Let's talk containers...post yours here

Linda, I was thinking of similar pots with a paper towel in the bottom - haven't tried it, though. I could see it, though! Problem is, every time it thaws enough to get out the front, it's too muddy for the wheelchair to get around in the yard and I'm pretty much limited to whatever I can reach on the patio. Of course, I didn't take this into account when I wasn't clearing up last fall.

xx, Carrie

I have some pots that I plant in every year for the porch, etc,. Why can't I just get the soil in the pot, put a couple inches of seed starter on top , put my seeds in and put plastic over it like I do all the others. I'd put quite a few seeds, but could cull and transplant when they come up.

I love container planting too, so I have a lot of pots. It would save having to transplant after they germinate.

Zone 8b, deep East, TX on Lake Sam Rayburn

Thanks for many good suggestions.

Remember, our Company motto, "work smarter, not harder?"

I will plant seeds in nursery pots and then burry them up to the rim in the ground. Finely shredded pine bark mulch placed on top of seeds works for me:

no transplanting to disturb, or stress fragile roots
no special watering (let Mother Nature do that)
no damping off
plants will mature in designated location
eliminates unused, empty nursery pots cluttering potting area
pots can be used many times each new winter season
roots grow through pot holes then into the ground for a healther root system.
less weeding
if necessary, can be mowed over until seedling comes up
I realize this may only work in my Zone 8b
Thanks to all for your input of great ideas.
Happy Sowing!

You have unused, empty nursery pots????? I want 'em!

carrielamont I used the newspaper on the bottom of those plastic pots that the grapes came in and it worked good , held the soil in place. It will pack I would think and I won't mess with them until ready for planting , other then peeking in them , lol. can't wait tell I see green.

Bless your heart gardening even in a wheelchair. Do you have raised beds in your yard ? I think we all should work our gardens for easy access just incase of health and injuries. If I have to drag my body to the garden I will, trowel in hand and packet of seeds . If theres a will theres a way and gardeners sure have the will !!!!!!

Thank you, Linda. Yes, what you're thinking of is called UNIVERSAL ACCESS and is a wonderful practice. There is usually a continuum between full, healthy, I-can-do-anything ability and death, and most of us will experience some degree of disability along the spectrum along the way. But short of paving over my entire yard, there's not much i can do about the mud between the frozen snowy and the grassy (or crab-grassy) summer. Well, I could cover the "yard" with thyme, chamomile, phlox subulata, and other creepy things ....

Sudie, tell me more about your plan / system. If the plant grows its own roots in place through the nursery pot, how do you then re-use the pot?

xx, Carrie

Thyme is not creepy! I love it lol

I sure agree. I would be crawling to get in there. I have a disabled back so gardening is really a no no, but what are you gonna do. Not quite ready to give up stuff I love, so I figure out some way to do what I want.( I look like Frankenstein, pulling one leg behind me, but my seeds got planted ) Usually I just wait till I can't walk and have to call someone to come help me. That's figuring it out huh.

Gosh dang it LorraineR, I did not know. You are a true gardener, thats for sure. Hey calling for help is good, that way your teaching as you go.

Hats off to you all that have the extra challenges to contend with and have your gardens , your an inspiration : ), hugs

You-all DID see cathy's article about this, sorta, right?
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/276/

And then when the hubbub dies down, I'm going to do one about gardening from a wheelchair.

xx, Carrie

I don't think inspriation is the word. Maybe stupid!!! (Me anyway)
If I just wouldn't try to stay out there all day, I'd be fine. I don't know much about balance, it's all or not. If I'm going to move compost, I can't just move one bucket or so, I've got to move the whole stinkin compost pile.
So everyone else is an inspriration, I'm just a dummy!

Even my little 3 year old twin grandkids see me and say "What doin' Nanny, you ok, we help you" Poor babies

I agree Lorraine - NOT that you're stupid, but that we don't do it to be inspirational, we just do it to get our gardens done!

(And I do feel pretty stupid when my wheelchair and I fall off the edge of my patio.)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/disabled/all/

xx, Carrie

Oh no, the worst I've done is fall into my c ompost pile because I have a problem with that. If I bend down, I go over sometimes!!
I stilll smell mulch.

