Sow Flower Seeds Outside in Fall

Starting native plants and perennial flowers is often best done outside in fall. The seeds typically require cold stratification and exposure to winter weather. Sowing perennial flower seeds is not as simple as just placing them in soil and watering right away. Germination requirements vary greatly among the different types of plants. Understanding the different needs of the seeds can help gain greater gardening success. (Video #210)
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[@simplifygardening]

It is nice to see companies putting in valuable information like the seed sowing guide. Too many companies are only interested in taking your dollars without providing the information required to get the best results. Great video Scott

[@guylamullins3602]

Simplify Gardening one of the biggest wastes of money are wild flower seed packets. I’ve found that many of the seeds they put in those packets are t compatible with my soil or microclimate living next to a pretty wild creek bank. Out of those seed packets the only ones that grew we’re bachelor buttons and yarrow. Yarrow becomes too invasive and crowds out everything. Instead I started choosing plants I wanted like echinacea.

[@mmm70]

I love that peacock decoration in your garden.

[@bernadettepesce773]

Thank you so much for the explanation of planting seeds outside in autumn.

[@shadyman6346]

This year is my first fall garden!

[@heidiclark6612]

I also bought Starship red lobelia seed. I am Making a hummingbird section in my garden next year. I an also putting in a raised bed water garden for all the dragonflies I see flying around my yard and need tall plants for then to land on.

[@j.b.6855]

The common milkweed grew the last two years at the corner of my front porch. I kind of liked the look of the plant so I let it grow. I was rewarded by one of the most fragrant groups of flowers when they bloomed , The scent covered the porch. I hope they come back next year.

[@RADCOMJ1]

This is why we have invasive species :-) ..just from your description i want some. I am in london Uk. I on know if it will grow here. I want a mini Kew gardens in my garden lol

[@suzanneseely7167]

They are perennials and spread by rhizomes. They will return.

[@wk4240]

What we did is scatter flower seeds in October, November and December - during the rainy season. Like your shirt - do the same. 😃

[@barbbirdyard]

Scott is a great teacher.

[@bobbiechinn9578]

Love the shirt.. and info😊❤❤❤💚💚💚 thanks brother 😊 btw, growing butterfly weed first time this year. Also growing many other wonderful plants for the native pollenators ❤❤❤🦋🐦🐝💋

[@lindadavidson2237]

Great video. It's also a good time to pick up clearance perennials at the big box stores. I have many $1 perennials in my yard; most have now been divided and been shared around.

[@GardenerScott]

I agree. I love finding great perennial bargains in fall.

[@GrammaRosesHomestead]

You are so right - particularly if you're starting perennials. So many seeds need cold stratification, and planting them in the fall is the perfect way to get them to grow. Of course you can fake it in a refrigerator, but outside through the winter weather is best. Some like poppies and larkspur need to get an early start and probably wouldn't flower at all if they were planted in spring. One of my favorite sources for flower seed, particularly perennials in Select Seed. I've been buying from them for 20 years at least and still recommend their seed. If you've never tried the method called Winter Sowing, now is the time to learn about it. Instead of sowing in the ground, seed are planted in covered containers and left outside - like portable cold frames or mini greenhouses. This has all the advantages of sowing seed outside, but the seeds are protected from being washed away by rain or being eaten and then are ready to be transplanted to their permanent location in the spring.

[@maryelizabethcalais9180]

That is very interesting info along with G Scott's info. I'm 80, been gardening since age 5 and never heard about this. Although I can testify to throwing seeds in my sub-tropical zone 9 LA does not work with most flowers. Thanks so much ya'll and Bless your hearts, G Scott and you Gramma , for this GREAT info. I'll try it this month :):):)

[@susandixen3664]

I’m going to look for that company, Select Seed, and am also preparing to winter sow some “balloon flower” seeds I got from a neighbor’s plant. I came to the Internet for info and got just what I needed from you all. Thanks!

[@JmarieD]

I love the t shirt. Great information, as usual.

[@monicam.8006]

Thank you for the tip on the helpful company. I would really like to see your garden when everything is in full bloom. I'll bet it'll be beautiful.

[@SDMev1982]

Great video Gardener Scott! If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a beginner gardener its that just giving things a shot is as important to learning as anything else. I’ll be doing this type of perennial planting in my garden this fall.

[@NS-pf2zc]

This reminded me I had a bunch of flowers I needed to start this fall! Thank you for the great information. I was pretty happy my marshmallow plants germinated. Had to do the wet paper towel to sprout them in a baggie in the fridge, but I got a few to grow into plants!

