What can be sown before winter. What to plant in the fall in the country? Winter planting for an early harvest

Golden autumn is behind, the garden is ready for winter, and the flower garden is clean and tidy. If you are not used to sitting back, want to unload the spring sowing, and at the same time the window sills, get strong, well-formed plants, then it's time to prepare for the winter sowing of annuals.

Sowing before winter: what is it

Winter sowing is carried out on frozen soil after the onset of stable temperatures close to zero (0 ... -1 ° C). Under these conditions, the seeds do not germinate in autumn. During the winter, they go through a period of cooling and in the spring give rise to strong healthy plants.

When is it sown before winter?

Usually,

• in central Russia are carried out at the end of October - beginning of November,
• in the southern regions - mid November - early December.

You should not rush - warm weather can stimulate the emergence of seedlings that will die when frost sets in.

With winter sowing, annuals bloom 2-3 weeks later than those grown through, but a week earlier than.

annuals

1. Podzimny sowing creates natural growth conditions. In fact, the seeds undergo a vernalization procedure, resulting in stable, strong seedlings.
2. Spring weather is changeable, cold comes after warmth. It can be difficult to choose the time of sowing. The seeds sown before winter will themselves determine the optimal conditions for the start of growth.
3. Winter sowing is a wonderful alternative to spring sowing in places where the soil remains cold for a long time in spring. Weather conditions that are unfavorable for spring sowing - late spring, a small amount of moisture - do not affect seeds sown before winter, which use moisture from melting snow.
4. Winter sowing eliminates labor costs for preparing seeds for spring sowing and saves space on window sills. (it is needed, for example, seeds adonis) in the case of sowing before winter, nature will do it instead of you.
5. Seeds undergo natural selection - the strongest survive. They give strong seedlings, characterized by good growth, resistance to adverse weather conditions, spring frosts, and diseases.
6. After the shoots of winter crops, the plants are thinned out. The remaining ones, due to the fact that they were not touched, form not a fibrous (as with), but a rod, deeper-lying. This makes them more drought tolerant.

Disadvantages of winter sowing of annuals

1. It is advisable to sow before winter only the seeds of cold-resistant plants that can painlessly endure spring frosts.
2. Thaws and subsequent frosts can contribute to the premature awakening of seeds and the death of sprouts.
3. Prolonged waterlogging has an extremely negative effect on winter crops. It is very important to choose the right site for sowing and prepare it well.
4. Seed germination is less, since seedlings immediately fall into adverse conditions and the strongest survive. So we have to sow more. When sowing in winter, it is recommended to increase the seeding rate by 30% compared to spring.

Options for sowing annuals before winter

1. Podzimny sowing of annuals for a permanent place in the flower garden optimal for patients who are sensitive to transplantation (poppy, delphinium, escholzia) . The disadvantage is that the possibility of selecting the optimal place for placing crops is excluded.
2. Podzimny sowing of annuals in school carried out with the aim of further transplanting seedlings into a flower garden. In the spring, when shoots appear above, you can install a frame and cover it, imitating. Thus, it is possible to obtain high-quality seedlings in the early stages.
3. Podimny sowing of annuals in containers it is optimal when the soil conditions of the site or the close standing of groundwater make winter sowing difficult.

The technology of sowing annuals before winter in a flower garden or school

A school for winter sowing of annuals should be placed on an elevated site oriented to the south or southwest. It is desirable that it is not accessible to cold winds and covered with snow in winter. If the groundwater is close, the shkolka should be made at least 20 cm high. This will help to avoid the seedlings getting wet in the spring and contribute to faster heating of the soil.
A ridge or section of a flower garden for winter sowing is prepared in the second half of September - early October. They dig deep, add a complex with a predominant content of potassium and phosphorus, as well as humus. Heavy soils are improved by adding coarse-grained river sand. After leveling and compacting the soil, rows or nests are marked (according to the plant placement scheme, if the flower garden is created by sowing seeds into the ground).

For small seeds, the optimal sowing depth is 0.5-1 cm, for medium seeds - about 2 cm, for large seeds - about 4 cm. The ridge prepared in this way can be covered with a film. In case of snowfall, this will help to quickly start sowing.

As soon as the sowing time has come, the film is removed from the ridge. Dry seeds are placed in prepared rows or nests. When sowing in nests, 2-3 large, 3-5 medium or 7-10 small seeds are placed in each hole.

Crops are covered with a pre-prepared soil mixture. The top layer of soil during the winter can be very compacted, so it is better to cover the seeds with a mixture of humus or sand (1: 1). It is prepared in September - early October and stored until sowing in a frost-free room.

Then, without watering, the crops are mulched with leaf litter in case of a little snowy winter. Mulch is removed after the spring snowmelt. In spring, seedlings are thinned out at the stage of the first pair of true leaves, then again after two weeks, observing the distance between seedlings for a particular plant species. The third thinning, as a rule, is carried out with very dense shoots or nest sowing, leaving 1-2 plants in each nest. Thinning is combined with careful cultivation.

Technology of winter sowing of annuals in containers

1. The containers should be shallow (7-10 cm) and have drainage holes.
2. Substrate - be loose, moisture and breathable and moderately nutritious. The optimal soil mixture consists of garden soil, peat and coarse river sand or vermiculite (1:3:3).
3. Drainage is poured at the bottom of the tank with a layer of 2 cm. A layer of soil mixture 4-6 cm thick is compacted, dry soil is slightly moistened. The rest of the substrate is left in a frost-free room for backfilling the sown seeds.
4. Prepared containers are put into the garden in trenches or pits 15-20 cm deep more than the height of the container. This difference is filled with drainage poured onto the bottom, and the gaps between the placed containers and the edges of the trench or pit are covered with leaf litter.
5. Top of the container is covered with a film.
6. As soon as the sowing time has come, the film is removed from the containers, the seeds are distributed evenly over the surface of the soil and covered with the remaining soil mixture. The thickness of the layer depends on the size of the seed (see above).
7. From above, crops are mulched with leaf litter, which is removed after the spring snow melts. In the spring, the crops are thinned out twice: at the stage of the first pair of true leaves, then two weeks later, observing the distance between the seedlings for a particular plant species.
8. In late May - early June, plants are planted in a flower garden.

