milk jug gardening winter
You can winter-sow your way to a beautiful garden, too…for pennies. Cut off the bottom of the jug with a utility knife so you have a 3-inch deep seed-starting tray. With a simple permanent marker, blade, and scissors, you can create five incredibly useful gardening tools. Winter-sowing is an outdoor method of seed germination (invented by Trudi Davidoff) which requires just two things: miniature greenhouses (made from recycled milk jugs) and Mother Nature. Use a box cutter or pen knife to cut around the middle of the container. Cutting the Jug. Fill the bottom to within 1/4-inch of the rim with a sterile potting mixture. Wet The Soil. When to sow your milk jug greenhouses If you don’t want to do the winter sowing technique, it’s really important to know when to sow seeds for your growing area or zone. Wait for them to start growing. A kiwi container is another good one. Throw away the caps from the jugs and bottles and remove labels. Winter sowing involves sowing seeds outdoors in mini-greenhouses, made of milk jugs, deli containers and other sealed plastic containers. Rinse empty milk jugs and cut in half – leaving just enough to make a handle you can bend open. Smyth says it's called winter sowing and it's perfect for those who want an early start gardening. The process is inexpensive, uses recycled materials, requires no electricity, […] Winter-sowing is an outdoor method of seed germination (invented by Trudi Davidoff) which requires just two things: miniature greenhouses (made from recycled water and milk jugs) and Mother Nature. Set the jug top over the top of the jug bottom to create a miniature greenhouse, which helps retain warmth and soil moisture during germination. Sharon Williams is a mom of 3 who loves to read, travel, crochet, work in the flowers and spend time with family. Tips for creating your own mini-greenhouses using milk jugs, potting soil, and setting it in the snow with this relatively new alternative to starting seeds under lights. Fold the top back over and use duck tape to create a seal around the middle. . Previously, she owned her own business, selling handmade items online, wholesale and at crafts fairs. Empty the excess water from the pan after each irrigation. I will start this post out with the disclaimer that I have no idea if this will work. Water them gently with small drips of water. Her published articles have appeared in various print and online publications. To convert a two-liter soda bottle or milk jug into a miniature-greenhouse, use a utility knife to cut a horizontal slit half way up the side. Label with a sharpie marker or use painters tape so you will know what each jug is supposed to grow. It's easy to obtain and easy to prepare. Transplant seedlings straight from the milk jug and into the garden when they are approximately eight weeks old, or transplant them into larger 3- to 4-inch diameter pots. Fold the top back over and use duck tape to create a seal around the middle. Place outside or, in my case, in the greenhouse. We first met at a local garden club. Fill the drip pan with 1 inch of water. Saturate the soil using a lighter sprinkler setting with a hose, watering can, or even the … If you have ever tried this method, I’d love to hear! Initially, I did my winter sowing alone. [CDATA[ aax_getad_mpb({ "slot_uuid":"ce85b744-91c6-4036-a256-a915b425f821" }); //]]>, Family Travel & Lifestyle blogger on a mission to see all 50 states! Cut a plastic milk jug nearly in half. The milk jug garden is a simple step toward in ground gardening. When to Sow Seeds in Milk Jugs This method works in the early spring and winter. Winter sowing is great because it gives us gardeners in Western New York something to do when it’s cold and snowy out. Recycling a plastic milk jug into a seed starter greenhouse minimizes garbage and saves money, since you won't need any elaborate seed growing systems. Measure 3 inches up from the bottom of the milk jug. To get started with winter sowing, you’ll need supplies you probably have around the house. Seeds will take their cue from nature and germinate on their own in the spring. Space seeds about 2 inches apart in rows set 2 inches apart, unless directed otherwise on the seed packet. A freeze shouldn’t affect your greenhouses provided sprouts haven’t appeared. I am attempting to grow seeds in milk jugs outside in the winter. Jan 19, 2014 - Explore Pam Grossmann's board "milk jug garden" on Pinterest. Before you recycle them, you might want to consider using them to avoid buying new plastic items or other new products. You may have tried it yourself, in the vegetable garden, sowing spinach and corn salad (mache) in the late fall for harvesting soon after the snow melts. Use a sharp craft knife to cut the bottles around the middle, but don’t cut completely around the jug – instead, leave a small uncut area to work as a “hinge.” Required fields are marked *. The handle makes it eas to tote in the garden. But I have seen this on lots of pinterest boards and gardening blogs so of course, I have to try it. Slice off the bottom inch or two of your milk jugs, and use them as a tray for … After transplanting outdoors, wash the jugs and reuse them again next your or simply toss them into the recycle pile. Allow the jug to air