Winter Seed Sowing February 2026

-

 

February 17, 2026 (Originally posted on NextDoor)

This is my first year to try winter seed sowing. I chose kale, spinach, and lettuce for early cool weather greens and two perennial flower seeds that both require cold shock before germination (dianthus and cone flower). I planted all on 2/10/2026. I'm excited to see if this will work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 20, 2026 (Update)

Nice update on winter seed sowing! Sprouts doing great for kale, lettuce, and spinach! I do plan on starting another container of spinach in the next week or so.

 

 

 

 

 

 



March 21, 2026 (Update)

Greens from milk jugs are ready to plant in grow bags!!  Only one (1) tiny coneflower sprouted and it's struggling.  Dianthus seeds did not sprout at all.  I'm going to try direct sowing those this fall.  

 

Hardening off greens before planting


May 17, 2026 Update

Greens finally took off in barrel containers. The hot temperatures before spring even began was hard on these cool weather plants. These photos are still pretty early after planting. They have continued to do quite well though. Lesson learned: instead of planting in milk jugs in February, I'll direct sow in barrels in October this year and allow them to grow in cooler weather. I can always cover for frost and cold temps, but think I'll have better and longer yield by planting in the fall. Live and learn!!!

Radishes in kiddie pool did okay, but could have been better. After all the radishes were pulled, I did a restart. I planted more seeds, pulled the pool into more sunlight, and covered with chicken wire to keep out squirrels. I also planted radish and carrot seeds as companion plantings around zucchini. Will update later.

Drought is definitely upon us. Threats of rain have been few and far between. Weather forecast indicates more chances beginning this Wednesday and it's desperately needed. Fingers crossed and maybe do a little rain dance.

 

Kale and spinach

 

Kale, spinach, and lettuce

 

First cuttings!

 

Great in salad

 

Radishes in kiddie pool

 

First radish

 

 

Thanks for dropping by! Please feel free to leave a comment! Happy eclectic gardening!!

                                                                                                Marie








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome to Eclectic Gardening in Tennessee Zone 7!!

-
Image
February 17, 2026 (originally posted on NextDoor) No-rules gardening! Most DIY gardening enthusiasts don’t have estate-style gardening techniques, a landscaper’s eye, or an endless budget. Often DIY gardeners try out different ideas/designs/plants until something clicks and the result is appealing with an understanding things can always be rearranged and changed. Are you interested in sharing ideas, plants, seeds, DIY tips/tricks, and enjoying a bit of socializing to make gardening more fun and less expensive? All interested gardeners are welcome to join! If you’re new to gardening or just thinking about gardening – this is a perfect group to join. Examples: Perennial and annual flowers, bulbs, tubers, vegetables, herbs, mints, containers, raised beds, in-ground, native plants, composting, multi-use containers, recycled containers, winter sowing methods, clear tote mini-greenhouses, and any other outdoor projects of interest. My name is Marie.  I love being outdoors and gardening i...
Read more

Seed Organizing Binders and Leveling Garden Containers

-
Image
    Vegetable D-Ring Binder   Clear seed/photo sleeves   Flower D-Binder   Binder spines with tabs to remove labels   1/2 empty barrels easier to move   barrels leveled and in place Spring is in full swing!   So many projects to do and things to get accomplished over the next few weeks.   Wanted to get seeds organized to better identify what I have and help with decisions on what, where, and when to plant.   Needed to level the resin barrels in my back yard area.  Using D-ring binders, I decided to separate seeds into two main categories: vegetables and flowers. Using clear seed sleeves (4 x 6), I had to punch additional 3-ring holes because the original holes were not spaced correctly.   This made it much easier to shift the clear sleeves across the binder ring. Using MS Publisher, I designed card stock covers and spines for each binder.   I need to alphab...
Read more

Bamboo: Versatile Woody Perennial Grass April 2026 and July 2026 Update

-
Image
    Bamboo cut/stripped 16-23 ft long   Bamboo cut to 6 ft lengths (feline buddy to help)   Drilled holes in each section to prevent explosions from pressurized air when heated   Flame/heat from fire pit perfect for curing bamboo   Glossy finished after heat curing; resin rubbed into wood   Finished product; however, several small sections not cured will also serve as supports   Anatomy of Bamboo    Many years ago, I received several bamboo plants and proceeded to plant in the lower back of property in the woods.  The bamboo was very slow growing for the first 15 years or so, but even then quite beautiful as it stayed green all year long.  The bamboo has started to spread, but still manageable at this point.   When I started gardening more and more I became interested in using bamboo for supports for tall spindly plants.  At ...
Read more