In the photo: Preparing the site for winter sowing

What annuals are sown before winter

• First, they are cold hardy.
• Secondly, with a short growing season - about 40-60 days from germination to flowering.
• Thirdly, they are able to be content with the small amount of warmth that our northern summer gives.

Podzimny sowing is a great opportunity to have strong healthy seedlings of annuals whose seeds are not stored for a long time (for example, delphinium ), and whose seedlings do not tolerate transplanting well due to the tap root system.

Annuals with a tap root system for winter sowing

• Ajaksov: medium seed size, planting pattern 30 x 20 cm.
• Clarkia marigold: seed size is small, planting pattern 20 x 25 cm.
• large-flowered, flax seed:
• hybrid:
• samoseyka: seed size is small, planting pattern 20 x 30 cm.
• gray-haired:
• large, cultural nasturtium: the size of the seeds is large, the planting pattern is 20 x 30 cm.
• fragrant: medium seed size, planting pattern 15 x 25 cm.
• climbing, or Japanese: seed size is small, planting pattern 25 x 30 cm.
• : seed size is average, planting pattern is 20 x 25 cm, 25 x 25 cm.

In the photo: Nasturtium blooms beautifully during winter sowing, it can propagate by self-sowing

Other annuals that are often sown before winter

• Agrostemma vulgaris: the size of the seeds is small, the planting pattern is 15 x 20 cm, sowing is carried out in nests of 3-4 seeds.
• summer, Adonis annual, or autumn: the size of the seeds is large, the planting pattern is 25 x 15 cm, 30 x 20 cm, the seeds are photosensitive, the recommended planting depth is 1-1.5 cm.
• Alyssum marine (marine): the size of the seeds is small, the planting pattern is 15 x 20 cm. With thickened crops, there is a high probability of damage by powdery mildew, timely thinning of seedlings is necessary.
• blue: the size of the seeds is large, the planting pattern is 15 x 20 cm.
• beautiful: average seed size, planting pattern 25 x 30 cm, gives mass self-sowing.
• graceful: medium seed size, planting pattern 15 x 20 cm.
• Iberis umbrella: medium seed size, planting pattern 25 x 15 cm. Winter crops are susceptible to cruciferous flea attack. For prevention, the soil is dug up in the fall, cultivated in the spring.

A garden without greenery growing on the beds can hardly be called complete. Dill, parsley, arugula, cilantro, celery - all these plants are not only healthy, but also tasty. Only, it's one thing when spices and spices growing in the garden can be tasted at the end of spring, and another thing is to have a bunch of fragrant greens right after winter. Having fresh dill or parsley from your own garden in early spring is always nicer, but this is possible if their seeds are planted in the fall.

Is it possible to plant greens before winter

The question of what greens can be planted before winter is sometimes incomprehensible for most gardeners. For home farmers, spring plantings are somehow more familiar. In spring, the earth is warm, there are six months of good weather ahead, there are no risks for garden crops. There are no risks, but there is a drawback in carrying out spring work - it will take a long time to wait for the first harvest.

But if the seeds of any cold-resistant crop are planted in the fall:
- they automatically go through the stratification (hardening) they need so much;
- plants grown from seeds sown in autumn may not get sick at all and be slightly damaged by harmful living creatures;
- the first shoots will appear not a week or two after the arrival of the first heat, but immediately, as soon as the earth warms up.

All of the above arguments are more related to the benefits of winter planting of greenery. In principle, you can not take them into account when planting something the old fashioned way in the spring. But there is also a purely practical benefit in the autumn work - in the spring there will be more time to solve other issues.

What greens are planted before winter

If we talk about the middle lane, then in a temperate climate, almost everything can be planted for the winter. Ours, the same and other fragrant plants go through the winter perfectly and give early friendly shoots in the spring. But at the same time, with regard to other fragrant plants, the question may arise what kind of greens can be planted before winter, except for those indicated.

cilantro

The well-known greens with the smell of an amateur, which, for all its "originality", cannot be replaced by any other. Plus, everyone knows how difficult it can be to do without coriander. For those who don't know, cilantro and coriander are the same seasoning. Only in the first case it is the greenery itself, and in the second case it is the seeds of this plant. But be that as it may, if a very early harvest is needed, cilantro can not only be planted in the fall, but also needs to be planted.

Salad

The culture is tender in appearance, but quite cold-resistant. Likes normal soil, fertilizer in moderation, warm, well-lit beds. There are 2 types of salads: leafy and semi-headed. In terms of taste and amount of vitamins, these two types are not much different from each other. But if we are talking about planting lettuce before winter, it is better to plant a leaf one. In the spring, half-headed may not live up to expectations in terms of yield.

Cheremsha

Planting wild garlic is the most profitable planting of greenery before winter in open ground, because it is not only tasty and healthy, it is the dream of any gardener. Unlike their "brothers", wild garlic can be planted where, in principle, nothing should grow. Under the fences, under the trees, in the most “unfavorable” places of the summer cottage - wild garlic feels good everywhere. True, in the shade and in a unkempt place, it will be a little smaller and not so attractive, but nonetheless. The plant reproduces by both bulbs and seeds. For bulbs, the best planting time is September. Sowing seeds can be timed to plant onions and garlic.

