Winter Sowing Low Tunnel Setup for Seed Starting

Now that we’re almost into February, it’s time to start thinking about planting seeds for the next growing season. The first seeds that I’ll sow include my perennial flowers and my hardy annual flowers. Since I don’t have a big grow light setup, I’ll need to construct an unheated low tunnel specifically for seed starting using the winter sowing method.

The first step in the process is to spread plastic on the ground. Ideally, this would be a piece of my black landscape fabric. However, all of it is current in use in the garden. It may be a dark and dreary day right now, but conditions in the tunnel are perfect for growth. Without a base layer of plastic, the grass and weeds can quickly overtake the seed trays.

The next task is to arrange my conduit hoops. In the past, I’ve used pvc hoops. They worked very well, but I wanted something more permanent.

I’m sorry that there isn’t a picture for this step. I don’t know how I forgot to take one!

Next, I secured the plastic in place on the tunnel with the use of landscape fabric pins. This will make the process of opening and closing the tunnel super easy as I start my seeds outdoors.

People frequently ask what seed trays I use – technically, I think that these are for soil blockers. I simply place a piece of paper at the bottom of the tray and then fill it with my potting soil or seed starting mix. This way, the soil won’t fall through the holes.

Lastly, I plant my seeds. Make sure that the soil mix is nice and moist. Also, be certain to plant the seeds according to the package instructions. After the trays are all planted up, it’s time to slide them into the unheated low tunnel. When the time is right, the plants will begin to grow.