Wildflower Wednesday: Winter Sowing For More Wildflowers

I am dreaming of spring and thumbing through seed catalogs helps me dream! An actual catalog has corners to fold over and pages to write upon. I love reading the descriptions of the plants, seeing photos of them in natural settings and then imagining them in my garden.

 A great seed catalog is about more than selling pretty flowers. My favorite seed/plant catalogs do a wonderful job of organizing and presenting plants and their cultural information. Every wildflower, grass, or sedge they offer is shown with detailed information including genus, species, common name, germination guide, sun, soil, bloom, color, height and even a few  comments. Catalogs that include this kind of detailed information are great teaching tools for gardeners wanting to learn about wildflowers and their cultural requirements. When you find this information included, you know immediately that the nursery owners want you to find the right plants for your prairie restoration, native habitat or new wildflower garden.

 

Dogbane seeds

I've been a toss the seeds on the soil in the fall and see if they germinate kind of gardener. But, honestly, I've not had the best success from direct sowing in my sloped garden. Winter rains either rot the seeds or wash them away. Then there are the rough and tumble wildflowers like Verbesina virginica, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae and Solidago, that reproduce on their own just fine and have a habit of crowding the garden space making it tough for some plants to get a toe hold in the soil. So, I am going to experiment with winter sowing a few wildflowers and planting them in the spring. I may even transplant them to larger containers for fall planting.  

Most perennial wildflower seeds need some kind of stratification to germinate. Stratification happens naturally over the winter when seeds ripen on the plants and then fall to the ground where they are covered with leaves or decaying plant matter all winter long. Seeds remain dormant until conditions are favorable for germination. Winter exposure to cold temperatures (cold/moist stratification occurs around 35-40F.) and moist conditions breaks dormancy and the seeds germinate (the embryo's cells start to enlarge) when temperatures increase in the spring.

milkweed fluff caught on Goldenrod

Winter sowing is the process of planting seeds outdoors in a container during the winter months. The containers get rained on, snowed on and the seeds get both the cold treatment and moisture they need to make them ready to germinate when it gets warm. I use a variety of containers to winter sow, including tall skinny nursery pots (for some trees) and clear plastic gallon jugs, which I am using for this post. In early spring I will sow annuals and perennials that don't need a cold treatment to germinate in seed trays.

 

Clematis viorna seeds need 90 days cold stratification

 

Here’s what folks all over the internet have suggested and what I did.

1. Collect a bunch of clear plastic containers. We are a household of two and don't get milk in big gallon containers, but many of my friends and neighbors do and they gladly shared them with me. I am so appreciative of their saving them and in some cases dropping them off at my house!

1b. You can winter sow in almost anything. Opaque milk and water jugs, food containers with clear plastic tops,  two-liter soda bottles take-out containers with clear plastic lids and even foil pans with clear lids. The key is to have a container that's at least 4 inches deep.

2. Clean them. Those generous neighbors and friends gave me clean containers!

3. Poke holes in the containers on the bottom for drainage and the top for rain/melting snow to enter.

4. Cut around the jug but leave the handle in place. It functions as a hinge at the handle. I used scissors for cutting most containers.

5. Add about 4 inches of moist potting soil to the container. I let it sit to settle ...

6. Plant seed. Some seeds need to sit directly on the soil and others need to be lightly covered. Thos great catalogs should give you this info.

7. Tape the containers closed and toss the lids.

8. Write on the container the plant name and any other identifying info you want with a permanent marker. I also numbered each of mine and kept a list in case the name washed off.

9. Place them in shade. I placed mine in a kiddie swimming pool that has many holes punched so it drains.

It snowed before I could finish sowing

10. Wait patiently for spring, but, check periodically to see if they need water. I grow in the mid south and this might be necessary.

11. Plants emerge when they’re ready! Expect a few to sprout when it gets warm, some may take weeks or months longer.

 

 

Porteranthus stipulatus seed collection

 

I am winter sowing the seeds I've collected in my garden and ones I've ordered from trusted sources.

Partridge pea was sown several falls ago and now self seeds

Here's an incomplete list of plants that you might want to try winter sowing.

Asclepias 

Rudbeckia

Columbine

Vernonia

Hypericum

Perennial sunflowers

Amsonias

Downy Woodmints

Agastache

Mountain Mints

Baptisia

Bidens

Boltonia (don't cover seeds)

Carex

Seeds that drop earlier in summer  may need a warm period followed by a cold period. I usually let them reseed.

 Why winter sow

• Seeds are protected. They don't wash away in a heavy rain.They aren't eaten by critters. They don't dry out in the wind. They don't rot in too wet soil.
• Seeds do not need to be hardened off before planting in the garden.  
• Winter sowing is ideal for those with limited indoor space for seed starting. 
• No special lighting or equipment is required for germination. 
• Many container choices for propagating.
  