Celery

Culture is the most "multifaceted". Celery is leaf, stem and root. Each species is photophilous, each is valued in its own way, but the cultivation rules for all species are the same. Of course, you can plant celery in the fall, but there are 2 points. The first point, if it is permissible to grow leaf and stem seeds from seeds with winter planting, then root seeds are recommended to be planted on seedlings. And one more feature of the culture is that seeds cannot be planted deep into the ground. It is better if they are on top of the ground. Alternatively, the seeds are scattered on the beds and mulched.

Mustard

One of the "universal" types of garden crops. It can be a green fertilizer that improves the structure and quality of the soil, or it can be a delicious spicy seasoning. If mustard is planted as green manure, then the timing of its planting is determined by the time when the entire crop is harvested from the garden. Before winter, it will germinate, the site will be dug up, the earth will be prepared for planting in the spring. If you need greens on the table, then it is recommended to sow the seeds in the already cold ground.

Arugula

One of the plants with the shortest growing season. Greens are used for food already 3-4 weeks after sowing the seeds. Grown in every way. Rather, the landing time is not limited. Seeds have been sown, harvested, can be sown further. As to whether it is possible to plant arugula before winter, there is no definite answer to this question. If you want, then at the beginning of winter, why not sow arugula. But in real life, it is grown, either by planting in the spring, or through seedlings.

By the way, seedlings are not the worst option for growing any kind of greenery. In apartments, this is done on window sills or balconies; in the private sector, boxes and pots are located in greenhouses. Although, if it is a greenhouse, there is no need for additional packaging. Moreover, knowing the rules of how to properly plant greens in greenhouses before winter, you can grow not only seedlings, but also full-fledged, ready-to-eat spices and spices.

Yes, planting greenery before winter in open ground may not be the easiest task. You need to know what to plant and what not, when to plant and how. But on the other hand, there is nothing extraordinary in planting parsley, arugula or other types of spices and spices. By observing the rules of agricultural cultivation, you can always be sure that in the spring sprouts of revived seeds will hatch on the beds.

Along with this article, they usually read:

At first glance, table greens in the form of parsley, cilantro, lettuce, celery or other seasoning plants do not have such a global significance for cooking as meat or fish. But this is at first glance. In fact, many have long been successfully growing the right greens on their windowsills.

Planting carrots before winter: when to plant, winter sowing in different regions.
When it comes to planting carrots before winter, some gardeners do not understand how such a crop can successfully survive frosts. Why be surprised? Knowing some of the subtleties and following simple rules, even a novice summer resident will be able to carry out the winter sowing of carrots.

Garlic is such a crop that it is grown always, everywhere and by all gardeners. Fragrant teeth are useful for the body, indispensable in cooking, and if we talk about young spring growth, it's just a delicacy. And the most important advantage of garlic is that you can plant it before winter.

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands do not know boredom!

Content

After the onset of autumn, the main work in the garden does not end. If you know what is planted in the garden before winter, you can plant vegetables and flowers in the country in the fall. Thanks to this, the crop ripens much earlier, the plants are less susceptible to disease. It is recommended to plant only winter varieties that can tolerate low temperatures.

What is planted in the fall in the garden and vegetable garden

The list of plants that are planted before winter in the garden and garden is very large. Long-term observations of scientists conducting experiments with the effect of low temperatures on horticultural crops suggest that seeds left in the ground in winter do not die. After harvesting from the beds of summer vegetables, you need to prepare for sowing. The earth is loosened, fertilizers are applied - humus, compost, peat.

Crops that can be sown before winter in the garden include:

• greens - parsley, cilantro, spinach, basil.
• vegetables - tomatoes, beets, celery, radishes, potatoes, carrots, peas, onions;
• berries - Victoria, strawberries, strawberries.

This time is suitable to sow green manure - plants that help improve the condition of the soil. Peas, beans, mustard are recommended to be planted in those beds where onions, carrots or garlic used to grow. Rye or oats are planted in a potato field. These cereals contribute to the removal of weeds. As a result, in the spring, after digging the soil, harmful plants become much smaller.

In October

To choose the right time for winter sowing, you need to study the weather forecast for a month in advance. Planting dry seeds should begin when the daytime temperature drops to 3-5 degrees Celsius, and at night it will be 1-3 degrees below zero. The first decade of October is suitable for planting seedlings of strawberries. Bushes are planted at intervals of 15 cm in furrows, which are located at a distance of 30-35 cm from each other. In the middle of the month, winter garlic and fruit bushes should be planted. At the end of October, onions are planted.

In November

When the ground is already covered with frost, but snow has not yet fallen, you can plant carrots and beets in the garden before winter. This period is chosen because the planted seeds will no longer germinate during the thaw and will not die in the winter. By the end of November, when the snow covers the ground by 10-15 cm, they plant before winter in the greenhouse. Vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, celery and cabbage are suitable.

Now on sale there are special early varieties that are not afraid of cold weather. After the onset of heat, they begin to grow actively, and quickly overtake vegetables planted in the spring. Experienced gardeners call the following advantages of winter sowing vegetables:

1. Plants are hardened, undergo stratification due to exposure to low temperatures. The seeds they produce will be more hardy.
2. In the spring, less time is spent on working in the garden, because almost everything has been planted since autumn.
3. The harvest ripens much faster, it becomes possible to get more vegetables from one plot.
4. Seeds are not afraid of harmful microorganisms that actively multiply in the soil in spring.

