There’s one way to grow plants right now that actually works better the colder it gets.

It’s simple to make mini “greenhouses” with household materials like clear plastic baggies, food containers or gallon jugs where seeds can grow through the winter.

Called winter sowing, it’s a way to start plants in the cold months that will prepare them to thrive in spring.

You can gather the materials you need around your kitchen without added expense, and the seedlings it produces are cold-hardy, ready to grow outside and can be started without lights, heat trays or other expensive equipment.

Some gardeners have also found that the method gives them a higher germination rate for their seeds and that the seedlings are less likely to be leggy. To get the timing right, many use the solstice as a starting date for winter sowing. This year, that’s Saturday, Dec. 21.

The method was developed by New York gardener Trudi Davidoff almost 25 years ago. There are now Facebook groups dedicated to education about winter sowing and numerous webinars with detailed guides.

The process varies a bit based on who you ask and what plants you’re trying. But, basically, you’ll start by poking drainage holes in the bottom of your milk jug or plastic container and air holes in the top half. One way to do this is with a heated screwdriver to burn through the plastic. Cut gallon containers mostly in half, leaving a small part connected like a hinge.

Fill it with 3 or 4 inches of soil, moisten it and sow your seeds. Tape the tops of the containers down. Leave them outside and wait until the seedlings have a few leaves and are ready to transplant.

You can do a similar process with slightly opened plastic baggies held up by dowel rods as well, and there are online gardening pages dedicated just to that method too.

Winter sowing is best suited to hardier vegetables; it can work with most greens, beets, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, peppers and squash, perennial plants, herbs, shrubs and trees.

This method can work particularly well for wildflower or other native plant seeds that need stratification, or a period of cold weather, before they’re ready to germinate. Research how long the types you’re interested in will take to be ready for planting.

Varieties with longer germination periods or more cold-hardiness should be started soon. Seeds that mature faster can be started in late winter or early spring depending on your growing zone.

Members of Maine’s congressional delegation spent much of Thursday watching closely for details on a new federal spending plan after President-elect Donald Trump derailed an earlier proposal in a move that threatened to result in a government shutdown.

Three of Maine’s four representatives — Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Angus King. and Rep. Chellie Pingree — were preparing to support the deal to fund the federal government through mid-March when Trump intervened and urged Republicans earlier this week to reject it.

Rep. Jared Golden had planned to vote against the deal over his opposition to pay raises and a change in health care benefits for members of Congress that he said would have the federal government pick up more of the cost of members’ health care premiums.

On Thursday evening, the House rejected Trump’s new plan to fund federal operations and suspend the debt ceiling a day before a government shutdown, as Democrats refused to accommodate his sudden demands and the quick fix cobbled together by Republican leaders.

“Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal for the American People,” Trump said in a statement posted on the social media platform Truth Social. “The newly agreed to American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the Government open, fund our Great Farmers and others, and provide relief for those severely impacted by the devastating hurricanes.”

Here’s where Maine’s Congressional delegation stood on the negotiations as of Thursday afternoon:

Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, said this week that she was planning to support the original continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government through mid-March. In a written statement Thursday, she said she was hoping to avoid a government shutdown since it could have negative consequences across government.

Shutdowns can disrupt everything from air travel to the ability of older Americans to apply for Social Security benefits to pay for members of the military and other essential federal employees, Collins said.

“In fact, government shutdowns actually cost taxpayers money by increasing the cost of short-term borrowing by the government and by adversely affecting the entire economy,” Collins said.  “As we await the House’s deliberations, I am continuing to work with my colleagues to find a path forward to fund the government ahead of Friday’s midnight deadline.”

Sen. Angus King, an independent, told reporters on Wednesday that he also had planned to support the original plan and said there is “no excuse” to shut down the government.

pingree

King also said he was hoping lawmakers in the House wouldn’t enforce a rule that says they don’t vote on anything until it has been in their possession for 72 hours, to avoid votes going into the weekend.

“The question is, are they going to enforce that rule, or will they move forward so that we can avoid the shutdown that would occur on Friday night?” King said. “But, I am hoping that reasonableness will prevail, and we’ll get this thing done before Friday night.”

A spokesperson for King said early Thursday afternoon that it would be hard to discuss the latest plans because everything was changing very rapidly amid the negotiations.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, announced Wednesday that he planned to vote against the funding plan that was before lawmakers earlier this week because he is opposed to a $6,600 raise for members of Congress for a 3.8% cost-of-living adjustment. The adjustment would bring annual salaries to just over $180,000.

Golden was also opposed to a provision that would allow members to purchase health insurance through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, rather than the Affordable Care Act exchange, a move he said would result in the federal government funding larger shares of members’ health insurance premiums at the expense of taxpayers.

“I think it would be wrong of Congress to vote to give itself a pay raise and lower our health care costs at a time when the inverse may be true for many Americans,” Golden said in an interview Thursday.

He said he would continue to oppose any new plan if it continued to include those measures. “Sometimes there are things that are just so egregiously out of step with the values that this institution should represent and with what I think the American people would view as right versus very clearly wrong, that it’s worth being a ‘no,’” Golden said.

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, said in a written statement Thursday that she had been preparing to vote in favor of the original funding package to make sure the government remained open and that critical programs would not be interrupted.

“From the devastating storms in Maine last winter, hurricanes in the Southeast, and wildfires in the West, natural disasters have devastated countless communities,” Pingree said. “That package would have delivered billions — including $325 million for Maine — in essential relief to help families rebuild their homes, restore local economies, and fortify critical infrastructure, as well as assistance for our farmers.”

In her work as ranking member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Pingree said she was happy to see the bill include $2.26 billion for the National Park Service to address storm damage at impacted parks around the country, including Acadia National Park and $14 million that would have helped Maine address the spread of the invasive spruce budworm.

“But it took less than 24 hours for Republicans to kill their own bill at Trump’s order and concede to the online rantings of Elon Musk,” Pingree said.

“Now, just days before Christmas, Congress is left scrambling down to the wire to avoid a government shutdown. It’s my hope we can come to a bipartisan agreement — that includes this crucial funding for Maine communities and farmers — before it’s too late.”

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