Winter Sowing Experiment Started January 13, 2021, Update 3/28/21

1/13/21 I made a bunch of mini greenhouses using rectangularish lettuce containers. I used a drill to make holes in the top and bottom. Then put newspaper pots inside. Then I planted

• oregon giant peas, swiss chard, cilantro, mesclun, red orache ovation greens, cheap frills greens

1/15/21 I planted ovation greens and cheap frills greens in vinegar jugs. However vinegar jugs do not work as well as they keep blowing over. Plus it was hard to get the newspaper pots out when I took the sprouted plants out on 3/28/21 to plant under cloches.

1/28/21 Two seed packets came today. Claytonia and goldie ground cherry.

1/29/21 Planted claytonia (also known as miner's lettuce) in mini greenhouse. Garden cilantro weathered well under snow and is edible.

2/5/21- 2/16/21 Below zero weather 

2/20/21 Planted outside in mini greenhouses. Pretty heavy wet snow. 

• beets, carrots, elegant greens, easter egg radishes
• Sparrows? are enjoying the seeds from last years sunflower. 

2/27/21 Checking up on mini greenhouses. 

3/7/21 Planted some white clover along driveway edge near back garage. Winter sow grass seed on top of snow.

3/8/21 Moved mini greenhouses to snow by arbovitae trees. Cilantro that overwintered under snow looks good.

3/11/21 Moved mini greenhouses into mostly shady area by arbor vitaes that block the south sun. Walking onions are appearing.

3/13/21 Red Orache has sprouted in mini greenhouse so moved to garden under cloche. (Juice jug with holes drilled around top.) Birds are attracted to the seeds in the lone sunflower stalk left over from last year. Last year the birds and rabbits kept eating my sunflower and pea seedlings so only 1 sunflower survived in the back garden. This year they are going under cloches until they are too big to be pulled up by the birds. 

3/15/21 Got a little snow but everything is fine.

3/28/21 The following is sprouting in mini greenhouses so planted under cloches in garden.

• Claytonia, Elegance, Ovation, Frills, Radish, Mesclun

3/28/21 Sorrel is up but something, probably a rabbit, is eating it so I covered the 2 plants with cloches. Worms are moving sluggishly. Birds really like our garden and yard.

3/28/21 The following is not sprouting so left in mini greenhouses

• Carrots, peas, beets, cilantro, swiss chard

3/28/21 Planted

• Dill, Alyssum, Chamomile, Oregano, Thyme, garlic chives

3/28/21 Rhubarb is coming up. Last years grass and clover is greening up but no new clover and grass coming up.

3/28/21 Ancient pepper plants along with one Tabasco pepper plant have survived the winter indoors. Hopefully can put out in the garden in June. The average temperature in this room is 60F during winter and when it's really cold drops to 50F.

3/29/21 Still getting frost at night but plants are surviving under cloches. Chives are coming up. Also Daffodils and Tulips.

Notes: 

• Really would like to get potato onion/ multiplier onion/ I'toi, hill onion, mother onion, pregnant onion. They sound intriguing. Basically they are bulb onions that multiply under the ground.
• Might want to order fenugruk next year. This year they are only available as sprouts but I could plant them outside anyway.
• We are hardiness zone 5b