggie gardeners to wrap their head around the idea that you need to start sowing native seeds in the middle of winter.

Many native plant seeds need a period of cold exposure to trigger germination. This natural cycle of chilling followed by warming breaks down tough seed coats, increasing the chances of successful sprouting. In nature, the stratification process takes place naturally. It occurs when seeds dry and fall to the ground and overwinter in the soil or beneath a layer of snow before sprouting in the spring. 

By sowing native seeds in protected pots and setting them outside during the winter months (typically December-March), the seeds receive the cold, moist conditions or "stratification" they need in order to germinate. 

While you can replicate this cold stratification treatment in a refrigerator, winter sowing outside in repurposed containers is our recommended method. It’s inexpensive, doesn’t require special equipment, and eliminates the need for hardening off seedlings—a process that can be tricky for new and experienced gardeners alike.  

Q: What are the benefits of Winter Seed Sowing outside in containers? 

A:  There are MANY benefits to Winter Seed Sowing including: 

Protection from Animals
Native seeds are a vital food source for pollinators, birds, and mammals, especially during the lean winter months. Planting seeds in milk jugs or pots covered with wire keeps them safe from hungry critters, ensuring they grow into plants that will produce seeds to feed wildlife in future years.

Protection from Rain and Wind
Seeds naturally disperse by wind or water, but many can wash away or blow away and land in inhospitable spots. Pots keep seeds securely in place, allowing them to germinate and grow. 

Protection from Competition
Soil often contains weed seeds. Starting seeds in pots with potting soil gives them a head start, especially slow-growing species, free from competition.

Eliminates Need for "Hardening Off"
Seedlings started indoors must be gradually acclimated to outdoor conditions—a process called “hardening off.” This can be time-consuming and stressful for both plants and gardeners. Winter-sown seedlings, however, grow outside from the start. They naturally adapt to changing temperatures, sunlight, and wind, eliminating the need for this extra step.

Ease of Watering
In winter, seeds get moisture from snow and rain and don't need supplemental watering. In spring, the seedlings will need regular watering. Containers grouped together are easy to water, saving you time and effort.

Easy to Move
Winter-sown pots start well in the shade. As seedlings grow, you can move them to sunnier spots or adjust their location based on watering needs.

Easy to Gift
Have extra plants? Pots are simple to share with friends and neighbors (or donate to Pollinator Pathway projects or annual plant sale!) spreading the joy of native gardening!

Q: Can't I just toss seeds on the ground?

A:  It’s a great question! After all, the plants you see growing in natural settings didn’t start in pots—they arrived via wind, animals, or water, found the right conditions, and started growing.

However, in nature, the odds are stacked against most seeds. For every wildflower blooming along a trail, dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of seeds didn’t make it. They may have landed on a rock, been eaten by birds, or washed away in a stream.

By starting native seeds in milk jugs or pots covered with chicken wire or screens you’re giving them a better chance to survive. This method shields them from hungry critters and harsh conditions while still allowing them to experience the cold and wet they need for germination. Plus, tending to your pots is much easier than trying to monitor seeds scattered across a field. Once your seeds germinate and grow into seedlings, you'll then be able to transplant them exactly where you want them to grow. 

To help local residents create pollinator-friendly gardens and landscapes, Licking County Pollinator Pathway offers various native plant propagation programs, including winter sowing workshops. 

Participants at these hands-on workshops learn how to grow native plants from seed for their home gardens using winter sowing techniques, plus have enough to “plant it forward” and pass along extra plants to neighbors or donate them to a Pollinator Pathway community project or plant sale.  Similar to the "plant a row for the hungry" movement which encourages gardeners to grow extra vegetables for local food pantries, workshop participants are encouraged to “plant a plot for hungry pollinators."  

In 2024, Pollinator Pathway offered a total of seven winter seed sowing workshops in partnership with local organizations at six different locations across the county, including Pataskala, Johnstown, Newark, Homer and Granville. 

Using the "Plant by Numbers"  Bumble Bee Garden design by Ohio State University as inspiration, workshop participants planted pollinator-friendly flowers and grasses including: 

• • Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum)

  • Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

  • Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

  • Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)

  • Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

  • Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)

  • Riddell’s Goldenrod (Oligoneuron riddellii)

  • Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

  • Common blue wood aster (Symphotrichum cordifolium)

Inspired by the Wild Seed Project and Eco59 Seed Collective, Licking County Pollinator Pathway volunteers constructed winter sowing seed boxes for native plant propagation. These cedar-framed boxes are hinged and have hardware cloth on both the top and bottom to protect the contents. Small (3" or 4") pots filled with native seeds are placed inside the boxes and then set outside for the winter. Seeds are cold stratified naturally outside and germinate later in spring. Seedlings grown in the boxes can be potted up into larger containers mid-summer or transplanted into the garden. 

Eager to learn more about growing native plants using winter seed sowing methods? Here are a few of our favorite resources:  

• Wild Seed Project step-by-step instructions

• Grow it Build it: video tutorial

• Cliffcrest Butterflyway step-by-step instructions

• UMD Extension video (or review their slide deck here)

• Joe Gardener article: Winter Sowing: A Simple Way to Successfully Start Seeds Outdoors