Will you keep your milk jugs after WS ends?

What will you do with all the milk jugs/soda bottles you have collected for WS purposes after all the plants are into the gardens? I won't have storage room so I'll have to discard them and start collecting them again in early Fall.

I will be using mine again for at least two more sets of seeds I had hoped to have gotten 300 jugs, but after counting and starting to prepare them, I only had 129, and I've got over 300 seeds to sow this year.... so after the first round another cleaning and new seed soil...

After I do get done for the season the jugs will go to the recycle center and I'll start all over next year.

One thing that did help was having fellow garden club members saving jugs and giving to me. We only go through 2 gallon jugs every 2-3 weeks... so I would never have gotten enough.

Although, I'm thinking of stopping in the next few weeks at some of the coffee shops to see about getting theres, but then I'm a little worried about getting jugs that have old milk inside them... at least my club members washed their out before giving them to me... LOL

Janet

I have limited space too. I could store them inside my milk crates in the garage but DH will put up a big fuss I'm sure, like he did when I wanted to bring the potting mix in the house because it was too cold in garage to do it. Guess what, I waited until he had KRS and wasn't around to say anything about it. I also bought down at HD, one of those bright orange Homer buckets and bring only so much potting mix inside at a time, not the entire bag of MG..Still have a few perennials that I'd like to sow but would like to wait a few more weeks to WS the hardy annuals or annuals. Thanks for sharing.

I don't do quite as many jugs as y'all. I find I would gladly sow tons of jugs but then be pulling my hair out when I had to do something with the plants. I try not to overwhelm myself and then later "hate" gardening so I limit my wintersowing. I mainly sow vegies and herbs and a few less common flower seeds.

I toss the jugs and start collecting more late summer, early fall. I use gallon milk jugs (we use one a week) and gallon vinegar jugs. I use vinegar for cleaning and in the laundry rinsewater. I actually prefer the vinegar jugs for wintersowing they are sturdy and close, tape easier. May try to save them for next year.

Is there a reason you add vinegar to your rinse water when you wash clothes? "Curiosity killed the cat!" Hard water?

It works better than anything I've found to cut any soap residue and soften clothing. No vinegar smell left either.

yep, I have heard that about vinegar in laundry, think I remember my grandmother doing that, and don't know why I never have, might have to give that a try, especially in my shower as I only use my handmade soap and there is a lot of soap scum as we have very hard water....

thanks for bringing up that tip.

Janet

I love to rinse my hair in vinegar. Makes it shiny, squeaky clean but DH says it smells like a pickle. I can't see the downside as I like pickles... LOL

I found a few old jugs from last year that I reused. We'll see how they work, then I'll get back to you on whether or not I'll save them from this year. We have curbside recycling, so most of mine went into the recycling bin last year.

I've heard of it being used in laundry to cut the soap residue but not as a sotening agent. See, you're never too old to learn! I grew up in rural NC and the water was hard; we would use lemon juice in our rinse water when washing our hair to make it shine.

The soap residue in laundry is what makes clothing scratchy. All it does to help soften laundry is rinse it clean. I really notice it when I hang clothes outdoors.

Lemon juice is a stronger version of the acid that is in the vinegar. I'm probably not saying that right but it is a more concentrated strength. Our water leaves lots of mineral deposits and I soak shower heads, faucets in lemon juice as it works so well. I've heard of using it on hair too. Lemon is a favorite ~ makes my mouth water.

I use vinegar in my wash as the fabric softener, plus it helps gets clothes clean. I don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets regularly. If it's really dry outside, I'll throw half a dryer sheet in the wash.

I'll be recycling the gallon milk/water jugs as they're very plentiful and besides, I find them too large and a bit flimsy for my needs. Meanwhile I also use and plan to reuse some sturdier half-gal size juice jars which I accumulate (consume) at the rate of about 1 a week. By next ws season I should have about 60 or so. If i need more jugs, I'll supplement with the milk & water jugs.

When I was a teenager, my mother had to hid the vinegar because I loved it and if I could find it I would drink it. I live in Las Vegas and do not do a whole bunch of WS but I think I will try it next year. Great information. Thanks to DG and the people that stayed.

Vinegar then, Vodka now. LOL

I end up recycling my WS containers (usually around 50-70 ) rather than re-using them. Partly this is because I often have to cut them up to get the seedlings out--and partly because I have another "crop" of containers coming along so soon!

I will give mine back to the recycle center when I am done with them. To tell you truch the fun is in the collecting and then getting them ready for the WS. It gives me something to do to help with my spring fever.

My daughter will say to the kids if they are being fresh....." Do you want Vinegar?"
She would put her finger in it and then put in their mouths. They are ten now and they still will straighten up with the warning.

Amos

Thanks for the recycle reminder! I'm getting recycle points so tossing em still benefits me!
I just gotta find a better way 2 get those lovely drainage holes that I have come 2 love!
And, since ice made friends with my local Starbucks, replacements are no problem.
L

I kept mine last year, and used some to propagate cuttings. I also used them again this year for winter sowing. I'll keep them again.