I can see you there with your wheelchair and you laying there, an;d you're saying "come on, help me up, I got seeds to plant"

No, I'm still in the wheelchair, and two wheels are on the patio, and two are off! If I move a muscle I will fall out, which would be bad. So I'm in the wheelchair trying not to twitch, trying to reach the cell phone (without twitching) and still trying to reach whatever dumb little thing it was I just had to have that got me in this predicament in the first place!

I usually only fall out if I go over an unexpected bump really fast (driving too fast for existing conditions)! Then i keep going forward and the chair doesn't!

But don't worry, because they don't trust me alone very often now . . . big grin.

x, Carrie

I was going to ask if they trusted you to be alone. I know all about that. One day I was out working and I guess I got too hot cause my face was red, etc.
A few minutes later I was in a bubble bath being pampered. So I guess I know now how to get pampered heh heh
Usually everyone just shakes their head and says "You know you're gonna die, right?

Hey, grampapa,

I have a small question about your set up--

How does the rain get in to water your seedlings?

tabasco...holes drilled in the top of the bin. I don't think they'll need any watering until I cut the tops off the bags. until then they are like a mini green house. if they look like they are getting dry, I'll have to open the bags sooner. like I said...experiment.

carrie, can we change creepy to creeping? I have visions of a horror movie, the things are engulfing your wheelchair. at least it wouldn't tip over anymore LOL

DH and I have walkie-talkies. he MAKES me take one when I go outside because I've been known to tip over. I'm not sure what he thinks he's going to do about it because he's in a wheelchair and we don't have creepy groundcover either LOL. Kinsman catalog has a gardener's walking stick that has a 36" rule marked on it and also a dibble on the end. I'm getting it for my b'day

edit to add some stuff

This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 7:30 AM

OK...how about this? I'm ordering some cowpots from the co-op to use for those things that don't like their roots disturbed. instead of germ mix in the bags, I use a 4" cow pot? the bag will keep it from drying out.

here's what a cow pot is

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/811210/

link to the co-op for ordering cases of 3" & 4" cow pots or by 100's

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/811970/

link to the co-op for ordering smaller amounts of cow pots - multiples of 25

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/811442/

OH -- I think those Cow Pots are a GREAT idea..... I just can't see spending the cash
I checked out the Co-Op and I'd probably drop $50.

gram: What are you worried about transplanting? I've not had transplant problems with any of those things rumored to be an issue. I've done poppies, nasties, lupines, many of those which are supposed to resent transplant. Since we transplant our WS seedlings when so small, the taproot hasn't hardly formed yet, and there's no problem. I plant everything in jugs.

Karen

I hadn't thought about using those cow-pots in a bin but that seems like a pretty good container for inside the bins...of course, this "cow-pot/bin" set-up is getting to be the 'BMW' of set-ups for Wintersowing...we're getting a bit away from using 'found' materials...!

Here's my bin set-up so far...I've snapped lids (drilled with holes) on all of them. Plan to do more today.

well, the cow pots are made with materials we'd rather not find LOL

tabasco, the bins look cool. is there only one kind of plant in each?

karen, I'm afraid I won't get all my plants out until some tap roots start to develop

gram: I found a photo from 2006 showing lupine which was past when I would normally plant out. Having been sick, I was way behind. You can see the taproot. They were sown in a milk jug, transplanted fine.

Those lupine were beautiful in bloom early last summer. Disgusted with the heat and drought, they looked as hot and fried as I felt out there, so I composted them. My new gardening rule, if it doesn't measure up in my garden, out with it! It can easily be replaced with something else.

Karen

kqcrna--you're pretty tough! I always try to baby unsuited plants along, although I have to say lupines would be a long shot in our sultry climate. So too bad--they are so lovely elsewhere...

grampapa--I plant two varieties in each bin--usually things that have similar germination needs, etc. Can't think right now what I have in those bins... I bought those bins at Lowes--a group of 5 of different sizes was $11. I looked all over for clear lidded bins. Now I see home depot has some Rubber Maid ones--more expensive, though, and that I don't like-- although probably better made than mine.

I'm going to try the cow-pot thingies in a bin. You're right. Wouldn't want to 'find' them, would we?!!

I just ordered a bunch of seeds from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Catalog. I love that catalog. Such nice writing. http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com/ And I love their ideas for 'Collections'...

