With the arrival of winter, many of us might think that nothing can be sown until spring returns, which would be a most rational thought considering that in many places the temperatures drop below 0 degrees, and that even significant frosts and snowfalls occur.
However, in temperate and / or mild climates, you can always have a seedbed prepared, even in the coldest time of the year. So if you want to make the most of the season, find out what to sow in winter .
Edible plants
There is nothing better than growing your own food. See how it grows thanks to the risks you give it, having you control over its cultivation, deciding at all times what to use to fertilize it and how to treat it in case it has any plague or disease. For this reason, before spring arrives you can start sowing some edible plants, either in a sheltered seedbed or directly in the ground as long as the weather is mild.
Chard
The chard can be planted throughout the year, the most favorable periods in spring and autumn. They are sown in pots or in the ground , being very advisable to spread many seeds in the corner reserved for them in the garden since this way we will have many more leaves that we can collect.
Garlic
The garlic are some of horticultural plants that cold you feel better. To sow them, you simply have to bury a clove of garlic in the garden or plant it in a pot in winter.
Celery
The celery , although it seems a delicate plant, can be planted in winter without problem. It withstands the cold well, and in addition, it can be grown in a pot .
Onions
The onions , and the like garlic, are some plants that are planted during the winter. To get large bulbs, it is important that they be planted either in the garden or in large pots , 40cm in diameter or more.
Spinach
The spinach are planted in late winter, when temperatures start to rise. They do not resist much cold or frost. To have their germination more controlled, it is highly advisable to sow them in a seedbed and later transfer them to the garden or pot.
Broad beans
Image – Wikimedia / Meneerke bloem
Fava beans are very fast growing plants that cope well with cool temperatures but not with strong frosts. For this reason, if you live in an area with a mild climate, you can sow it in winter directly in the garden ; If this is not the case, you can start growing them in pots in a greenhouse or indoors – in a room where a lot of light enters.
Lettuce
Image – Wikimedia / Francisco25
Lettuce is a very easy-to-grow vegetable that you can sow throughout the year, especially in spring and autumn. It grows quickly, and you can grow it in a pot or in soil.
Ornamental plants
Ornamental or garden plants are those that, as their name suggests, beautify the place where they are. The vast majority of those that are grown need heat to grow, so winter is not always the best season of the year to sow the seeds. But things change radically if you have an electric germinator, or even a reptile incubator (no, no kidding: plants that need constant temperatures of 20-25ºC, such as palm trees, germinate much better in an incubator than in a normal seedbed).
Temperate climates trees
Image – Wikimedia / TeunSpaans
Trees in temperate climates, most of them deciduous, need to be cold in order to germinate. Therefore, it is best to sow their seeds as soon as they mature, which is usually in autumn or early winter. If the climate is mild in your area, you will have to sow them in a tupperware with vermiculite, and keep them in the fridge for three months.
Some of them are:
- Maples (Acer) : are trees or shrubs that reach a height of between 1 and 30 meters. They have a very characteristic leaf, similar to the palm of a hand, which changes color in autumn before falling.
- Horse Chestnut (Aesculus) : Aesculus are large trees, being able to reach 30 meters in height and even exceed them. They have webbed leaves as well, but the lobes are separate. These are green, deciduous, and in autumn they turn yellow before falling.
- Beech (Fagus) : they are a genus of very slow growing deciduous trees, with simple, whole green or brownish leaves. They can measure 20 meters or more (the common beech, Fagus sylvatica , reaches 40 meters).
Snowdrop
The snowdrop or Galanthus nivalis is a small bulbous plant, about 15 centimeters tall when in flower, which blooms in mid to late season. It develops elongated and green leaves, and from the center comes a floral stem with very tiny, 1 centimeter, white flowers. It resists snowfall very well, so it is advisable to sow precisely in winter so that the seeds get a little cold before germinating.
Palmetto
Image – Wikimedia / Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
The palm heart is a small palm tree, in fact it rarely exceeds 2 meters (although it can reach 4 meters), whose scientific name is Chamaerops humilis . It has green, fan-shaped leaves and thin trunks about 8 inches thick. It is one of the few species of palm trees that can be sown in winter , either if the weather is mild, or in a protected seedbed if, on the contrary, there are frequent frosts and / or snowfalls.
Rosebush
The rose bushes are mostly deciduous shrubs, many armed with thorns, that bloom from spring to fall. Without a doubt, the fastest way to get new specimens is by multiplying them by cuttings towards the middle or end of winter (February / March in the northern hemisphere), but why not try it for seeds? These are recommended to sow at the end of winter , when it is still cool (not cold), in a pot with coconut fiber or substrate for seedlings for example.
Trachycarpus
Image – Wikimedia / CT Johansson
Palms of the genus Trachycarpus are characterized by having a thin trunk, often protected by fibers, and a crown with relatively few fan-shaped leaves. However, they are one of those that most resist low temperatures, even snowfalls. In addition, they can be sown in a pot in autumn-winter .
Tulip
The tulip or Tulipa sp is a bulbous that blooms early, in spring and sometimes even earlier. The fastest way to get a grown plant is to plant the bulb in the fall , for example in a pot that is about as wide as it is tall, but you can also sow the seeds during spring in a pot.
Wisteria or wisteria
The wisteria or Wisteria is one of the largest and most vigorous vines that can be had in a garden. But also one of the most beautiful: when it blooms, numerous hanging clusters of lilac or white flowers, depending on the variety, sprout from its branches. Therefore, if you want to have a specimen and that it costs you little, we encourage you to sow the seeds in winter, since that way they will germinate in spring.
What are you waiting for to get seeds?
Do you know other winter crops?