I cut the tops off my jugs when the plants are done needing the protection and put the plants on a shelf till they get a more permanent place in the garden. So they are not reusable, besides they just take up too much space.

I've written on mine with a sharpie as to what goodies are in them. Odds are I won't plant all the same things next year.

Since I'll be WSing seeds for my fall plantout starting in June, I've decided to recycle the jugs I already have prepped. Only issue is getting the old writing off. That Sharpie marker IS quite permanent. I'm thinking a Brillo pad oughta do it. Bleach didn't make a dent!

an easy way to store your milk jugs for next year is to get a length of clothesline,
tie it on to a milk jug to be the base then thread the remainder on by the handle.. you can store a lot more in a smaller space if you hang them..



This message was edited Mar 10, 2010 11:06 AM

Linda, try rubbing alcohol.

Raven, brilliant idea!

I don't save them. I already have too much garden junk sitting around.

Karen

I think the hanging jug tree will be the way I go. Already have a small mountain sitting on top of my compost pile. Stringing the on a line out back I could actually lower them over the drop-off to the bayou and just hoist them back up in mid-June when I'll start WSing my seeds for the fall.

Geesh, these seasons sure do come around quickly! Already it's time to sow seeds for the fall!!!

My 2 cents worth.... I just put a 1" high number on all my jugs and containers with a paint pen and then have a page in my garden notebook listing each number with what is planted and pertinent information. I plan to keep my containers..

...didnt read the whole thread....

i pitch the use jugs, may reuse one or two for "summer sowing" for second yr blooming perennials... but not always.

Love Love Love vinegar in the wash, also for my hair but i use Apple cider Vinegar for that.
gets rid of all that yucky residue in my hair... did it last week and it was actually a lighter color!!
If i have a new swim suit, i also will rinse them to get rid of the chlorine.

oh, also baking soda in the wash... great for deodorizing.

My hair is lighter too... was it vinegar that made it grey? LOL

LOL.

I have the same problem as podster.

Karen

I've read... Lemon Juice for Blonds and Apple Cider Vinegar for brunettes.
My guess is that lemon lightens... I do recall using lemon juice when i sat in the sun as a teen -- i used to have blond hair.


I"ll drink vinegar, but not straight. Braggs -- he has a recipe for "cleansing" and stuff... where its diluted apple cider [with the mother] and a tad sweetener, i'll sometimes use agave - which is like a honey.

you really do get like a Vit B energy burst from the stuff. I really should do it more often.

**forgot to add.... DH hates when i use the vinegar on my hair... says i stink. I dont like pickles so i would not find that appealing

This message was edited Mar 15, 2010 12:44 PM

MsRobin..I've written down your tip/idea about numbering your milk jugs and hope I can find it when I go to start WS next year. Saves a lot of writing..I can only assume that you make up a mini-blind plant marker to place inside ?

I use plastic utensils as markers inside my jugs. TSC1366, what's a bathing suit - I have a vague memory? (I have gray hair some too, lol.)

Thanks, Pippi. It was one of my brighter ideas. lol It saved me a tremendous amount of writing. I did add a numbered mini-blind plant marker after I cut the top half completely off, until I could get them planted outside.

Hey Pippi, I was wondering if a person could use gallon water jugs for seeds, and if so, how do you prepare these jugs for planting seeds? It only takes me two or three days to drink a gallon jug of water.

roseycats
zone 5

roseycat....

any and pretty much all plastic containers can be used for WS. do your gal water jugs look like milk jugs?? if so, just slice them abotu 4-5 inches up, many of us cut above the bottom of the handle, -- cut all the way around with the exception of about 2 inches or so -- leaving that to act as a hinge.

pokes drainage holes in the bottom - fill with soil, dampen, add seeds, close the opening, stick out side.

HTH

Terese

rosey cat first of all Hi form a former daytonian.. I grew up in the belmont area..I miss it! what part of Dayton do you live in?? or are you in one fo the surrounding areas?

to get started check out the sticky at the top of the wintersowing forum .. it will tell you everything you need to know from containers to soil to use, to labeling suggestions
have fun!!

And, here's the link to yet ANOTHER seed starting system using PVC tubes. It's actually "Dah Bomb!" I think, because of its compactness and attractiveness, vs. the milk jugs and the Chia Pets. Although the Chia Pets do have their advantages in large scale plantings, I find this system appealing because:

1. I won't have space anymore to spread the milk jugs all over my (smaller) yard
2. My growing sunspot got seriously reduced in my (smaller) yard
3. I need to follow that sunspot in my (smaller) yard, and the PVC Tube tray would facilitate moving more seedlings in one fell swoop
4. I like the "neat-ness" of the PVC Tube tray vs. having milk jugs all over my (smaller) yard

Are ya'll catching my drift? Enjoy.

P.S. I've been cutting tubes as I watch TV with a handheld tube cutter. Here's a pic. It's quite easy, once you get the hang of it.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1067922/. Scroll down to the January 11, 2010, 02:19 PM post for the beginning of the tutorial on the PVC Tube Seed Starter Tray which includes step x step pictures. It is wonderful!



Linda ^^_^^

This message was edited Oct 15, 2010 9:46 AM