Everything Seeds for This Winter: A Practical Guide
Winter is when gardeners plan. You can sort through seed catalogues, preserve what you’ve grown, and prepare for the season ahead. This guide covers what you need to know about collecting, storing, and working with seeds during the quieter months.
Building Your Seed Collection
Seed catalogues arrive in winter for good reason. You have time to compare varieties, research what grows well in your conditions, and make thoughtful choices rather than impulse buying in spring.
When browsing, you’ll encounter two main categories: heirloom and hybrid varieties.
- Heirloom seeds are open-pollinated varieties passed down through generations. These varieties often have interesting histories and unique flavours, but they may be less uniform or disease-resistant than modern hybrids.
- Hybrids are created by crossing two parent plants to inherit specific traits, such as disease resistance or uniform size. These don’t reliably reproduce from saved seed.
Neither is inherently better. Your choice depends on whether you want to save seeds, value consistency, or prioritise flavour and variety.
Look for seed companies specialising in regional varieties. These plants have adapted to local conditions over time and often perform better than varieties bred for different climates.
Collecting and Saving Your Own Seeds
Saving seeds from your garden is straightforward if you understand a few basics. Only save from open-pollinated varieties. Hybrids won’t produce reliable offspring, and F1 hybrids in particular will give you a mixed bag of traits.
Different plants require different approaches.
Dry-seeded plants like beans, peas, and lettuce are the easiest for beginners. Let the pods or seed heads dry completely on the plant. They should be brown and brittle. Harvest on a dry day and store in paper envelopes.
Wet-seeded plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash need an extra step. Scoop out seeds and keep them in water for two to three days. This removes the gelatinous coating and kills some seed-borne diseases. Rinse thoroughly, then spread on kitchen towel to dry completely before storing.
Biennials like carrots and parsnips are trickier. They produce seed in their second year, so you need to overwinter the plants and wait for them to flower the following summer.
Label everything immediately. Write the variety name, harvest date, and any notes about the parent plant’s performance. You’ll thank yourself later.
Storing Seeds Properly
Seeds are living things in suspended animation. How you store them determines how long they remain alive.
Most seeds last longer in cool/cold, dry, dark conditions. Some gardeners use the freezer for long-term storage, though this isn’t necessary for most home collections.
Moisture is the enemy. Silica gel packets help keep things dry. You can buy them or save the packets that come with shoes and electronics.
Different seeds have different lifespans:
- One to two years: parsnips, onions, sweetcorn
- Three to four years: beans, peas, carrots, leeks
- Five years or more: tomatoes, brassicas, cucumbers, lettuce
These are guidelines rather than hard rules. Storage conditions matter more than age in many cases.
Testing Germination Rates
Before committing seeds to precious growing space, test whether they’re still viable. This is particularly useful for older packets.
Take ten seeds and place them on damp kitchen paper inside a plastic bag or container. Keep them warm and check after the typical germination period for that plant. If seven or more sprout, the seed is still good. If fewer germinate, you can still use them, but sow more thickly to compensate.
Preparing Seeds for Successful Germination
Certain seeds possess natural dormancy mechanisms that keep them from germinating until the environment becomes favourable. Understanding these helps you work with rather than against natural processes.
Stratification mimics winter conditions. Many native perennials and trees need a cold period before they’ll germinate. Mix seeds with damp sand in a plastic bag and refrigerate for the required period, typically four to twelve weeks, depending on species. Check occasionally to ensure they haven’t dried out or started to sprout. Another option is to sow them in pots and keep these outside during the winter.
Scarification breaks down hard seed coats. Sweet peas, nasturtiums, and morning glories benefit from this treatment. Gently scratch the seed coat with a file or soak the seeds in water overnight. Both methods allow moisture to penetrate more easily.
Some seeds need light to germinate and shouldn’t be buried. Lettuce, snapdragons, and many wildflowers fall into this category. Press them into the surface rather than covering them.
Starting Seeds Indoors
Timing matters when starting seeds indoors. Sowing too early can create leggy, stressed plants if light levels are too low. Too late, and you lose growing time.
Count backwards from your last frost date. Tomatoes and peppers typically need six to eight weeks indoors. Brassicas need five to seven weeks. Fast growers like courgettes only need three to four weeks. Remember,
- Use peat-free seeding compost specifically formulated for starting seeds. Seed compost with added perlite increases porosity of the mix, improving aeration and drainage.
- Light is critical. Seedlings need 12 to 16 hours of light daily. Windowsills rarely provide enough, leading to stretched, weak plants. A simple grow light solves this problem.