• It's fun.
• It's a fun/interesting project with your kids or grandkids. 
• You can grow plants that are hard to find at local nurseries.
• It's a great way to increase both the number of plants and the diversity of species in your garden.
• You will feel so good when they germinate.
• Seriously cheaper than buying dozens of plants.
  

 

I hope this is inspirational for you. Many of you still have time to winter sow. Plus, there are a lot of perennials and annuals that don't need 60 to 90 days of cold stratification.

 I sure hope there's room for all the plants I've sown!

xoxogail

 

Thanks to Laura for this quote

 

PS Watch for the First Wednesday Taking Care Of Wildlife In Our Gardens Challenge. The First Wednesday of every month.

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. I am so glad you stopped by. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave your url when you comment. I love your comments, so thank you for leaving them.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Partidge Pea, a Fabulous Fabaceae Goes To Seed

 I love plants that make a big show and Chamaecrista fasciculata/Partridge Pea out did itself this year. I scattered seed (with inoculant) a few years ago and it's grown from a few plants to a large and floriferously beautiful patch. If you want a long blooming plant (mid June to today) that also attracts butterflies (Cloudless sulfur) and bees then this annual is a great choice.

Cloudless sulfur caterpillar

Partridge Pea has been a Wildflower Wednesday star twice and most regular readers are familiar with its wonderfulness:

 Here's what I love about it!

• long bloom season
• pollinator magnet
• pretty flowers
• ferny leaves that add texture to a garden bed
• host plant for butterfly caterpillars. Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars will feed on both the Partridge Pea’s leaves and its flowers. You can tell which the caterpillar concentrated on by its color, which may be yellow or green. 
• Nitrogen left in ground from decaying matter improves soil fertility.
• ecologically valuable 

 

For September WW,  I want to change directions and focus on how easy it is to grow this delightful annual from seed. Seed growing wildflowers from purchased seeds is becoming more important than ever these days, since many of us are not going out and about during COVID. Seeds are easy to come by on the internet and if you're lucky friends can also share them with you.

Seed Collection

As it happens, it's time to collect seeds from my Partridge Peas before they are flung all over the driveway...And, I do mean flung! I picked a few of the earliest ripe pods and set them on the kitchen counter only to find the little rectangular seeds everywhere. It seems that as the pods continued to ripen they twisted open and the seeds exploded onto the counter.

Here's the scoop, when the seed pods are ripe they twist as they dry, splitting the pod open along its seams flinging the seeds into the air to land near and far from the plant.

 Plants have clever mechanisms to insure their continuity.

Too early to collect seeds

Like most other legumes/Fabaceaes form pods in late summer /early fall. The time to collect seeds is just before they are ready to twist open. Since the seed pods don't all ripen at once, I can collect individual brown seed pods by clipping them off with scissors. Yes, some pop open, but, I usually manage to get most of the seeds into my collection bowl. 

cover your bowl if the pods haven't all opened

If the entire stalk is ripe grab the bottom of the stalk and pull your hand up the stalk. You may have to cut some of the pods off with scissors anyway or you can clip off the stalk, but I like to leave the stalk to decay (it provides cover for critters and the decaying taproot can improve the soil). I don't save my seeds to plant in spring, I fall sow them where I want them to grow. This makes the most sense for me. If you purchase seed or are given seed then you can fall/winter sow or if you live further south, you can treat them and wait till very early spring. Don't worry, inoculant is not always necessary, especially if you have fertile soil.

• Cold Stratify Seeds: Step by Step Process
• Place a 1/4 cup of sand (or more) in a mixing bowl. ...
• Add your desired seed amount to the sand. ...
• Place sand/seed mixture in a ziploc bag and seal.
• Label the variety and date clearly on the bag.
• Place in the refrigerator for 10-30 or more day, depending upon seed type and requirements, before planting.

grasses, Rudbeckias, Phlox can hold their own against Partridge pea

Once established, you’ll never have to plant again because it enthusiastically self-sows. Ignore folks who call it invasive, it's not, but it is as I said earlier enthusiastic (okay, it can be aggressive, but, more aggressive plants can eventually crowd it out). Just yank out those you don't want or dig them up to share with a friend. Partridge pea does have a tap root and has been reported to be resistant to transplanting. I haven't found that to be true, but, then, I do move them to containers when they are smaller, and let them get established, then plant them. The taproot does several things-helps them resist drought and as the plants die back and decay it improves soil fertility/adds nitrogen to soil.