Planting onions

In late autumn, many gardeners plant onions. Onion sets of small diameter (up to 1 cm) are well suited. It is recommended to plant it before the first hard frost, at which the temperature drops to minus 5 degrees. Bulbs should have time to take root, but not yet let green sprouts. If frosts come suddenly, it is necessary to use a special covering material.

The planting depth should not be too large - from 1 cm. Winter onions grow best on ridges where beets, cucumbers, rapeseed, corn, peas or lettuce were previously planted. Like garlic, this plant does not like shady places, so well-lit areas are chosen for it. Then, in the garden, before winter, you can plant such types of onions for greens as batun and leek. In the spring, after the snow melts, they will give an early harvest.

Beet varieties for winter sowing

When the soil is frozen to 5-7 cm, you can plant beets in the garden before winter. To do this, it is recommended to buy cold-resistant varieties of root crops - Round, Detroit, Cold-resistant-19, Winter, Flat Polar beets. Breeders bred these seeds specifically for the northern regions, so they can withstand any winter frosts well. To protect the crops, you need to pour a little sand into the grooves with the seeds, but you should not cover the tops of the bed, because of this, condensation and excess moisture may appear, which at this time is not needed by the plants at all.

planting greenery

In order to collect fresh greens from the garden in early spring, you need to plant it in late autumn. The beds are previously freed from sprouted weeds, well loosened and fertilized. Parsley and dill are planted in early October, because their seedlings do not freeze until late autumn. After planting, the crops are not covered with anything. Basically, for winter planting, all types of greens that germinate for a long time are practiced:

• lettuce mustard;
• parsnip;
• sage;
• basil;
• sorrel;
• leaf and root parsley;
• spinach.

Winter sowing of cabbage

As soon as stable frosts are established, the time is right for planting cabbage. It is best to choose a closed place or plant plants in a greenhouse. For sowing, the seeds fall asleep in the grooves, and in the spring, when they germinate, it will be necessary to thin out the seedlings. Cabbage is recommended to be lightly sprinkled with sawdust so that it does not freeze in the winter cold. Moisture-loving plants should not be watered until warm weather is established in spring, and the temperature in the greenhouse does not reach plus 3-5 degrees in the daytime. Well withstand wintering varieties: Blizzard, Sibiryachka, Polar K-206, Nadezhda.

planting lettuce

Like other types of greens, lettuce is not afraid of low temperatures during wintering. To get tasty green leaves early, the plant is planted in a greenhouse, like cabbage. However, it is not necessary to cover the salad with special material or sawdust. Experienced gardeners use the following varieties for winter sowing:

• Lollo Ross;
• Riga;
• Moscow greenhouse;
• Kado;
• New Year.

Garlic

If you plan to plant garlic for the winter, choose the right place. It grows well in beds where berries, cereals, nightshade were planted before. It is not recommended to plant garlic in shady places, near shrubs and trees. The most optimal time for planting it is the first 15 days of October, before frost has set in, but there is not much moisture in the ground. Garlic cloves should be planted at a depth of at least 5-6 cm so that they do not freeze. You can put humus in each hole.

Carrot

In order for the first carrot crop to grow in June, you need to take care of preparing the beds for sowing seeds in the fall. Such varieties as Vitamin 6, Nantes, Losinoostrovskaya survive the winter well. They are resistant to the appearance of flowering shoots in the spring. Before sowing carrots, lightly sprinkle the ground with dry sawdust, mixing them with the soil. After planting, the beds are covered with a film or sprinkled with mulch. When snow falls, it is slightly compacted.

Radish

For the winter, radishes are often planted in a greenhouse along with tomatoes. It belongs to cold-resistant vegetables that are able to withstand frosts up to minus 8 degrees after emergence. However, if radish seeds germinate too early in the spring, this will negatively affect the taste and appearance of root crops. They will turn out too bitter and flabby, so you need to make sure that the earth is not too wet. Popular varieties of radishes for planting in the fall are Zhara and Zarya.

Peas

A plant such as peas belongs to green manure. It is useful to plant it in beds where carrots, beets, garlic or onions have been grown for a long time. Peas help enrich the soil with nitrogen. This plant is resistant to cold, so it is often planted before winter. It is recommended to sow seeds in frozen, dry soil, in areas where there is little moisture, so that they do not germinate and do not die.

Podzimny sowing flowers

Heat-loving annual flowers (zinnia, salvia and aster) are not suitable for winter sowing. Cold-resistant plants are planted immediately in a permanent place, where they will then multiply by self-sowing. It remains only to insulate the flower beds, sprinkling them with sand by 0.5-1 cm. Such types of flowers adapt well to winter temperatures such as:

• cornflowers;
• marigold;
• poppies;
• escholzia;
• fragrant tobacco.

These flowers are annual plants, so every year they have to be sown anew. Marigolds are planted in the garden not only for beauty, but also to repel many pests. If you plant flowers near radishes, carrots, onions, lettuce or cabbage, they will sprout in early spring, and in the summer they will not allow pests to destroy crops.

Sowing perennial flowers

Winter sowing for many perennials is a natural process. In nature, the seeds themselves fall to the ground and germinate after the onset of heat, so many gardeners prefer to plant perennial flowers for the winter that are not afraid of frost. If the seeds of flowering plants are planted for the first time, you need to prepare a flower bed, remove weeds. Fertilizers are applied at the same time. In autumn, you can sow the following types of perennials:

• lavender;
• cloves;
• primrose;
• aquilegia;
• delphinium.

Many gardeners spend winter sowing of vegetables and flowers to get an early harvest. It has been established that seedlings sown before winter grow better, suffer less from adverse conditions and are less likely to be affected by diseases. Of course, the method of sowing seeds before winter has its advantages and disadvantages. How to prepare the soil, what crops can be sown before winter and how to sow, we will describe in detail in this article.