[@adampetherick7836]

I like the message on your shirt every time you wear in your videos.good job I am . Learning a lot

[@user-tz5yp2dj4q]

Thanks so much for this very Informative and useful video. You are So right to talk about planting for your conditions. I live in the South East of England so my conditions are very different than yours. I love your desire to have some shade, you can have some of mine! :) Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with the world.

[@orangemoonglows2692]

thanks for recommending this catalog. had never heard of them. i was wanting to spread some seed this fall.

[@Neldidellavittoria]

I sowed a few lupins in autumn. Hoping to see them sprout soon!

[@jmom5735]

Sounds like your getting ready to become a beekeeper! 😁. I have had good luck with Prairie Moon, but yes the stratification needs are quite diverse and typically I haven’t seen good results (growth) until the second year - which is more , indeed, like Mother Nature. Patience is a Gardner’s virtue. ❤️🐝🐝

[@RADCOMJ1]

I want that catalogue and i dont even live in Colorado lol

[@YACABE]

Omg, thanks for this information. So well explained. I want to add native flowers to my garden and was mildly stressing out over how to start a flower bed.

[@juneshannon8074]

Wow, I’ve sure leant a lot today. Thanks Scott.

[@StormCaller5]

Great video, Scott. Thank you!

[@mancavegamingandgardening9901]

Each time that peacock moved I got scared, need one for my garden, would be 100X more effective than my decorative owl...he's been asleep on the job as evidenced by the thief birds and mice.

[@jblewis1975]

Enjoyable video as always, and thank you for telling us about Prairie Moon Nursery. I just purchased a bunch of native seeds!

[@tamarabonet9438]

This video makes me want to go and buy flower seeds, although at first I was overwhelmed until you said that many of them are easy to sow but require some time. I didn't know Fall was the best time to plant most of them!

[@lethalampkin8035]

Good luck finding seeds. Lowes & Home Depot do not hav any. Not yet anyway.

[@sejdherb]

Great video as allways. Thank you for sharing.

[@heidiclark6612]

I agree that seed is the best way to go. It's exciting to start some varieties of plants that you never would have tried before. Next year I am going to try starting Lisianthus from seed.I bought a native type of Asclepia last year. I was surprised to see it made it through the winter and grew all this year. It still has not flowered so maybe next year. I also started another type of Asclepia from seed and the seed needed 2 weeks of being in the frig. before I started it. I ended up with three plants that hopefully will flower next year.

[@terrypayne8953]

How can I get that catalog in Louisiana

[@SpiceyKy]

I've been doing exactly that. Thanks Sir!

[@drewsenthused6079]

Thanks for the video! I'm just starting my gardening journey, my first seeds have begun to sprout, peppers. Before these I'd been trying to get some bulbs, tubers, corms, and ryzhomes to pop up but the Phoenix desert doesn't make it easy. Cheers.

[@charlesmoody6425]

Thanks Oysterman. I appreciate your input

[@susandixen3664]

Thank you for this video, Gardener Scott. It’s reassuring to know that I’m ATTEMPTING to sow seeds in the fall, with proper expectations about germination in all. One thing I learned from my daughter’s 3rd grade science class during covid is that plants that put out hundreds of seeds do so for the fact that germination rate is low...Mother Nature is trying to increase her odds by increasing quantity! So I don’t get very disappointed if my seeds don’t always germinate. I just got some “balloon flower” seeds from my neighbor and came here to see if fall sowing was the best strategy for them - or even winter sowing in containers after the first frost. I think I’ll try both approaches and see what works best...unless you’d advise otherwise. 🤷‍♀️

[@susandixen3664]

I’m also going to look at Prairie Moon Nursery, Botanical Seeds, and others for seeds and sowing instructions! I want to grow native plants for pollinators and birds, etc as you described. I have lots of ground to cover, so seeds are the way to go for now!

[@GardenerScott]

I suggest you try both fall sowing and winter sowing. Fall sowing is easy and is the way Mother Nature does it, but, as you are expecting, germination rates can be low. Winter sowing gives you more control, and can hasten germination in Spring.

[@vegandolls]

ok you're my new garden guru- sounds like you live in a similar location to me - I just moved in too and have a lot of barren space. I'm just going to copy you, thanks

[@johnjude2685]

Sir, Again I'm seeing nature always finds a way. I did know some plants need to,dry out and some need different temperature , some.need to burn. Sir I to want a flower garden inside my veggie garden. Thanks for a new beginning of my flower garden, I do want come flowers and others Great learning in another of your videos Thanks

[@cynthiacisneros1694]

Ok, I will ❣️🥰

[@arsalaan86]

that peacock was creepy at 12:17 when it came up suddenly. helpful video anyways!