In 2006 I used vented aluminum baking pans with vented plastic bags for covers. Worked our pretty well but my kids chided me for the messiness (as if they are neat!!)...

This is my first year wintersowing and I have a question. I was thinking of starting my tomatoes in individual 2 liter soda bottles and just adding potting soil/starter mix to the top as the tomato gets taller, that way more roots will form on the newly embedded stalk. Any ideas??? I need some ideas from you more experienced folk. Thanks Pam

tabasco: I used to baby my plants like you wouldn't believe, but no more. With wintersowing it's just so easy to grow something better suited to my climate, soil, etc.

Messy containers??? No such thing. My jugs are cute! (so to speak). Today, they're buried in an inch of ice.

Karen

Hi, Pam--don't have much experience with wintersowing tomatoes but your plan seem sound as long as your tomato seedlings don't get nipped by frost from germination too early in the springtime. Here's a link that might give you more ideas...

http://wintersown.org/wseo1/Tomatoes.html

kqcrna, your containers look so well organized--how many seeds do you plant per milk jug? A whole pack or do you lighten the distribution?

Most of my seeds, by far, are those I've saved or gotten in trades. I sow a lot per milk jug, and most of the time they do grow like chia pets, thinker than our lawn. With my own seeds, I often have a lot of them, so why skimp? I sprinkle tiny ones on the surface. At plant out time, I usually hack up the jug and slide the whole blob into a flat. Then I cut them into chucks with a knife, like a pan of brownies, and plant hunks. This works really well, and goes much faster. Last year,hot, tired, out of patience and about out of spots of dirt to plant in, I dug the whole blob of campanula seedlings (gallon jug size) into one big hole.

With larger, easy to handle seeds, like zinnias or nasturtuims, I space the seeds more reasonably, like an inch apart, and plant out single seedlings.

Karen

Ah, just wondered---sounds much like my approach, too...

Grampapa,

I went out and bought two clear rubbermaid containers around Christmas just for winter sowing. I am glad someone else is trying it as well! I have fallen behind because of classes this semester. Hopefully, I can get the majority of my stuff sowed this weekend! Unfortunately, I think my husband threw out the milk jugs I was collecting! What to do?

Carrie

Dear tabasco,

Thanks for the reply, I guess it is a little early to sow veggies like tomatoes & peppers. I'll just keep saving soda bottles for a while first. Thanks again. Pam

Hey, Carrie, it's me, Carrie!

If you have the clear Rubbermaid pert all you really need is the subdivisions, right? People throw out my milk jugs all the time. I hide them in green garbage bags labeled "summer clothes" sometimes, and other times I resort to using whatever containers I can find... Or drive around to a different neighborhood who is about to have trash pick-up or recycling pick-up day and see what you can scrounge. Try the trash of a movie theater which has those huge soda cups? (I think I'm getting a funny smell in my nose . . . don't get too creative.)

Or, you could try the as-yet-untested brown-paper-lunch-bag idea. I'm imagining they would dissolve on the bottom so much that you'd have to plant them out with a pancake turner or something. . .?

x, Carrie

I'm thinking of using the large peat pots or cow pots in the large clear rubbermaid bins along with scrounged containers...

Something along these lines-- http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/products.asp?dept=1109&gclid=CNmtpMPGwZECFQspFQod7nvgCA

But I'll get them at Home Depot or Lowe's and not pay the shipping...

Cabrlamo, have you thought about an armed guard. Can't you just see someone trying to open a cabinet and a big old guard there? ha, ha. I get so few milk jugs, I practically sleep with them.

I grabbed this lil snippets from the Lessons Learned #1 thread, regarding various containers.

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Brent_In_NoVa Sterling, VA (Zone 6b) said:

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
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Dave47 Guilford, CT (Zone 6a) said:

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.

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dmac085 Greensboro, NC (Zone 7a) said:

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.

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Cordeledawg Cordele, GA (Zone 8a) said:

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)
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kqcrna Cincinnati, OH (Zone 6a) said:

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.

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lorettamar Southold, NY (Zone 7a)

OK. I caught the WS bug. 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 about using only ziploc baggies for the containers. Does anyone have any baggie-only experience? Thanks.

