LESSONS LEARNED for next year?!

Knock on wood...but I have never had a problem getting potting mix during the winter. Both Lowes and Home Depot stock it in the outside garden center in my area.

- Brent

I learned.... to save at least half of the seed you have for a plant to plant later... in case it doesn't work the first time around.

Donna

How can I have the worst of both worlds?

I can't get potting soil in Jan-Feb, and yet it never goes on sale (I've been checking and all the clerks say it never goes on sale: at Lowes, Sears, HomeDepot, WalMart.

Grrrrr.

I bought 5 64 quart bags at full price. Hope it's enough!

Szuy

If not - then it will be a lesson learned for next year :)

I just bought 3 bags of the organic miracle grow potting soil buy 2 get 1 free and 2 bags of miracle grow PS at 25 % off all at Home Depot in Toledo, Oh

Our Lowes & WalMarts here in Monroe Mi. has sales on it tooo... (not now but they did)

DH and I don't shop @ Sears anymore...

cg

And you can buy 1 cubic foot containers (about 30 quarts) of the MG Moisture Control Potting Mix at Ace Hardware, at 10.99. It's not on sale, but still seems like a better deal than the 8 quart bags. I recall reading that the mix is better than the "soil." You can order it on-line and they'll deliver it to a local hardware store, which makes it easy (if not cheap).

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1336987&cp=&origkw=miracle-gro&kw=miracle-gro&parentPage=search&searchId=18682171582

My lesson learned?

Don't sow so many Cherry Tomatoes!

Left to right, Black Cherry, Marcellino Hybrid, Green Grape and Pasture.

Donn, your cup (box) runneth over! LOL

Yeth, it doth. ;>)

And this is just this week's cherries. I also brought in 3-4 dozen slicers, and I still have a ton of greenies on the vines. I'll be rolling in 'maters until frost.

Donn, what do you do with the green ones? I know some people pickle them.

I'm going to start pinching blossoms on the Black Cherry plants, so no more fruit will set. Hopefully, I won't get stuck with too many greenies. We'll fry a few, but that's it. The rest will get composted.

Check your containers during the summer for late sprouters.

Yup. I've gotten a few Cyclamen sprouts in the past 2 weeks. The jug's been out there since January 3.

Donn,
I just checked and I see a few sprouts in my hardy cyclamen bottle too. Now what? They are small and we may get our first frost anytime now. Should I plant them in the soil now? Maybe keep the top half of the bottle over them for the winter?
Pam

Since it has not been mentioned on this thread...I found that the best way to make drainage holes in plastic containers was with a soldering iron. Not only was it easier than trying to cut slits with scissors or a utility knife, but it produced containers with more consistent drainage. Some of my containers did not drain well, but the ones with the soldering iron holes all drained just right. Now I just need to track down my soldering iron.

- Brent

What a great suggestion Brent -- thanks!

That's what I'm going to do Pam. I'll bury the whole jug in sandy soil, to the ground level inside the jug. Then I'll bury all but the top couple of inches in mulch.

I looked in the jug again today, and have half a dozen sprouts now. Great timing!

I don't have a soldering iron but a drill worked well. After cutting the bottle in half, I drilled down through the inside. Just keep it all on a piece of scrap wood.

Do you think gallon jugs and 2L bottles could be secured closed by using a hole punch or awl on 2 or 3 sides both top and bottom and using floral or jewelry wire or twist ties? I'm trying this for the first time this year and have been taking notes from all of your great advice and tips.

sounds like an excellent idea

I found that with 1 gallon jugs, I could cut 3 sides and leave 1 side attached. I had plenty of room to plant and I was never looking for a top that fit.

Thats good too! Even better actually, kinda like a flip top:)

I plan to use a lot of orange juice cartons only because my DH drinks so much oj! I'm not certain about how to cut it. Three sides to make a hinge and leave the little cap off. But what kind of tape would be good to use to close the cut sides once the seeds are sown? Any suggestions or horror stories about using orange juice containers ? (edit to say they're the 2 qt size)

This message was edited Oct 11, 2006 2:25 AM

Cordeledawg: are you talking about cardboard cartons or clear plastic jugs?

Karen

I would use duct tape - it held on tight all winter long regardless of the elements

Cardboard containers would not work.
I used aluminum tape which I heard about on DG. It came off well so I can reuse my containers.
Anita, Did the duct tape leave a mess?

no, but don't use alot. I made that mistake on a few of the first ones and it was touch getting it off.

Some people do use cardboard juice cartons. You just cut off the top and discard; then make a lid out of Saran wrap or other clear plastic bag.

Karen

What is aluminum tape?

I was thinking the same thing happy :o)

Comes on a roll same width as duct tape. Has an aluminum face and a tape back. They use it for duct work.

Thanks Darius, I didn't ask, but I definitely appreciate the answer. Will write that down in my log. ;0)

You can find it at a hardware store near the duct tape. It unsticks much cleaner.

Thanks Dave, will write that down too, in my log. ;0)

Thanks Darius & Dave, will have to pick some up and give it a try...
I love it, never knew I could learn so much when I joined DG :o)


Connie

OK. I caught the WS bug. Too hard to resist after reading all your posts. I'm going to try it for the first time. I'm thinking of putting some seeds directly into a large planter where I can leave some of them to grow up. Any advice about that? How to cover them, etc.
Also, I read on ws.org about using only ziploc baggies for the containers. I know it's not recycling, but I will only do a few. Does anyone have any baggie-only experience? Thanks.

Loretta

Can you use styrofoam cups for pots? For really tiny seeds could you start them in egg cartons and move them to a bigger pot later?

I would recommend a container that will hold at least 4" of soil.

I was talking about just to germinate them in the egg carton cups then move them to something bigger or would it disturb them too much. I was thinking about really tiny seeds. I was also talking about the styrofoam cups because I had read that pots needed to be sterilized and I figured that the stryofoam cups would be clean and they would be large enough but I didn't know if they would be bad to use for some other reason.

I guess you could, but I'm lazy and wouldn't want to bother with the transplanting. I used gallon water jugs and I didn't sterilize them. I had incredible germination rates and can't wait to try this method again.