Planting

As I said earlier, Partridge pea is a prolific self-seeder and is easily propagated. I scattered purchased seed (Prairie Moon Nursery) several years ago. They came with inoculant (helps legumes grow) since then, I just let them drop their seeds in fall and sprout in the spring. I did not scarify my seeds. The winter weather takes care of scarification. The seeds have a hard outer shell that needs to be thinned or cracked to allow water to enter and freezing and thawing over winter takes care of it. Water is that magic elixir that makes seeds grow.

If you aren't winter sowing then you can stratify your seed. Partridge Pea only takes ten days of moist cold treatment to stratify, please note you will have to scarify the seed, too (nick the seed so water can get in) The hard outer shell must be thinned (with emory board) or gently cracked to improve chances for germination. After their cold period is up plant them and cover with soil...less than 1/2 inch deep. Again, I just tossed mine in the fall and most germinated.

 

It is an excellent plant to use in disturbed areas as it tends to establish quickly. Partridge pea is also a nitrogen-fixer, so it may improve and enrich soils, allowing for the introduction of more demanding plants into your landscape.

Particulars:

Family: Fabaceae 

Common Name: Partridge Pea, sleeping plant, showy partridge pea, prairie senna, large-flowered sensitive-pea, dwarf cassia, partridge pea senna, locust weed, golden cassia. 

Botanical Name: Chamaecrista fasciculata 

Annual: plant in fall with appropriate inoculant 

Range: native to the Southeast and throughout much of the U.S. east of the Rockies. 

Light Requirements: Full Sun, Half Sun / Half Shade 

Flower Color: Yellow with a touch of red Height: 24-36" tall Bloom Time: July and I hope into the fall 

Fruit: a straight, narrow pod 1½ to 2½ inches long, which splits along 2 sutures as it dries; the pod sides spiral to expel the seeds some distance from the parent plant. I always wondered why seed pods of legumes were twisted!  

Seed: Fertile flowers mature into a flat straight pod that is green and slightly hairy, turning dark brown and smooth at maturity at which time they split with a twisting action which can fling the seeds away from the plant.

Propagation: They require at least 10 days of cold stratification for germination plus scarification. An legume inoculum helps. I plant in the fall without any treatment and let nature do the work.  Fall/winter sow to make your life easy.

Host Plant: Cloudless Sulphur, Sleepy Orange, and Little Yellow, Ceraunus Blue and Gray Hairstreak  caterpillars. A good nectar source that also attracts many pollinators in addition to butterflies. (source) 

Comments:  It's used in the USA for cover cropping, ornate flowers in native gardens, honey crop, as an annual reseeding legume for restoration and conservation plantings, and wildlife food. Its seeds are a favorite food for many birds, including bobwhite quail and endangered prairie chickens, it provides cover for wildlife, is a pioneer plant in poor and disturbed areas, improving soils as a nitrogen fixer. It grows in dense stands and the decaying stalks provide covering for birds, small mammals and waterfowl.

I hope this helps you decide to plant this delightful beauty! Happy Wildflower Wednesday.

xoxogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. I am so glad you stopped by. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants; it's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.
 

 

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Frost Flower Seeds Winners

You're all winners...That's right, I am going to make sure you all get a packet of the best ever rough and tumble wildflower. Les, Sue, Garden Girl/Linda, Lisa/Greenbow, Becky, Jan, Patsy, Alison, Connie/Near Little River, Missing HenriMitchell, Liza Downey, Becki, and Ann contact me.

Verbesina virginica's rough and tumble bloom with Pokeweed

 I promise  that you won't be disappointed and your resident  pollinators will thank you! If I take a few seeds from each packet there's enough for each of you to have Verbesina virginica in your garden...forever. Please send me your mailing address, my email address is in the Welcome to my Garden on the sidebar.

When Frost Flower/Frostweed/Winstem blooms~pollinators show up!

Verbesina virginica self sows in my garden, but, I've begun scattering seeds here and there for their architectural and pollinator appeal. Plant them as soon as you get them to insure the seeds get at least a 30 day stretch of cold, moist conditioning. If there's snow on the ground you can mix them with sand and toss the mixture onto the snow or winter sow them in a container so you can keep an eye on them, then transplant where their height will best appreciated.

Frost Flower from many seasons back!

Happy Planting
xoxogail

PS It's Monday and that means I get to remind you that it's never, ever, ever, ever, ever, a good idea to use pesticides in your garden, especially if you want pollinator visitors.

More about Frost Flowers
An Almost Perfect Winter Flower
I Never Tire Of Seeing Frost Flowers
Frost Flowers Blooming In The Garden
Bees Don't Care If A Flower Is Beautiful
It's Rough and Tumble Wildflower Time



Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.