milk jug planting or winter sowing
I do almost every kind of garden growing you can imagine. I think its to drive the family crazy. "What are you doing now?"
A few years ago I tried milk jug planting. Depending on where you are located you plant your seeds in a milk jug or any plastic container. Its like a mini greenhouse without heat that uses the sun and nature to sprot seeds when they are ready. Its actually works and is fun. Kids love it and so do adults.
Its great for cool season crops and a head start or perennials. Every think works but these are the seeds I seem to like the best.
Here's a link on milk jug planting
Comments
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I love starting seeds in plastic jugs. I have used many different shapes and sizes of plastic jugs! I just hate plastic... Alas, it is what we have to work with.
I am unable to plant this year, as we will be moving in the next 3-5 months....But retirement lies ahead and depending if I find my dream retirement home or not, will depend if I can winter garden in 2021, or just have to wait for 2022....
Wish me luck!
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I have not planted in milk jugs. I don't know why. I have reused plenty of other plastic food safe containers as mini greenhouses. Milk jugs are something I will have to start using also. Thanks for posting the link.
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Interesting idea. Thanks for the link.
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Where are you moving to?
It is difficult when you're trying to move and garden at the same time. Good luck!
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I am not a fan of plastic either @ltwickey but it really works. I read about it for years before I tried it. At least it uses plastic one more time.
My one friend tried it for the first time last year and had fantastic results, better than me. She used clear plastic and I think in out area it helped the plants with the lower level of sunlight we have. Each area has different results
@Michelle D I think you will be pleased with the results. Any plastic container will work. Many people use salad containers.
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I normally do not start my milk jugs 9or other containers) until February in my area - zone 5 NW PA. If we have a warm January it will get the seeds started a little earlier than I want so Feb seems better.
But today I am going to set out pluerisy root.It needs stratified and this is an easy way to do it. I also plan to go through my other seeds and pick out those that need stratified.
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@Denise Grant Great ideas and thanks for the link!
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I just started my milkweed seeds using milk jog planting. I have 6 varietes I plant. 4 Annual in this area and to that are the perennial, Orange butterfly and a very rare yellow.
Both the orange and yellow have a long root system so have to be transplanted very carefully
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We did this a couple of years ago and got some beautiful squash plants that season. Plus it was so gratifying to peek at the progress of those baby plants in a snowy March.
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@lewis.mary.e I agree. Its fun to see growth when its cold out and everything is dreary. It also saves on space and time watering small seedlings.
It also amazes my neices and nephew to see this style or gardening. They are all garden addicted and a young age.
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I can do this on the patio! I've never had luck in the hardening off stage of seed starting, so this may be the answer.
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@Mary Linda Bittle, West Plains, Missouri it would definitely help with hardening off.
I have gotten used to hardening off and its successful now, but it takes time and the impatient gardener does not like that, lol
My one neighbor still will not harden his plants off. He just puts them out and hope half of them live. At least he tries to pick a time period with some clouds.
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@Denise Grant I've always done so much better with the potted plants from the nursery. And I AM impatient, for sure. LOL.
I'm trying to up my gardening skills, one little step at a time.
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@Mary Linda Bittle, West Plains, Missouri
Those little steps add up quickly. Keep going!
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I tried the winter sowing one year. Did not get very good results. I have a feeling it was more due to lack of time to deal with them properly than anything else. I work full time and my husband was not really into it at the time, he was not attentive to watering and such when they got started. Might give it another try at some point. They just did not seem to start any earlier than direct seeded did.
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@vickeym A good deal of my seeds do not start any earlier, they seem to start when they know its the right time. But I have noticed they are hardier and when they start to grow they go wild.
My jugs did not seem to need watering much. I would shade them on a really hot day or move them into an area with a little shade during the day
Having animals I have to check on I would set water nearby and do a quick look when I went by. If the needed water, the water was right there.
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Denise Grant My biggest issue is that I need to start much of mine inside in order to get them going earlier for our short growing season. I did start some under lights last season and they did very well. Maybe if I get my greenhouse recovered in time I can winter sow some in jugs and put in there to give them a better start.
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Denise Grant YES! It's great to hear your thoughts on winter sowing. I'm planning to try it for the first time, starting in about a month or so. I have heard such wonderful things about this method, and seen impressive photos! I live in the North Country (upstate NY), so anything to extend my growing season is much desired... and not having to harden off all my 90 million plants - I love that part too.
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This is a great idea! I'm going to try it. Thank you!
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I find so many wonderful things to try. @Denise Grant Thanks for the link, I'll definitely try this!
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I am starting my winter sowing jugs earlier than normal. We have not had much snow at all and out temps are fluxing all over.
But I am starting poppies and shrubs today. If we have warmer weather again these seeds will not mind.
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Time to start perennials and poppies in milk jugs or any other plastic I have. We are supposed to have our first real snow Sunday to this will remind me spring will be here before we know it.
I have over twenty poppy varieties. I like them for a naturalized garden look.
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So I have a friend, whose family goes through a lot of milk, saving me their milk jugs.
I'm excited to try this out. Growing from seeds has always been challenging for me. I've never quite gotten that hang of it, too much water, not enough water, not enough sun, etc.
I'm hoping using the jugs will turn that around for me. 🤞
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@Monek Marie It’s winter here and snowing with blowing drifts. Sun from the south. Will they grow in jugs placed in a south-facing window, and there house is kept at night 69F and morning to afternoon about 73F, is this enough heat? Curious here....
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The nice thing about winter sowing is its fairly easy. Once the seeds sprout you need to crack the milk jug so it does not get too hot in there and water them if they need it. It should work well for you.
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You set them outdoors SuperC. Nature lets them know when its time to sprout. The seeds can take cold and freezes - they just wake up and grow when its time. Its a lot like those volunteer tomatoes that grow when you least expect it.
The only problem I have had is if we have a mild late winter or spring, they may grow a little before I want them to and get too crowded. I either thin them or repot some in other milk jugs
Do you have the winter sowing website link?
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I started my milkweed seeds in milk jugs today. Just in time to get blasted with an unexpected 10 inch snow storm that will hit tomorrow evening. This will be out first real snow this winter.
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@Monek Marie I haven’t got the winter sowing website link. Would you be able to share the link?
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@Monek Marie What winter sowing website link are you referring to? 🤔
The one at the bottom of the page, on the link you have at the beginning of this thread? Where it tells an example of what to plant in the jugs and when based on your zone?
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@SuperC @JennyT Upstate South Carolina
Todays reading ;)
https://generationacresfarm.com/winter-sowing-a-complete-guide/
Facebook also has a winter sowing group started by the founder of winter sowing.
The benefits or winter sowing besides saving money and space is the plants are hardier and hardening off is done naturally
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