Over 150 Species for Fall Sowing

In the fall, while most gardeners put away their tools and close up their gardens for the winter, nature continues its work. Wilted flowers drop their seeds, which settle on the ground before the frost. They spend the long cold months under the snow, dormant, patiently waiting for spring to return so they can sprout. This is exactly the principle behind dormant sowing: a simple and natural way to sow seeds in the fall.

What Is Fall Sowing

Fall sowing involves sowing seeds when the soil is cold but not yet frozen, which prevents the seeds from germinating immediately. They “sleep” under the snow, protected from temperature fluctuations. When spring returns, they wake up on their own, at exactly the right time, when the temperature and humidity are favorable.

Advantages

This method has several advantages. First, it saves a lot of time in the spring, since everything is already in place. As soon as the weather warms up, germination begins effortlessly.

For seeds that require a period of vernalization, fall sowing mimics the natural cycle of plants. Instead of stratifying seeds in the refrigerator, we let winter do the work. Seedlings from fall sowing are often more robust, better adapted to variable conditions, and less prone to damping off. And there’s no need for artificial lighting, plastic trays, or potting soil. Everything is done outdoors, at nature’s pace.

How To

The method is very simple. First, prepare the plot in advance: weed, lightly aerate the soil, and add a little compost if necessary. When the time comes, sow as you would in spring, either broadcast or in rows, then cover with a thin layer of soil or compost. A thin layer of shredded leaves or straw helps protect the seeds from birds and temperature fluctuations. In the spring, all you have to do is wait for nature to do its work. The seeds will germinate on their own as soon as the conditions are right, and you’ll just need to thin out or transplant the young plants as needed.

The Right Seed at the Right Time

Success depends mainly on timing. You need to sow late enough to prevent the seeds from germinating before winter, but before the ground is completely frozen. In general, aim for late October or November, sometimes early December in southern Canada. The soil should be cold to the touch—around 4°C (40°F) or less—but still loose. If you sow too early, a warm spell could cause the seeds to germinate, and the subsequent cold would kill them. If you wait too long, the soil hardens and it becomes impossible to sow. It’s best to keep an eye on the weather and take advantage of the short window between the last warm spell and the real winter freeze.

Not all plants are suitable for dormant sowing, but many tolerate it very well, especially those whose seeds are naturally programmed to survive the winter. This is the case for many annuals, several biennials, a wide variety of hardy perennials and native plants, as well as certain herbs and cold-season vegetables. Seeds of heat-sensitive plants, on the other hand, do not survive this method: they are too fragile and may rot before spring or not have time to mature before germinating too late.

Here are some species of annuals, biennials, perennials, herbs, and vegetables that can be sown in the Fall:

Annuals

1. African Daisy (Arctotis × hybrida, syn. Venidium)
2. Annual Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella)
3. Annual Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria and others)
4. Annual Flax (Linum grandiflorum, L. usitatissimum and others)
5. Annual Helenium (Helenium amarum)
6. Annual Lavatera (Lavatera trimestris)
7. Annual Phlox (Phlox drummondii)
8. Apple-of-Peru (Nicandra physaloides)
9. Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis)
10. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
11. Chinese Forget-me-not (Cynoglossum amabile)
12. Clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata, syn. C. elegans)
13. Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas and P. commutatum)
14. Corncockle (Agrostemma githago and others)
15. Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus and others)
16. Cosmidium (Cosmidium burridgeanum)
17. Datura / Devil’s Trumpet (Datura metel, D. stramonium and others)
18. Elegant Baby’s-breath (Gypsophila elegans)
19. Larkspur (Consolida ambigua, C. regalis, syn. Delphinium)
20. Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena and others)
21. Low Baby’s-breath (Gypsophila muralis)
22. Mexican Tulip Poppy (Hunnemannia fumariifolia)
23. Moss Rose / Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora)
24. Nemophila / Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila spp.)
25. Painted Sage (Salvia viridis, syn. S. horminum)
26. Pansy (Viola × wittrockiana)
27. Phacelia (Phacelia campanularia, P. tanacetifolia and others)
28. Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis)
29. Prince’s Feather (Persicaria orientalis, syn. Polygonum orientale)
30. Snow-on-the-Mountain (Euphorbia marginata)
31. Spider Flower (Cleome hasslerana and others)
32. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus and others)
33. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
34. Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)
35. Sweet Scabious (Scabiosa atropurpurea)
36. Tall Verbena (Verbena bonariensis)
37. Toadflax (Linaria reticulata, L. maroccana, etc.)
38. Virginia Stock (Malcolmia maritima)
39. Winged Everlasting (Ammobium alatum)

Biennials

1. Chinese Delphinium (Delphinium grandiflorum, syn. D. chinensis)
2. Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)
3. English Daisy (Bellis perennis)
4. Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica and others)
5. Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
6. Iceland Poppy (Papaver nudicaule)
7. Mullein (Verbascum bombyciferum, V. olympicum, etc.)
8. Scotch Thistle (Onopordum acanthium)
9. Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)

