Winter Sowing

Updated 12/2025

Learn how to get a head start in your garden with winter sowing. Starting cold-tolerant seeds in these mini greenhouses helps you make the most of our spring season annuals. This class topic is part of the Horticulture Skills priority of the Master Gardener program. 

If you enjoyed this class, please join us for another. Current and upcoming classes are posted on our website. 

Class Handouts

• Slide Presentation (Slide print-out)

• Participant Class Handout

Related Handouts

• Seed Packet Terminology (Washington State University Extension)

• Seeding & Transplanting (University if California-Davis)

• Seed Saving Guide (Seed Savers Exchange)

• Saving Seeds (Oregon State University Extension)

• Seed Shelf Live

• Seed Storage Guidelines (Johnny's Select Seeds)

Online Resources

PRO-TIP: Write “site:edu" (or "site:gov") before adding your search term "winter sowing" to get research-based advice

• Extending the growing season (University of Minnesota Extension)

• Starting Seeds in Winter (Penn State Extension)

• Winter seed sowing (University of Illinois Extension)

• Winter Seeding – A Shortcut to Spring (University of New Hampshire Extension)

• Winter Sowing: How I Get a Jump Start on My Summer Flower Garden (University of Maryland Extension)

• All the Dirt on Winter Sowing (University of Maryland Extension) (slides)

• Seed Starting Basics (Prairie Moon Nursery)

• Seed Shelf Live

• Seed Storage Guidelines (Johnny's Select Seeds)

Videos

• How to transplant, separate seedlings when you sowed too many in 1 container (from class)

Books

• Cool Flowers: How to Grow and Enjoy Long-Blooming Hardy Annual Flowers Using Cool Weather Techniques by Lisa Mason Ziegler