Loretta

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Mobi Denver, CO (Zone 6a)

Two litre soda pop containers work well too. Just cut in half and If you cut a slit in the upper half it can fit snugly inside the bottom and I have no need to use tape for these.
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Dave47 Guilford, CT (Zone 6a)

Container wise, if you use pots you have to make tops for them. If you cover the entire top, you are going to have to water. That is why milk jugs and 2 litre soda bottles work so well. When you leave the top off you allow for air and for rain to get through.
Don't forget drainage holes in the bottom too.

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And here's some good tips from the Lessons learned #2 thread

alyrics, Beachwood, OH said:

I have to say - prefer cardboard ice cream cartons to the plastic milk jugs. A Breyers type container works well - easier to punch holes in the bottom. I cut the center out of the lid and use a piece of plastic wrap with holes in it to water the seedlings. The container is deep enough and you can easily see in, and lets sunlight in. And you can easily open and close them. I had a heck of a time with too few holes in the plastic jugs making the soil soggy. And making the holes was difficult and I didn't want to go out and buy a hot tool to do it.
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happy_macomb, Chevy Chase, MD, (Zone 7a) asked:

alyrics: Just want to be sure what you meant when you wrote: "I had a heck of a time with too few holes in the plastic jugs making the soil soggy."

alyrics, Beachwood, OH said:

HI Happy
I punched maybe 8 holes in the bottom of my plastic milk jugs and I used new Pro-Mix potting soil. I found that the soil didn't drain well in those jugs and the seedlings seemed overly wet so didn't develop good root systems.
Maybe it was the Pro-Mix, maybe it was poor drainage from the jugs. Not sure. Overly dry was not the problem - overly wet was the issue.

I think I liked being able to see my seedlings through the plastic wrap over the ice cream cartons. Its easy to replace also if you need to - but I did not.

I thought maybe the ice cream cartons would collapse by the spring but that didn't happen. Gee I sure sound pro- ice cream - but that can't be all bad.
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kbaumle, Northwest, OH, (Zone 5b) said:

I used soil from my garden and poked eight holes in the bottom of my milk jugs with an ice pick and the drainage was perfect in relation to the rain/snow we got.
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dmac085, Greensboro, NC, (Zone 7a) said:

I just got my hot pink duck tape and am going to try the paint markers I got from the Eon plant marker co-op and spray them with some clear spray paint before I start filling them. It's worth a shot anyhow=) I also have some leftover screen from replacing the front door screen so if I get carried away making the drainage holes too large I can just pop a piece of screen in the bottom to keep the soil in.
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kqcrna , Cincinnati, OH, (Zone 6a) said:

Or you can stick a little piece of duct tape over the holes.
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Karen

Dave47, Guilford, CT, (Zone 6a)

I used soda bottles and used a drill to make drainage holes.
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zenpotter, Minneapolis, MN, (Zone 4b) said:

I just want to say as a for warning. If anyone decides that it would be a good idea to use a wood burning tool or other form of heat to melt holes into the plastic. DON'T. When the plastic burns it give off toxic fumes, your lungs will not like that at all, they may even be damaged.
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debnes_dfw_tx, Fort Worth, TX, (Zone 8a) said:

I use a dremel to make holes..

As far as WSing, I have been using a few methods.
One is making flats of peat pots inside of foil roasting pans with slits on bottom and top. These flats are numered and documented on a tablet, each flat is also marked with little bamboo picks written on in pencil.

Then I am also using the baggie method...About 15 bags here, marked with name of plant, and dated. These are in my little pop-up GH for stratification. The flats outside on the tables that begin to sprout get to go in the GH too
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alyrics, Beachwood, OH said:


Must be the different brands of milk - our milk jugs are hard plastic and I couldn't even get a sharpened knife to hardly poke thru. I was concerned about slits not draining well enough. anyway - to each his own on the containers. My friend grew gorgeous dahlias in disposable foil containers slid into a re-closable baggie.

I also found that a great cover are the ziplock plastic bags that grapes come in, as they provide light and a covering, but also have plenty of holes in them,
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kqcrna , Cincinnati, OH, (Zone 6a) said:

I tried only one container with peat pots last year and didn't like them at all. They dried out too quickly.