What can be sown before winter?

The purpose of sowing vegetables before winter is to get the first harvest as early as possible. Although the seeds germinate longer in early spring, since the temperature of the soil and air is still low, they germinate earlier than crops sown in spring. For spring sowing, you need to wait until the soil dries out so that you can dig it up and prepare the ridges - usually this is the second half of April - the beginning of May. At this time, seedlings are already rapidly developing on the ridges sown in late autumn, they still have enough moisture after the snow melts, the plants turn out hardened and are less attacked by pests, since they have not yet had time to multiply.

To obtain early harvests, vegetables are sown before winter - radishes, carrots, beets. Green crops grow faster after winter stratification - parsley, dill, black onion, lettuce, spinach, sorrel.

The harvest of vegetables sown before winter is harvested 2-3 weeks earlier than during spring sowing. It is better to use early and mid-season varieties, as later crops will ripen as early as spring sowing.

There are tight seeds, they lie in the ground for a long time until their shell collapses so that sprouts break through - these are carrots, dill, parsley, parsnips.

Only cold-resistant crops and perennial seeds requiring stratification are suitable for sowing before winter (they germinate after a cold period).

Having sown flowerbeds and flower beds before winter, in the spring you will have less trouble decorating the site. Flower shoots will appear after the snow melts and will develop and bloom in accordance with the characteristics of the plants.

The following annual flowers are suitable for winter sowing- summer adonis, alissum, Chinese aster, annual cornflower, Chinese carnation, large-flowered godetia, graceful gypsophila, delphinium, dimorphoteca, iberis, calendula, clarkia, escholcia, kosmeya, keeled chrysanthemum, lavatera, antirrinum, matiolla bicorn, fragrant mignonette, scabiosa dark -purple, phlox, nigella.

Annual flowers are sown in spring for seedlings so that the plants bloom as early as possible, but such plants are not adapted to external conditions, often get sick and die. Sprouted seeds when sown in late autumn produce strong hardy plants that are guaranteed to bloom in due time.

Perennial flowers, when sown in spring, usually bloom in the second year, and if sown before winter, flowering can be obtained in the first year. From perennial flowers before winter, you can sow aconite, alpine aster, buzulnik, geyhera, gypsophila paniculata, dicentra, spurge, rudbeckia, popovnik, yarrow, lupine, lychnis, doronicum, peach-leaved and Carpathian bell.

Some perennial garden plants need mandatory stratification, they are recommended to be sown only in late autumn so that they germinate in spring- this is aquilegia, perennial delphinium, gentian, hellebore, lavender, primrose.

When should you sow vegetables and flowers before winter?

So that the seeds do not germinate and their tender sprouts do not die with the advent of winter, sowing before winter is carried out when the topsoil freezes. Typically, such conditions are created in early November, the temperature at night is minus, and during the day it does not exceed +4 ... +5 degrees or near zero. The cold weather should settle in for a long time, because if you sow the seeds and the thaw comes, they will germinate.

If the first snow fell in a small layer, it will be even more convenient for you to sow, since the seeds are clearly visible on a white background. Therefore, it is not too late to sow the seeds of vegetables and flowers at the end of November - in December, when the snow layer does not exceed 25 cm. Grooves in the beds do not need to be made, since the fallen snow is trampled down, grooves are made in it, which, after sowing, are covered with prepared loose soil from peat and humus, additionally covered with snow from above.

How to prepare beds for crops before winter?

For winter sowing, the beds are prepared in advance, since it will be impossible to do this on frozen soil. Digging the site is done in September - October, after harvesting the main garden crops. It is good if the place for sowing before winter is located on a hill without shading, this will prevent flooding of the ridges with melt water, on high beds the snow will melt first, the soil will warm up faster and shoots will appear.

The earth is dug up on a shovel bayonet, humus and mineral fertilizers are introduced under digging. Form beds and immediately make grooves for sowing. The depth of the furrows depends on what kind of seeds you will use for sowing. For large seeds, the grooves should be 4-5 cm deep, for medium 2-3 cm, for small ones - 1 cm.

If the grooves in the beds are not immediately made, then it is difficult to dig them through the frozen soil. To keep the grooves made clean from snow and debris, the beds are covered with any material.

Seeds sown before winter are not recommended to be covered with ordinary soil, since the surface of heavy clay soil is covered with a crust in spring, through which it is difficult for sprouts to break through. If you fill the seeds with a light loose mixture of humus and peat, then seedlings will appear quickly and amicably. The substrate for falling asleep seeds in buckets is stored in a barn so that it does not freeze with the onset of cold weather and does not get wet from the rains.

How to sow before winter?

With the onset of stable frosts, you can begin to sow the beds before winter. You do not need to shed the grooves beforehand, soak the seeds or water them from above after falling asleep.

If the beds with grooves were covered with snow, then it can be swept away or compacted by slamming with a board or a shovel, then grooves can be dug through the snow.

Podzimnie crops give less germination, therefore, when sowing, the number of seeds is usually increased by a quarter, and in the spring thickened seedlings are thinned out. The sown grooves are covered with a prepared substrate of peat and humus, it must be dry and not frozen. The soil is pressed a little from above and, if possible, the ridges are covered with snow or a layer of dry leaves and spruce branches. The covering layer should be removed in early spring.

In the spring, as soon as you see the first green sprouts on the ridges, fertilize with nitrogen by watering the ridges with 20 g of urea per 10 liters. Two weeks after germination, you can repeat top dressing with full mineral fertilizer by dissolving 30 g per 10 liters of water.

