Here’s the gist: you plant seeds in containers outside, let them sit in the snow and cold all winter, and by spring you’ve got seedlings ready to transplant.

And apparently you can winter sow pretty much any seeds that aren’t tropical.

The freeze-thaw cycles actually help with germination since a lot of seeds native to our area need a cold spell before they’ll sprout. Makes sense, right? Otherwise nothing would be able to grow in our mitten.

The containers act like mini greenhouses, protecting seeds from critters and wind while still letting them experience Michigan’s actual weather.

It’s minimal. You don’t need a lot of equipment or indoor space like you would with seed-starting indoors (no grow lights, no heating mats, no trays of baby plants taking over your kitchen counter).

It’s cheap. You can easily get set up for winter sowing with recycled containers and maybe even seeds you already have lying around. If you’re buying seeds, they cost just a smidge of what a baby plant would run you at the nursery in a few months.

It saves space. Your “greenhouse” lives outside in the snow instead of taking over your dining room table or window sills.

It’s easier than starting seedlings indoors. If you’ve ever started seeds indoors, you know you can’t just set your baby plants outside one day in the spring. You have to help them adjust to the outdoors by setting them out for a few hours a day over several days. It’s a lot of in and out and remembering, which is not something I’ll be able to keep up with if I’m honest. With winter sowing, your seedlings are already hardened off by the time you’re ready to plant them in spring.

Basically, you get a head start without needing a whole indoor growing setup. Just set it and forget it until they’re ready to plant!

Containers: You’ll want something at least 4 inches deep to hold enough soil, plus another 4 inches of headroom for germinating plants. I’m using clear plastic tubs with lids, but a lot of people swear by milk jugs. Just cut them in half horizontally, leave one side attached like a hinge, plant your seeds, tape it shut, and label it. Really any clear or transparent container that lets light through will work.

Drainage is key: Drill or poke holes in the bottom and top of your containers. You want rain and snow to get in and out, so leave lids off of milk jugs for water access. Make sure your holes are big enough that they won’t get clogged.

Soil: Use potting mix. Do not use seed starting mix or your soil will dry out and your plants won’t sprout. You want soil that holds moisture but isn’t soaking wet when you’re planting. Get regular old Miracle Gro Potting Mix, not Moisture Control or Tropical Plant or any other special version.

Seeds: Plant 3-4 seeds per cup or more if your container is larger.

Labels: Sharpie rubs off on plastic in the snow. Get a special marker or write on wooden popsicle sticks instead.

Soil Prep: Before you put any dirt into your containers, you need to prep your potting mix.

Take a large tub, dump out your bag of potting mix, and add water until the soil is moist but not dripping. You should be able to squeeze a handful of dirt and have it stick together holding it’s shape.

Fill & Plant: Next, fill your containers with at least 4 inches of potting mix. Plant the seeds according to the directions on the packets – some like to be on the surface of the soil, others like to have a little bit of dirt sprinkled on top of them. Close or cover your containers (keeping them vented) and then label everything because you will absolutely forget what you planted where.

Sprinkle with Snow: Once everything is prepped, take your containers outside. I placed my on my deck along the bottom of the deck railing where I think they’ll be protected from big winds. And before I latched the lid on for good, I gave each cup another sprinkle of snow. If you don’t have snow, you can lightly mist with a water bottle. We don’t want to make the plantings soggy, but we do want to make sure they’re starting off with adequate moisture.

Timing: If you want to try winter sowing in Michigan, I think you can get started anytime before mid-March, which will give the seeds need those freeze-thaw cycles before spring kicks in.