Perennials

1. Agastache (Agastache foeniculum and others)
2. Aster (Aster spp., syn. Symphyotrichum, Eurybia, and others)
3. Astilbe (Astilbe spp.)
4. Aubrieta (Aubrieta spp.)
5. Avens (Geum spp.)
6. Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorum)
7. Basket-of-Gold (Aurinia saxatilis, syn. Alyssum saxatile)
8. Bellflower (Campanula spp.)
9. Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia and others)
10. Blazing Star (Liatris spicata and others)
11. Blue Daisy (Jasione laevis, syn. J. perennis)
12. Blue Fescue (Festuca ovina glauca and others)
13. Blue Poppy (Meconopsis betonicifolia and others)
14. Blue Star (Amsonia spp.)
15. Campion (Silene spp.)
16. Catmint (Nepeta × faassenii and others)
17. Caucasian Scabious (Scabiosa caucasica)
18. Cinquefoil (Potentilla spp.)
19. Clematis (Clematis spp.)
20. Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
21. Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.)
22. Coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora, C. lanceolata, and others)
23. Corydalis (Corydalis spp.)
24. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum, T. praecox, and others)
25. Cupid’s Dart (Catananche caerulea)
26. Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
27. Delphinium (Delphinium × elatum, syn. D. × cultorum)
28. Dyer’s Chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria)
29. Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum)
30. Elecampane (Inula spp.)
31. Evening Primrose (Oenothera spp.)
32. Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolius)
33. False Indigo (Baptisia spp.)
34. False Lupine (Thermopsis villosa and others)
35. False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
36. Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium, syn. Matricaria parthenium, Chrysanthemum parthenium)
37. Garden Pink (Dianthus plumarius and hybrids)
38. Gentian (Gentiana septemfida, G. acaulis, and others)
39. Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro and others)
40. Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus and others)
41. Hardy Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum × grandiflorum, syn. Dendranthema × grandiflorum)
42. Hardy Geranium (Geranium spp.)
43. Hardy Gloxinia (Incarvillea delavayi and others)
44. Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum spp.)
45. Hosta (Hosta spp.)
46. Iris (Iris spp.)
47. Italian Alkanet (Anchusa azurea and others)
48. Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum, P. reptans, etc.)
49. Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis tuberosa)
50. Knautia (Knautia macedonica, K. arvensis, etc.)
51. Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
52. Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina, syn. S. lanata)
53. Leopard’s Bane (Doronicum spp.)
54. Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis, L. siphilitica, and others)
55. Maiden Pink (Dianthus deltoides, D. gratianopolitanus, and others)
56. Maltese Cross (Lychnis chalcedonica, L. × arkwrightii)
57. Masterwort (Astrantia major and others)
58. Meadow Rue (Thalictrum spp.)
59. Meadow Sage (Salvia × superba, S. nemorosa)
60. Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)
61. Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)
62. Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale, P. bracteatum, and others)
63. Painted Daisy (Tanacetum coccineum, syn. Pyrethrum coccineum, Chrysanthemum coccineum)
64. Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris and others, syn. Anemone pulsatilla)
65. Perennial Cornflower (Centaurea montana, C. macrocephala, and others)
66. Perennial Mallow (Lavatera thuringiaca, L. cachemeriana, etc.)
67. Perennial Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus and others)
68. Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera, R. pinnata, and others)
69. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
70. Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber)
71. Rock Cress (Arabis caucasica and others)
72. Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria)
73. Saxifrage (Saxifraga spp.)
74. Sea Holly (Eryngium alpinum, E. planum, and others)
75. Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima and others)
76. Self-Heal (Prunella grandiflora and others)
77. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum, syn. Chrysanthemum maximum)
78. Sneezeweed (Helenium spp.)
79. Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides and others)
80. Speedwell (Veronica spp.)
81. Spiderwort (Tradescantia × andersoniana, T. ohioensis)
82. Spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites, E. polychroma, etc.)
83. Stonecrop (Sedum spp.)
84. Tangerine Poppy (Papaver rupifragum)
85. Tufted Pansy (Viola cornuta, V. tricolor, and others)
86. Turtlehead (Chelone glabra and others)
87. Yarrow (Achillea spp.)

Herbs

1. Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea)
2. Borage (Borago officinalis)
3. Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
4. Dill (Anethum graveolens)
5. Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)
6. German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita, syn. Matricaria chamomilla)
7. Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
8. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
9. Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
10. Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Vegetables

1. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
2. Beet (Beta vulgaris)
3. Broad Bean or Fava Bean (Vicia faba)
4. Carrot (Daucus carota)
5. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
6. Onion / Chives (Allium cepa, A. schoenoprasum)
7. Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
8. Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
9. Pea (Pisum sativum)
10. Radish (Raphanus sativus)
11. Rutabaga (Brassica napus)
12. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
13. Turnip (Brassica rapa)