Advantages and disadvantages of winter crops:

In nature, plants reproduce by self-sowing, seeds that fall into the ground in autumn after a cold period germinate in spring and actively develop. Under natural conditions, plants harden, form strong, get sick less, of course, only cold-resistant crops that can withstand small frosts in spring can grow under such conditions.

In plants sown before winter, the root system is better than in plants grown in seedlings at home, so the former better tolerate adverse conditions - temperature fluctuations and drought.

Annual flowers from winter crops bloom a week earlier than plants from spring sowing.

In the spring, you will have less trouble growing seedlings, more space and time to grow seedlings on the windowsills of the main vegetable crops.

In the hottest spring for gardeners, you do not need to take care of forging the soil and sowing to get the first harvest. Winter crops will germinate when favorable weather conditions come for them.

Disadvantages of winter crops:

After wintering in the ground, the germination of seeds decreases, therefore, for sowing before winter, the number of seeds is increased, and it is best to use fresh seeds collected in the fall. This rule does not apply to seeds that require stratification, as they need wintering at sub-zero temperatures in order to germinate.

It is difficult to determine the time for winter sowing, sometimes after prolonged cold weather a thaw comes, then the seeds can wake up and die.

Heat-loving plants from southern latitudes are not suitable for winter crops; their seeds will die at sub-zero temperatures.

Vegetables grown during the winter sowing are not stored, as they ripen early and are used for food in the summer.

Autumn is the time to harvest and prepare for the new season. The amount of spring chores will depend on how the garden goes into the winter. It is for this reason that experienced gardeners never miss the opportunity to carry out as much work as possible from the fall. Prepare the beds, fertilize. And also - to plant some of the crops. What can be planted before winter? And onions, and greens, and root crops. There are many advantages to this approach: seedlings appear earlier, grow stronger, some crops have time to give a harvest before the activation of their main pests, the yield is obtained two weeks earlier, there is the possibility of re-planting. In this material, we will consider the features of winter sowing, as well as recommendations for a number of major crops.

General rules for winter crops

For winter crops, it is not necessary to allocate a large plot of land. If the products are not for sale, but for your table, a garden bed with a total area of ​​​​5-6 square meters. m. will fully provide a family of 4-5 people with both vitamin greens and early root crops.

It is better to choose a place for winter crops that is accessible, sunny, without a slope. Since the time to sow will come later (with the establishment of small frosts in the last decade of October, and in the south - November), it is better to prepare the land in advance. Back in August, fertilizers should be applied, the soil should be dug up, leveled, and before frosts (while the top layer has not yet frozen), grooves should be made.

There is a rule for seeding rates. Since the risk of falling out (loss) of a part of the seeds is inevitable, the rate should be increased by 25-50%. It is necessary to sow the seed material dry: after sowing, in no case water it.

Some gardeners practice not winter, but winter sowing. This is also possible in January, February. This method justifies itself where unstable autumn temperatures can provoke early seed germination. However, in this case, it is necessary to have a supply of land in order to sprinkle the frozen grooves. In the southern regions, this method is replaced by sowing in the January or February "windows", when the soil thaws, but does not have time to warm up enough to give the seeds growth.

After sowing, in order to better adhere the surface of the seeds to the soil, it is recommended to compact the soil above the furrows. And for warming - mulch. In winter, you need to try to throw snow on the ridges. Early in the spring, cover them with a film stretched over arcs - this will allow the earth to warm up earlier, somewhat accelerate the germination and growth of sown crops, and protect seedlings in case of return frosts.

1. Dill

Dill seeds sprout already at +3 ° C, so they can be sown only when the weather is cold. During the day it can be 0…+2 °С, at night -2…-3 °С.

The seeding depth is 2.5-3 cm. The distance between rows is 20 cm. The seeding rate per square meter is 3-5 g. Varieties: Fireworks, Hercules, Daredevil, Earlier Miracle, Tenderness, Preobrazhensky, Redoubt, Gribovsky, Grenadier, Aurora. "Drummer", "Esta", etc. Dill sown before winter will be ready for the table in mid-May.

2. Parsley

Leaf parsley sprouts already at +2 ° C heat. Its seedlings freely tolerate temperatures down to -9 ° C. But the seeds germinate unfriendly, so winter sowing is more beneficial for her, especially in the southern regions. It allows parsley to buy time and start a more friendly growing season.

The seed sowing depth is 1-1.5 cm. The distance between the rows is 20-25 cm. The seeding rate per square meter is 0.6-1.5 g. It is better to take those varieties with large leaves - “Kucheryavets”, “ Bordovicskaya", "Italian Giant", "Breeze", "Curly", "Ordinary Leaf", "Green Crystal", "Universal", "Astra", "Alba", "Esmeralda", "Pagoda" and many others. Podzimnie crops of leaf parsley allow you to collect the first leaves at the end of May. You can also pay attention to the root varieties: "Sugar", "Russian Size", "Eagle".

Leaf parsley sprouts already at +2 ° C heat. © Lovefood

3. Cilantro (coriander)

Good for crops in late autumn and cilantro. Its seedlings are not afraid of return spring frosts and freely survive cold snaps down to -8 ... -10 ° С.

Sowing depth of seeds is 1-1.5 cm. Distance between rows is 25-30 cm. Seeding rate per square meter is 5 g. Varieties: Shiko, Yantar, Debut, Alekseevsky 247, Taiga, "Stimulus", "Borodinsky", etc.

4. Salad

It is advantageous to sow lettuce before winter - an early harvest is obtained regardless of whether the spring was rainy or dry. The seeds of this crop tolerate low temperatures well, therefore, sowing is carried out at a steady cooling, when the thermometer readings drop to -2 ... + 2 ° С.