Karen
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pepsidrinker, La Salle, MI, (Zone 5b) said:

Karen, I just started gardening this past spring and tried some of those (didn't like them at all) and none of the seeds made it. I didn't soak the pots b4 using them (didn't know you were suppose to.) don't know if that would have made a difference or not, but I won't use them again.

I am trying different things to WS in, to see which I like the best.
Gallon & Half Gallon Jugs
Aluminum pans with the clear tops.
16/20 oz styrofoam cups (made little wire domes for them)
The Baggie method
And what ever else I get my hands on rofl
For our youth group at Church I will use the 1/2 gallon & gallon jugs.

Connie
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zenpotter, Minneapolis, MN, (Zone 4b) asked

: debnes, When you use the foil roasting pans do you find that you have enough soil? I keep reading that you need 4" of soil.
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pepsidrinker, La Salle, MI, (Zone 5b) said:

Zen I heard at least 3 to 4"s deep is okay, and those are at least 3"... :o)

I wonder if it depends what you are sowing in them?

SW_gardenerk Southern Ontario, (Canada), (Zone 6a) said:

Alyrics - Try cutting the slots in an X shape on the bottom of the jug, them push the plastic flaps up. Do several of these and you'll have lots of drainage.

Steve
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alyrics, Beachwood, OH said:

Last yr my favorite container was the domed plastic pans that rotisserie chicken comes in at the grocery store. For things that can be planted out early like pansies or Johnny Jump Ups they worked great and gave lots of head room for the seedlings. they are way too shallow for most things though. I would use them for herbs also - like basil etc. Just sow thinly so the root systems aren't too crowded.

You have to get foil pans that are deep enough or it just won't work. - the seedlings roots get matted together and you have to pull them apart in chunks, Actually that was ok for some annuals - things like marigolds, etc.

I liked the large yogurt containers also - plenty of room for roots, and I cut out the center of the lids and put plastic wrap across them with holes in.

One thing that is different at my place is my seedlings are not in full sun, so I am always trying to increase the light to them so they aren't spindly.

It drove me crazy to have to keep unwrapping tape off the milk jugs and then try to re-tape it. But I know... lots of people love them.
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debnes_dfw_tx, Fort Worth, TX, (Zone 8a) said:

I believe I have enough soil zen.. And it is plenty moist in the pans with the lids, even though I have holes in top and bottom..

I put some daylily seeds in a gallon bag with about a 1"cylinder of soil in the bottom. They sprouted and I have already transferred them into pots.
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Cordeledawg, Cordele, GA, (Zone 8a) said:

I noticed some of you close your flaps with tape and consider it a pain to reopen and reclose the tape. My friend, Digsgardening, showed me her way of closing her flap on milk/water jugs. she just pokes one hole near the edge of the upper flap and one close to the edge of the lower flap and uses a twist tie to loop into the two holes to keep the flap-lid closed. It's easy to open and peek in. Also, there is semi-ventilation along the seams. I'm tieing mine down this way using Christmas ornament hangers. They bend well like a twist tie.
Deborah
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kbaumle, Northwest, OH, (Zone 5b) said:

I never found the need to open mine.
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DigsGardening, Byron, GA said:

, I like to open mine to water them if it's a dry winter. But most importantly, they are so much easier to open when the time comes to plant in the spring. Last year I used duct tape and it was hard to get the containers open to plant the seedlings.
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kqcrna , Cincinnati, OH, (Zone 6a) said:

I open mine when it warm up in spring, so the babies don't fry. It can get way too warm for them contained in there. Once the weather warms I start with more holes, then open the top but keep attached in case of a deep freeze. Eventually I just discard the top half. It makes them a whole lot easier to care for
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alyrics, Beachwood, OH said:

gram - half the fun is looking at your babies all winter while the garden is brown! If they were all hidden except for peeking down the hole of a gallon milk jug I'd feel cheated. Especially when they are just germinating - nothing cuter than a pan of purple Opal Basil babies in early March. I did a lot of experimenting last year with watering with dilute H2O2. We also have really erratic weather in the spring - we are not considered safe to plant annuals and vegetables till the last week of May but the daytimes can hit the 70's in April and dip below freezing at night. If I have warm weather I need to open the lids for ventilation or move them a couple times a day. I can't see how you could water tiny seedlings thru the hole of a milk jug without smashing the ones right below the stream of water - maybe Trudi can tell us what she recommends. I learned that one quick and went to the Dollar Store and got some $1 plastic trays to place under the containers and watered from the bottom. - Easy to tip out and empty if its been rainy.