[@ddobrien1]

I just made the decision to grow more flowers next year so this video is perfect timing. I hope to see more videos about flowers! _I experimented this year with a few- it was the first time I ever grew non-edible plants from seed and I learned a little. Mostly I learned that I knew nothing at all about growing flowers from seed! 🤣 My Marigolds and Alyssums are awesome & just amazing but all other flowers I sprouted are still just leaves: Cosmos, Daisy Dukes. Early this Spring, I directly sowed Octoberfest Calendula in an old giant pot that has been growing Pineapple Crush Strawberries along with Field Mint & Lemon Balm for over a decade...and then it finally bloomed a dozen orange beauties or more but was quickly overtaken by White Powdery Mildew. It's now poppin' out new leaves after I cut it down low. I learned that I probably should include it in my Neem spray routine- was the only one in the entire garden to get the disease and I never sprayed any plants in that pot._

[@patpatrick7769]

Thanks!

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks, Pat!

[@lyndabuchholz1216]

I would love to have one of those peacock decorations in your garden. Do you have a link for it?

[@emptynestgardens9057]

I was admiring that too and wondered if Scott made it himself.

[@lyndabuchholz1216]

@@emptynestgardens9057 It sure is beautiful!

[@GardenerScott]

I don't. I found it at a pottery store outside Taos, NM.

[@lyndabuchholz1216]

@@GardenerScott My daughter lives in New Mexico so I may put her to work to see if she can find something like that. It is wonderful!!

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

they use peroxide on ancient seeds from egyptian tombs to make them germinate. This week looks like the perfect weather to transplant strawberries~

[@peterwong1231]

Great video Scott! Would winter sowing in milk jugs work?

[@GardenerScott]

Yes, it can and can produce seedlings for replanting in other spots.

[@mapofthesoultagme7143]

Do you know the conditions for white yarrow seeds to work if I sow them in fall? Would they bloom in 2023? There are many yarrows in the forest in my neighbourhood so I can pluck off some flower heads for seeds. My city has tons of cold winter, fall and spring days.

[@GardenerScott]

Yarrow needs exposure to cold temperatures so sowing in fall can work for spring germination. I started some from seed and had a few flowers in the first year and many in the second.

[@oldfarmshow]

👍

[@ohske]

👍👍👍👌

[@eastcoast4233]

I would have assumed the wildlife would immediately eat any green shoots?

[@ezyjack826]

enjoyed the video. I have some Black Eyed Susan seeds that I decided to try to stratify. to increase my chance of success I'm using two methods. the paper towel in the fridge is done. I also want to place some outside but I'm concerned because the temp is supposed to get up to the 50's this week, with nights as low as the teens. will this work or am I to late? ty for your guidance. 🙂

[@GardenerScott]

It may not be too late. I'm guessing the night temps will still be cold for awhile and that may be enough.

[@rital6930]

Where did you get the beautiful peacock lawn ornament?

[@GardenerScott]

I picked that up outside Taos, New Mexico, many years ago.

[@cecilleflowerfarm]

If you tells us what’s flower seeds can we plants now in fall that would be helpful!

[@GardenerScott]

It depends on where you live. The plants that work well in my Colorado garden may not be best for you. Check with local nurseries and other gardeners to find what grows best in your region.

[@valerieredhead7858]

I planted my wild flower seeds a cpl weeks to early. They started sprouting just before NY’s 1st frost. Will the come up in the spring or do I have to start all over

[@GardenerScott]

It depends on the plant. You can try adding more seeds without completely starting over.

[@susiefairchildlott2764]

I have plans to sow a HUGE amount of wildflower seeds to help keep weeds at bay. Will that work or do I need to do something about the weed seeds that I KNOW are in the ground?

[@GardenerScott]

The flowers should eventually shade out and dominate weeds. It's still a good idea to pull weeds when you recognize them until the wildflowers get established.

[@jennifer4bz953]

what are the pink and white flowers by the stone bench? 13:03

[@GardenerScott]

Those are Cosmos.

[@glissandofaery]

Gardner Scott, my seedlings keep dying. I’ve tried seed trays and biodegradable pots and they make it all the way to growing their second set of leaves and then they wither up and die! It’s heart breaking! I’ve even been using automatic watering systems so I don’t over-water them. What am I doing wrong???