Seeding depth 2 cm. Distance between rows - 30-40 cm. Seeding rate per square meter - 0.6-0.7 g. Varieties: "Large head", "Sonata", "Moscow greenhouse", "Vitamin", "Gourmet", "Berlin Yellow", "Rhapsody", "Dubachok", "Festival" and many others. The salad sown since autumn is ready for the table already for the May holidays.

5. Watercress

Watercress sprouts in just a couple of days and immediately begins to grow rapidly. Therefore, it is impossible to rush with the winter sowing of this crop - you need to wait for frost.

The seeding depth is 1-1.5 cm. The distance between rows is 10-15 cm, with row sowing, the distance is practiced - 20 cm between lines, 50 cm between ribbons. Seeding rate per square meter - 3 g. Varieties: "Broad-leaved", "Narrow-leaved", "Curly cress".

6. Mustard salad (leaf)

Leaf or salad mustard is not afraid of frost, it easily tolerates cold snaps down to -5 ° C, it must be sown with the onset of the first stable frost.

The seeding depth is 1.5 cm. The distance between the rows is 25-30 cm. The seeding rate per square meter is 2-2.5 g. Varieties: Red-leaved, Green-leaved.

7. Spinach

Winter sowing of spinach has two terms. The first is in the last days of September. Plants have time to form a rosette of small leaves, which will overwinter under snow cover. With the arrival of spring warmth, they will immediately begin to grow and after a week and a half it will be possible to pluck the first vitamin leaves from the garden.

The second term is in November-December (depending on the climatic zone), with the onset of stable frosts. In this case, the seeds will hatch already in the spring, which is also not bad, since the crop will give an early harvest.

Sowing depth of seeds 3-4 cm. Distance between plants - 7-10 cm. Between rows - 15-20 cm. Seeding rate per square meter - 4 g. Varieties: Juliana, Victoria, Matador, Universal ”, “Progress”, “Broad-leaved”, “Garant” and many others.

The winter sowing of spinach has two terms: in the last days of September and in November-December. © Charlie Nardozzi

8. Carrot

To sow carrots, the earth needs to settle, therefore, the garden bed must be prepared in advance. Sowing dates come at thermometer readings in the region of + 2 ... + 4 ° С.

Seeding depth 3-4 cm. Distance between rows - 15-20 cm. Seeding rate per square meter - 1 g. Varieties: "Supernant", "Alenka", "Karotel", "Incomparable", "Moscow Winter A 515" , "Zabava", "Early TSHA", "Artek", "Cannery", "Amstardam", "Vitamin 6", "Nantes -4", "Shantane 14" and many others.

Selective harvesting of root crops will begin from the beginning of June, but you need to remember: carrots sown in autumn are stored worse than during spring planting, so it is better to think over the required volume of production in advance.

9. Beets

It is impossible to hurry with the sowing of beets, its seeds are able to germinate already at +5 ° C, therefore, the timing of winter sowing must be shifted to a period of stable cooling, - 2 ... - 4 ° C.

The sowing depth of seeds is 3-4 cm. The distance between plants is 5-10 cm. Between rows is 20-30 cm. The seeding rate per square meter is approximately 4 g. Varieties for sowing before winter must be taken exclusively cold-resistant or marked "resistant to bolting »: Egyptian Flat, Podzimnyaya Flat, Darynya, Podzimnyaya A 474, Thekla, Cold-Resistant 19, Bordeaux 237, Podzimnyaya Incomparable, Detroit, Red Ball and others

The first harvest of root crops from winter beet crops can be carried out as early as late May or early June. But such beets are stored worse than during spring planting, so it is better, as in the case of carrots, to think over the required volume of production in advance.

10. Turnip

Turnips are sown before the start of stable frosts, about two weeks. In the spring, winter sowing allows it to form before the cruciferous flea begins its attack.

Sowing depth 3 cm. Distance in a row - 10-15 cm, three seeds per nest. Row spacing - 25-30 cm. Seeding rate per square meter - 2 g. Varieties: "Geisha", "Petrovskaya 1", "White Night". Turnips sown before winter will allow harvesting to begin in late May or early June.

Turnips sown before winter will allow harvesting to begin in late May or early June. © southernexposure

11. Celery

More often, winter sowing of celery is applied to leafy varieties, and any of them is suitable. But among the root there is a variety ("Root Gribovsky"), suitable for sowing in the fall.

The depth of seed placement is 1.5-2 cm. Seeding is thickened. The sowing rate of seeds per square meter is 0.1-0.2 g. Varieties: Root Gribovsky, Apple and others.

12. Horseradish

Growing horseradish from seeds is rare. Basically, this culture reproduces vegetatively. But, if by seeds, then winter sowing is an excellent choice!

Seeding depth is 2-3 cm. Distance between plants is 30-35 cm. Between rows is 50-70 cm. Varieties: "Valkovsky", "Rostovsky", "Atlant", "Suzdolsky", "Latvian".

13. Leek

They are not in a hurry with the crops of leeks. Its seedlings are afraid of frost, so the seeds are sown no earlier than when the thermometer starts to show below 0 ° C. The method is used mainly in the south.

Seeding depth 1.5 cm. Distance between plants - 8-12 cm. Between rows - 30-35 cm. Seeding rate - 2 g. Varieties: "Karantansky", "Columbus", "Vesta", "Pobedel" and others .

14. Onion sets and nigella

Onions are one of the crops recommended for winter planting, especially in cold climates. This method gives an earlier harvest and makes it higher, since, having early germination, the crop is less affected by diseases and pests. Planting dates for onion sets are two weeks before stable frosts, black onion - on frozen ground.