I also learned an important thing last yr - my first yr which I think has been mentioned - if not in this thread than in the Veg Forum but it might help someone to mention it again.

Wet your soil mix very thoroughly a day before sowing. If you don't, you could rinse the seeds off to the side of your container when you water for the first time - esp if using a soil-less mix like Pro-Mix that repels water initially. I had delphiniums growing up the sides of containers and none in the center - ditto for clumps of poppies that all washed over to the edges of the pan.

The dilute H2O2 solution was an interesting test. It is supposed to provide extra Oxygen to the roots. I believe it helps keep the soil sterile and fungus-free. Some plants really loved it like the dahlia seedlings which shot up every time I used it, others like poppies got scorched leaves and some died when exposed. There are a lot of threads from last yr on this and my personal take away was not to overdo a good thing. If a little is good, then leave well enough alone because more can kill them.
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kqcrna , Cincinnati, OH, (Zone 6a) said:

I prefer bottom watering, too. When sowing I moisten immediately before sowing, enough for several containers, then I fill and sow. When the jug is complete, I bottom water to make certain that it is well saturated. I let drain for a little while, then place outside. When the containers are out there, I also prefer bottom watering. One overhead method that does work pretty well, though, is to use my 2 gallon pressure sprayer with the wand stuck into the top hole. I have also used a misting sprinkler attached to my garden hose, but that's messy and I always ended up getting a shower and getting cold and wet too.

I keep my containers on my patio where they get morning sun only. In spring they can get hot! I can't imagine leaving the lid on until plant out time. Maybe the difference is that I am zone 6, hot and humid Cincinnati
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tortoisekeeper, Cookeville, TN, (Zone 6a) said:

Last year I used zip lock baggies with the zipper. I put a cloths pin to keep it partically (sp) open and as the weather warmed up I unzipped them a little at a time. I numbered and wrote the name of each one on the bag with a sharpie. I also kept a list of what the numbers were. I planted 32 bags and everyone of them sproted. Some of the names faded but the number stayed. They were covered with snow several times. The only ones I lost after planting them in the garden was my poppies. It was my first attempt and winter sowing and I was shocked at my sucess.

Betty
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zenpotter, Minneapolis, MN, (Zone 4b) asked:

That is interesting. How did you keep the bags from falling over?
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pepsidrinker, La Salle, MI, (Zone 5b) said:

Zen on the winter sown site, I believe it shows the baggies sitting in the aluminum pans... That is what I am going to use to sit mine in...
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tortoisekeeper, Cookeville, TN, (Zone 6a) said:

I put mine all togather in an old rubber tire filled with mud. When you put the dirt in the bags you can make them stand alone
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merryma, Auburn, MA, (Zone 5b) said:

On someone's advice, last year I kept all of my containers in cardboard boxes with the tops cut off. It worked great! It kept them from tipping over, but most of all, when it came to watering, it held the water just long enough to bottom water. Then the excess water drained out. I could water with the hose on mist and fill the box with a higher spray. I think it helped keep the containers from drying out, too. Maybe because the containers were so close together? Plus, when I'm done with the cardboard, I use it under my mulch. I plan to do this every year now.
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kqcrna, Cincinnati, OH, (Zone 6a) said:

That "V" cut works really well [for soda bottles]. You can push it all the way down when sowing, then, in spring, just pull up on the top to increase ventillation.
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Anitabryk2, Ronkonkoma, NY, (Zone 6b) said:

Steve - I haven't had the need to tie the handles together to keep them from flying away. I do, on the other hand, use a piece of duct tape on the three cut sides. I learned my lesson to not go crazy with the tape as it can be difficult to get off come spring.
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SW_gardener, Southern Ontario , (Canada), (Zone 6a):

. I don't really know if it makes any difference but I've been using clear packing tape on my jugs/bottles.