[@GardenerScott]

Are you using a seed starter mix? Seed starting mixes do not have nutrients, so when the plants begin to set leaves they starve. The seedlings may need to be transplanted into a potting soil with compost or fertilizer. Problems with light, water, and temperature are also common reasons for plant failure. Even an automatic system can be overwatering.

[@charlesmoody6425]

It changed my wording. I want to know where I can buy comfrey plants for composting.

[@GardenerScott]

I did a Google search for where to buy comfrey and found many sites selling roots or seeds.

[@katsmith4365]

I agree that it helps to know what the plant looks like when it is young! But what do you do if you don’t know what it looks like when it is a seedling? I have this problem. Not knowing , do you wait to see if it is what you planted? Because that becomes a mess! I tried to find pictures from the internet but searching usually only shows an image of the mature plant. So where can you find images of what the flower/plant looks like as a seedling?

[@GardenerScott]

Kat, I often let seedlings grow until I can figure out the plant. If there are a lot of seedlings I'll thin them out to just a couple plants and let them grow to maturity if I'm not sure what it is. This is a long-term approach to becoming a better gardener. Over the years you'll see many of the same plants pop up each year and it becomes easier.

[@katsmith4365]

Thank you for replying! I had so many plants in my front bed, that I ended up weeding some flowers that I really wanted. I only realized this fact after I had moved a lot of flowers to different beds and the others were able grow. Next year I’m going to leave that bed alone to see what is growing before I interfere, well I’m going to try anyway.

[@lisagreen7499]

Is there a follow up video showing your results from this video?

[@GardenerScott]

Many of my videos this year show the flowers growing in that garden area.

[@lisagreen7499]

I thought you might have done a follow up video on your results. Thank you! Love your channel!

[@dreadreaanderson4818]

Hello i like that Peacock by you may i ask where you got it from i would love to get me one

[@GardenerScott]

I got it from a roadside store in New Mexico. I've seen them at some garden nurseries.

[@dreadreaanderson4818]

@@GardenerScott may i ask where abouts in New Mexico im from Gallup NM

[@GardenerScott]

It was between Santa Fe and Taos.

[@vanschermerhorn7167]

I couldn't understand the name of the seed company you used . Prairie ______ ____________ . Thank you It's pretty hot and dry in Texas

[@GardenerScott]

It's Prairie Moon Nursery.

[@ThisIsGoogle]

I am a dwarf. What should I do?

[@gabbyferreira4786]

Sensation lavender plant them now loves full sun and poor soil

[@charlesmoody6425]

Where can I buy comfrey plays to use compost

[@nseetin]

i ordered root cuttings on ebay. Russian comfrey. it looked like a baggy of woodchips when I got it, but now , a few moths later I have multiple giant plants and a steady supply of huge juicy leaves

[@oysterman2517]

google "where to buy comfrey bocking 14". You'll get root cuttings and it takes about 4-6 weeks for them to start growing. Cheers

[@GardenUPLandscape]

I'm always worried about my seeds getting eaten by rodents and birds over winter. A lot of our mice and voles will burrow under the snow and eat anything they can find, so spreading seeds in the fall is a bit of a risk. I was thinking of spreading some milkweed now in one area and then in another area next spring to see which yields better results. I'm actually filming that video right now for my channel - or at least I was, until the smoke index nearly reached 500 and I'm stuck inside all day :( ... I'll get back to it as soon as I can though.

[@GardenerScott]

I hope you can do your milkweed video. The results could be interesting.

[@GardenUPLandscape]

@@GardenerScott Thanks! I hope so too. I'm not sure if I'll post the video on harvesting the seeds this year or next, but I expect the results of the experiment will be next summer. I've been filming stuff for years getting ready to start a channel so I have a lot of content to post and I just need to get into the swing of when is the best time to post things so it's timely for the audience. That fall prep video posted a little earlier than it should have, but most of the stuff I film now takes a week or two to edit so it's late by the time it posts.

[@drhelenloney1426]

More people should grow what works well in their space, rather than force plants to grow in sub-optimal conditions. We learned that the hard way, by watching otherwise 'easy to grow' plants die almost immediately, or never germinate in the first place.

[@charlesmoody6425]

Thanks for the tip Nicholas. I appreciate it.

[@gabbyferreira4786]

Cone flowers you just throw the seeds where you want it,and black eye Susan, foxgloves they love poor soil

[@hannaolsson3445]

👍