Oatmeal and the first fraction (onion size 1.5 cm in diameter) - the best choice for winter sowing, planted according to the scheme of 3 by 15 cm. Sets (1.5-3 cm in diameter) 3 onions per nest, or compacted . Bulbs over 3 cm in diameter are seated according to the scheme 8-10 by 15-20 cm.

The planting depth of onion sets is 3.5-4 cm, black onion - 2.5 cm. It is better to take winter onion varieties: Danilovsky 301, Odintsovets, Radar, Carmen MS, Stuttgarten Risen , Shakespeare, Myagkovsky 300, Ellan, Buran, Mouzon and many others. Onions for feathers can be harvested at the end of May, turnips - by the middle of the summer season.

15. Bow-batun

Batun onions can be sown three times a season, but sowing before winter is considered the easiest.

Seeding depth 2-2.5 cm. Distance between plants - 20-25 cm. Between rows - 40-50 cm. Seeding rate - 6-8 g. Varieties: April 12, Gribovsky 21, Salad 35 ”, “Maysky”, etc.

Sowing onion-batun before winter is considered the easiest. © bejo

16. Tiered bow

A multi-tiered bow is not afraid of frosts down to -40 ° C, it is so tolerant of cold. But for this, by the time he leaves for the winter, he should already have a root system. Therefore, multi-tiered onions are planted two weeks before frost.

The thickness of the onions is 1.5-2 cm. The depth of their embedding is 3-4 cm. Planting in 2-3 lines. The distance in the row is 15-20 cm. Between the rows is 30 cm. The seeding rate per square meter is 0.3-0.5 kg. Varieties: Odessa Winter 12, Likova, Memory, Gribovsky 38, Chelyabinsk Super Early, etc.

17. Garlic

Winter garlic is planted in two ways. The deep planting method is used mainly in cold climates. It is carried out in mid-August and involves deepening the cloves by 10-15 cm. The usual method (traditional) is planted two weeks before a steady cold snap, which implies the embedding of cloves by 3-5 cm. Its timing is the last week of September, if this is the middle band, beginning of November - in the south.

The distance between the teeth is 10-15 cm. The distance between the rows is 20-25 cm. German" and many others.

18. Radish

Radish seeds germinate well even at sufficiently low temperatures, for this reason it is impossible to rush with their sowing, delaying the moment of planting at the end of November.

Seeding depth 2-3 cm. Distance between plants - 4-6 cm. Between rows - 10-15 cm. Seeding rate per square meter - from 5-6 to 10 g. Varieties: "Mayak", "Resistant", " Carmen, Spartak, Anniversary, Rose-red with a white tip, Heat, Zarya, Gusar, Hothouse, Early Crunch, etc. Radishes sown by winter sowing are ready for the table already at the beginning of May.

19. Pasternak

Parsnip is a crop preferred for winter sowing due to the short shelf life of seeds and rather poor germination. Podzimnie crops allow you to stratify its seed material and increase germination.

Seeding depth 2 cm. Distance in a row - 5 cm. Between rows - 30-35 cm. Seeding rate per square meter - 1.5-2 g. Varieties: "Round early", "Best of all", "Student" .

Podzimnie crops of parsnip increase its germination. © The Spruce

20. Fennel

Fennel, sown before winter, gives friendly spring shoots. However, this culture is thermophilic, therefore, since autumn, it is more often sown in the south.

Depth of placement of seeds of 2 cm. Sowing thickened. Between rows - 60-70 cm. With two-line sowing, 20-25 cm are left between the lines. Seeding rate per square meter - 0.8-1 g. Varieties: "Darelet", "Leader", "Aroma", "autumn handsome" and etc.

21. Sorrel

Embedding depth 1-1.5 cm. Distance between rows - 15-20 cm. Seeding rate per square meter - 1.5 g. Varieties: "Victoria", "Belleville", "Spinach", "Krupnochereshkovy" and many others.

22. Potato

Winter planting of potatoes is not traditional, but it does take place, since at a depth of 10-15 cm, the tubers perfectly tolerate temperature drops even to -10 ° C. With this method, tubers are selected weighing 100-150 g. They are planted without vernalization. Planting time is the first night frosts, when the ground still thaws during the daytime.

Planting method - double beds, in order to install arcs above the rows in the spring. The width of the beds is 70 cm, the distance between the beds is 80 cm, between the rows in the bed is 45 cm, between the tubers is 25-30 cm. The depth of planting of tubers is 15-20 cm. Planting in a checkerboard pattern. Varieties: "Zdabytok", "Nevsky", "Luck", "Lorch", "Asterix".

23. Cabbage

Winter crops of cabbage are not practiced often, mainly in regions with a relatively warm climate. But for the south, there is a risk in this method - quickly emerging shoots can freeze out at unstable spring temperatures. However, recommended varieties for winter planting exist.

White cabbage

Varieties: "Dumas", "Nadezhda", "Vyuga", "Dawn", "Gribovsky", "Sibiryachka", "Polar K-206".

Krasnokochannaya

Varieties: "Early hard stone", "Stone head 447", "Gako 741", "Red early".

Broccoli

Varieties: "Monterey", "Laser", "Calabrese", "Caesar", "Gnome", "Lucky".

color

Varieties: "Domestic", "Movir 74", "Guarantee".

Beijing

Varieties: "Khivinskaya 5".

The planting depth of cabbage seeds is 1.5-3 cm. The seeding rate per square meter is 0.1-0.2 g.

In addition to these crops, before winter, you can sow asparagus, arugula, swede, borage, chard, rhubarb.