We got it at Staples, it's their brand. It seems to stick well so far. It even stuck well onto a wet jug.
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Dave47, Guilford, CT, (Zone 6a) said:

Aluminum tape is much less messy than duct tape. , I think aluminum or foil tape costs twice as much as duct tape. I noticed new transparent duct tape this year. The price was between the price of the other 2. I'm trying it and will let yoy know how it works (I'm hoping more sun and less mess than regular duct tape.)

[and later]
I appearently posted in a different thread that I used the new (to me, anyway) transparent duct tape. It was very flexible and lets light through. Cheaper than aluminum tape (which doesn't leave as much of a mess in the Spring as duct tape when you remove it). Looks promising.
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yardqueen1948, Emory, TX, (Zone 8a) said:

The V cuts work MUCH better than the slits!!! I did mine yesterday and they are wonderful donr that way!
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kqcrna, Cincinnati, OH, (Zone 6a) said:

Yes, I like the "V" type, too. Then when the weather warms up I just pull up on the top and have an instant side vent.
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claypa, West Pottsgrove, PA, (Zone 6b) said:

Here's a good way to stabilize two liter bottles when you drill drainage holes in the bottom:

Use a cordless drill with a screwdriver bit to screw the cap from a bottle to a workbench or a scrap of lumber, anything you want to use as a work surface.
Threaded side up, so it's like a little cup... make it good and snug.

Then thread the bottle into the cap on the bench. It will be secure, and you'll have a free hand to hold the bottle while you drill your drain holes, or melt holes with a soldering iron, or even stab with an awl repeatedly.

Obviously, this means drilling your drain holes before you cut the bottle in two, but it's a LOT easier this way.
It might work with gallon jugs too, if they have a threaded cap.
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pirl, Southold, NY, (Zone 7a) said:

you can use the 16 oz. "party" cups from BJ's - punch holes in the bottom first.
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grampapa, Wheatfield, NY, (Zone 6a) said:

Wish I could find more bags like this. they came with coir potting mix. nice and tall but not too wide. they would be great for anything you only wanted a few of. about the same as a 1/2 gal milk jug. and I didn't have any clothespins to use to hold the bags open for ventilation, so I just pinched the centers and put a piece of duct tape on them. you could just as well staple or paper clip them.



This message was edited Feb 19, 2008 1:04 PM

Good morrin, winter sowers. I seen my very first sprouts (cabbage ) in my very first milk jug type container.

I think I like the milk jugs best with what I using so far, I can look right down the the hole and see whats going on , where as the coffee can (plastic and pot containers I have to remove the plastic) not hard to do but when its sub zero outside and I want to do a quick check and the milk jugs are so much easier to see plants growing.

The clear plastic that I use has condensation (which is good) but not able to see plants without taking all the coverings off, I'm using a heavy rubber band to hold down.


Also the milk jugs should give more height for the plants to grow better then the pots unless I get some sort of extension, but hopefully it will be warm enough to just keep tops off and maybe cover with a plastic tarp if we have rough weather that could damage the plants.

Have not used the plastic 5 gal buckets yet or the plastic bins which would be nice , just pop the cover and can see all the plants.

I have a total of 53 containers so far and many more to get going. Plus I got people on board collecting milk jugs for me : )

Happy WSing

tcs--wonderful compilation of container ideas! Thanks.

And thanks for including the city and state and zone of each poster's comments--I think the region you're in really affects the 'style' of wintersowing you can adapt to. And affords more success to the newbies.

This year my containers are 2 liters (only used about 50 of those) and Starbucks clear cups with dome lids. I bought a box of 500 cups and done lids from my local starbucks. Cost me less than $50, which make them les than .10 each. I have already done almost 350 of those and 120 4" pots (no lids) to go in a cold frame. Altogether I now have over 500 containers done. Yes they are sort of small but they have plenty of top room I think and I put quite a bit of seeds in each one depending on the seed type. I am a little scared to see how many plants I have this spring, but then I don't know that all will germinate. Some were old and received in trades. I will have plenty to give away though. I have family, friends and coworkers I plan to share with.

Here are some of my containers when I had about 300 total. Most of my 2-liters are in a storage room in the dark because they have poppies in them that like to germinate in the dark... So I don't have pics of them.

edited for spelling

This message was edited Feb 21, 2008 8:57 PM