- Keep compost consistently moist but not waterlogged. Bottom watering prevents damping off, a fungal disease that kills seedlings at the soil level.
- Harden off plants gradually before transplanting outdoors. Start with an hour outside in a sheltered spot and increase exposure over seven to ten days.
Planning Companion Planting and Crop Rotation
Winter is the time to plan what goes where. Companion planting combines plants that support each other’s growth, while crop rotation prevents soil depletion and reduces pest problems.
Classic combinations include tomatoes with basil, carrots with onions, and beans with sweetcorn and squash. These pairings either repel pests, improve growth, or make efficient use of space.
Crop rotation is more important. Divide your growing area into sections and group plants by family. Don’t grow the same family in the same spot for at least three years. This breaks pest and disease cycles whilst allowing soil to recover specific nutrients.
A simple four-year rotation works well:
- Year one: Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale)
- Year two: Roots (carrots, beetroot, parsnips)
- Year three: Legumes (beans, peas)
- Year four: Alliums and others (onions, garlic, tomatoes, courgettes)
Draw a simple map each winter showing what went where. Over time, you’ll notice patterns in which areas perform best for different crops.
Choosing Native and Pollinator-Friendly Seeds
Not all seeds need to produce food. Native wildflowers and grasses support local ecosystems by providing nectar, pollen, and habitat for insects, birds, and small mammals.
Native plants are well-suited to local environments and usually need minimal care once established. They support specialist pollinators that may not visit non-native ornamentals.
Cornflowers, field scabious, yarrow, and wild marjoram are good starting points. Ox-eye daisies and knapweed are vigorous and reliable. For shadier spots, try red campion or hedge woundwort.
Avoid seed mixes labelled as “wildflower meadow” unless they specify native species. Many contain non-native or even invasive plants. Check that mixes are appropriate for your soil type and conditions.
Let some of these plants set seed naturally. Many native annuals self-seed happily, creating sustainable patches that need little maintenance.
Joining Seed Exchanges and Communities
Seed swapping connects you with local gardeners and gives access to varieties you won’t find in catalogues. Many communities run seed libraries where you can borrow seeds and return some of what you grow.
Local gardening groups often organise seed swaps in late winter. These gatherings let you meet experienced gardeners, learn what thrives locally, and acquire seeds adapted to your microclimate.
Online communities also exchange seeds, though posted seeds may not be as fresh as those swapped locally. If participating, only trade open-pollinated varieties and be honest about what you’re offering.
Heritage seed libraries preserve old varieties that might otherwise disappear. Some specialise in regional types or focus on particular crops. Supporting these organisations helps maintain genetic diversity.
Understanding Basic Seed Genetics
You don’t need to be a geneticist to grasp seed basics, but understanding a few principles helps you save better seed and make informed choices.
Plants can self-pollinate, cross-pollinate within their variety, or cross with other varieties of the same species. Tomatoes largely self-pollinate, making them easy to save seeds. Brassicas and squash cross-pollinate readily, so isolate the plants if you want pure seed.
Dominant and recessive traits determine what characteristics appear in offspring. If you save seed from a chance cross, unexpected traits may emerge. Sometimes this creates interesting variations. Other times it produces inferior plants.
Hand-pollinating lets you control crosses. Transfer pollen deliberately between chosen parent plants, then bag the flower to prevent random pollination. This is how new varieties are created.
Most gardeners won’t breed new varieties, but experimenting teaches you how plants work. You might discover something genuinely useful, or at least interesting.
Organising and Recording Your Collection
A good organisational system prevents waste and frustration. You want to find seeds quickly and know what you have.
- Paper envelopes work better than plastic bags for storage. They allow slight air circulation whilst protecting seeds. Plastic can trap condensation.
- Create a simple cataloguing system. Some gardeners use index cards, others prefer spreadsheets or notebooks. Record variety name, source, date acquired, germination test results, and performance notes.
- Photographs help. Take pictures of mature plants, fruits, and seed heads. Over time, you’ll build a useful reference library.
- Store envelopes in a box or filing system organised however makes sense to you: alphabetically, by plant family, or by sowing time. The best system is the one you’ll actually use.
- Consider keeping a seed journal with drawings or pressed flowers. This becomes a record of what you’ve grown, what succeeded, and what you want to try next.
Looking Ahead
Working with seeds connects you to gardening’s fundamental processes. Each packet holds potential, and each season teaches you something new. Start simple, save what grows well, and gradually expand your knowledge and collection.
The seeds you collect this year might feed you for years to come, or become treasured varieties you share with others. That’s part of their value beyond the flowers or vegetables they produce.
