What's Seed Sowing?

Sowing is growing seeds. There are three different ways of sowing: direct sowing, indoor sowing, and winter sowing.

• Direct sowing is when you sow seeds directly into the ground or container permanently.

• Indoor sowing is growing seeds indoors using lights an sometimes a heating mat for warmth.
  
  
• Winter sowing is sowing seeds in a container with potting mix and holes on top for air and on bottom for drainage. It's then left outside through the winter. The seeds will germinate when the weather is warmer, and then nature takes over.
  

You can sow seeds all year round in Chicago using these techniques, depending on the plant. Winter sowing is done through the winter, indoor sowing can be used up to ten weeks before the last frost, and direct sowing is in mostly done in April and May.

We direct sowed Kale in our salad table a couple weeks ago and
it's just starting to sprout.

We sowed tomatoes and assorted peppers last week indoors
and the seedlings are about one inch tall

We winter sowed Nasturtium and Calendula. We scratched the surface of the Nasturtium seeds with a file. This is called scarification and it helps the seed germinate faster.

We also tried a box grater for scarification and found it
easier than using a nail file.

Nasturtium seeds planted in a used-to-be chicken-roasting container.

We covered it and left it outside...

... along with many other seeds we winter sowed!

This year my mom and I have sowed more than 30 varieties of tomatoes indoors and some extra for tomato sauce, which my mom cans. We're hoping you enjoy sowing like we do.

Happy sowing!
Little Green Girl

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