Winter Sowing on the Edge: Let Nature Do the Planting
October 2025 blog
by: Mitchell Nesbitt, Nursery Manager
October is a month of soft transitions. The air sharpens, the leaves release, and the garden quiets. But under all that stillness, a slow kind of preparation begins. While most people pack up their gardening tools for the year, we’re doing something a little different—planting seeds.
Yes, you read that right. October is the perfect time to begin winter sowing.
This method mimics the natural cycles that native plants are already familiar with—falling to the ground in autumn, experiencing the freeze-thaw of winter, and germinating when the conditions are right in spring. It’s low-tech, low-maintenance, and deeply aligned with nature’s own timeline.
What Is Winter Sowing?
Winter sowing is a technique where seeds are started outdoors in mini greenhouses—often simple recycled containers like milk jugs or clamshells. These little homes protect the seeds while still exposing them to the temperature fluctuations and moisture cues that native species need to break dormancy.
Unlike indoor seed starting, there’s no need for lights, heat mats, or fussy watering schedules. You sow the seeds, place the containers outside, and let nature do the rest.
This method works especially well for native perennials, hardy herbs, and certain shrubs. We use it frequently at the nursery for species like wild bergamot, swamp milkweed, blue vervain, and New England aster—plants that need stratification (a period of cold) to germinate properly.
Why We Love It
Winter sowing is wonderfully forgiving. You don’t have to worry about missing the “perfect” planting date, because the seeds will wait patiently until spring. It’s a great project for gardeners of all experience levels—whether you’re trying to grow a few dozen natives for your pollinator patch, or you’re restoring shoreline with hundreds of plugs.
It’s also an act of faith. You prepare the soil, place the seeds, and trust in time. In a world that often demands fast results, winter sowing reminds us to slow down, observe, and work in partnership with seasonal rhythms.
How to Start Winter Sowing
You don’t need much to begin:
- Containers: Clear or semi-clear plastic with drainage holes (milk jugs, salad boxes, take-out containers).
- Potting mix: Use a damp, sterile seed-starting blend—not garden soil.
- Seeds: Native perennials or hardy plants that benefit from cold stratification.
- Tape and labels: Duct tape or weatherproof tape to seal the container and a permanent marker to label the species.
Cut your container open (keeping a hinge), fill it with 3–4″ of moist soil, sprinkle in your seeds, and lightly press them into the surface. A light watering will help the seeds connect with the soil. Label it clearly, tape it shut, and place it outside where it will get rain, snow, and sunlight—somewhere out of the wind, but open to the sky.
And that’s it.
No watering. No grow lights. Just seasonal magic.
A Note on Letting Go
There’s a beautiful metaphor hidden in winter sowing: letting go of control. You’ve done your part—you’ve chosen resilient seeds, offered them soil, and placed them where they’ll be seen by sun and snow. Now you wait.
And waiting is part of the work.
While the world hibernates, those little containers are busy behind the scenes. Roots begin to stir. Life prepares itself for the long freeze. And when spring comes, you’ll be ready—not racing to catch up, but welcoming new life already rooted in patience.
Looking Ahead
Next month, we’ll shift our focus to dormant season pruning—another quiet but essential practice in the land’s long exhale. For now, as the light changes and the ground softens, consider what seeds you want to trust to the winter. And remember, the work of regeneration doesn’t end in fall—it simply changes form.