Planting flower seed in November/December is really easy. It is just like planting grass seed. Turn the area where you want to plant the seed carefully, and then rake the soil surface to flatten the area and remove all clumps of soil.
For April, May or June blooms, plant seed directly outdoors August-October. For June, July, August and/or September blooms, plant your seed outdoors March-June. Seedlings normally tolerate a light frost.
In Zones 6 and 7, you'll want to sow perennials in December, with annuals and biennials going in the ground or the greenhouses in late February or early March. Zones 8 and 9 don't tend to experience winters that are long or cold enough to make winter sowing count.
While you can plant a late planting to the first frost date, it's always best to allow as much growing time as possible. If you missed the spring planting, then calculate which vegetables you can grow now and still have a harvest before the first frost.
Fall is a perfect time to sow wildflower seeds. This timing follows the same approach as Mother Nature: wildflowers naturally drop their seeds in fall to take advantage of the freezing, thawing, and/or extra moisture that winter delivers.
Shorter days and cooler temperatures prolong the germination of the seed and its establishment. Establishment of the tender grass is a must for it to survive the winter. Grass that is seeded late can die as a result of the cold harsh conditions, or due to drying out.
Many perennials seeds can be sown right up to first frost. Veggies and other annual seeds need time to mature before first frost.
The general advice for gardeners is to get their crops in the ground by the end of June at the latest, but that doesn't mean you should give up hope now that it's July. There's some wiggle room for planting late in the season, depending on your hardiness zone and how strategic you are about what goes in the ground.
For many garden plants in fact, a soil temperature below 50°F can be a problem. With temperatures in the 40s, seeds will readily absorb water, but not start to grow. This creates an opportunity for disease and rot, which can result in damping-off or poor growth.
If the winter is not overly harsh, Calendula, Borage, and Marigolds will also do quite well. Many flowering perennials require an extended period of cold in order to germinate. Campfire Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Columbine, and Yarrow can all be winter-sown. Try Blazing Star or Anise Hyssop for vertical interest.
The seed lies dormant all winter and is ready to sprout the first chance it gets in the spring. Any gardener who has ever cursed an effusive self-seeding plant knows that some seeds do very well when left outside in the cold all winter.
Petunias, poppies and sunflowers have been recognised as some of the fastest growing flowers, taking only a fraction of the time to germinate and bloom compared to some of the more challenging plants.
Spread the seeds on newspapers, in a cardboard box, or in an old telephone directory, and allow them to dry between one and three weeks. Often seeds need to be separated from the chaff (the seed casings and debris).
Starting too soon can result in a weak, lanky plant, while starting too late can give you one that is just not ready for the outside world—both will struggle to survive!
If you're trying to decide how to plant annuals and perennials together, keep in mind that it can take up to a year before plants bloom when starting perennial flowers from seed.
A Simple Seed Starting Rule
Start seed 6 weeks before your last frost date. For annuals and perennials you can extend this to 8 weeks. Most seed germinates in 2 weeks, so this gives you 4-6 weeks of actual growing time before they go outside and that is adequate time for seedlings to put on enough growth to be outside.
Daisies are almost foolproof to grow. They can be planted in the spring, summer, or fall.
We dormant seed when the weather will be consistently cold, under 40 degrees. December and January are ideal. The cold weather allow for the seeds to lay dormant in the soil, waiting for temperatures to warm up, usually in late March.
While you can germinate certain seeds without soaking, your chances of success and the speed of germination can be greatly increased if you do. It can mean the difference between one or two seeds germinating or almost the whole batch when done correctly.
There are two ideal times of the year to overseed your lawn – fall and spring. Fall is the best choice. The soil is still warm which means the seed will germinate faster. Also, weed growth tapers off after summer, so your new grass won't have to compete for sunshine, water, and nutrients.
Fall planting will be much easier, so you should aim for getting your seed down late in the season, but before the ground freezes entirely.