dry. Just keep in mind that your containers should be at least 4 or 5 inches deep and the top of the containers should be somewhat transparent, so the sun can shine through. We’ll still use opaque milk jugs, but will add more drainage holes growing forward. Rinse it in a solution of nine parts water and one part bleach to sterilize it. First, you need some gallon milk jugs, orange juice containers or something similar. Save a few translucent or clear plastic containers for sowing flower seeds in winter. Otherwise, stay tuned. The ubiquitous milk jug: We toss it out without a thought. Set the milk jug in a 65 to 75 degree Fahrenheit location. You plant hardy seeds in old milk jugs or other containers and set the containers outside now. Then … These miniature greenhouses are ideal for starting seeds outdoors, with very little assistance from growers. Water the soil when the surface dries by filling the drip pan with water and allowing the soil to soak up the moisture. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Soil, seeds and a hinged milk jug are all you need to start winter sowing. I like to leave the … Your email address will not be published. - Some object that is roughly … (ad), “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”. How to Start Tomato Seeds Indoors Using Starting Trays, University of California Extension Master Gardeners: Seed Starting, Clemson Cooperative Extension: Starting Seeds Indoors. Gallon-size milk jugs provide large seedling greenhouse, but you can grow large single plants, such as tomatoes, in 1/2-gallon jugs. Your email address will not be published. Allow the soil inside the milk jug to soak up the moisture through the drainage holes until the soil surface becomes moist. Disposable food storage containers with snap-on lids. Should they be in the greenhouse or outside like some pinterest posts show. Winter sowing is an easy, simple, inexpensive way to sow … Make four equally spaced holes in the bottom of the bottom to provide soil drainage after planting. It is called Winter Sowing. #williamsonthego #statebystatetravel, Looking for my Favorite Travel Products? Wash the jug bottom and top in warm, soapy water. When gardeners use winter sowing, they plant seeds outdoors in winter to give them a head start on the spring growing season. Learn how your comment data is processed. Here’s how to do it. Then winter sown seedlings begin to grow inside of containers that act as miniature greenhouses to keep the young plants safe and warm. For spring sowing, sow plants when chances of freezing have passed. The winter sowing method uses clear bottles, such as milk jugs, as small greenhouses. Sow the seeds in the prepared soil, planting them at the depth recommended on the seed packet for the specific plant variety. Use a spoon to scoop out individual seedlings and roots systems with minimal disturbance to neighboring plants. Starting seedlings indoors in the last weeks of winter provides you with plenty of flower or vegetable transplants for your spring and early summer garden. But I have since paired up with a gardening partner, Kim Tappan, and together we plot our gardens each year. I’ve seen people use 2-liter pop bottles, but it seems to work better with flat-sided plastic jugs. Fill the jugs with potting soil and plant a sprinkling of seeds in each jug. Sowing seeds in the fall or winter is an old technique used worldwide. . Fill the jugs with potting soil and plant a sprinkling of seeds in each jug. 1 Wash a 1-gallon milk jug with warm water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Jenny Harrington has been a freelance writer since 2006. Toss away the cap for ventilation because its open spout is all you need for fresh air to get in and heated air to waft up and out. Since the jugs are placed outside during the winter, the seeds naturally begin to germinate when conditions are right. For this step you will need: - A Sharpie or other marker. soda bottles or similar containers. But the high quality plastic can also be used in a number of different ways around your home and garden. There is no need to wait until after your frost date to plant your seeds. Even in the bitter cold months of winter, you can start planting your spring garden outside using these ideas for homemade, mini greenhouses made from recycled containers. Empty any remaining water in the pan. Use a box knife to cut around the outside of the container. Have you ever grown succulents? Milk jugs are popular. So join me as I try this winter gardening experiment with milk jugs and seeds! Over the years the gallon-size milk jug or water bottle has become the iconic container for Winter Sowing. Plastic milk containers or milk jugs can be recycled. I got a new box fr, Today we went exploring and discovered @paradisepo, Even though there is freezing rain outside, I’m, Daffodils coming up down by the creek! You want to have enough height to handle 2” or 3” of soil, plus another 3” at least for … When she's not blogging, she's probably out enjoying life so she'll have something fun to blog about tomorrow! 2. See more ideas about milk jugs garden, milk jug, garden. Cut Open the Container. Set the jug bottom inside a shallow pan to catch any draining water. One of the most popular articles ever written for Northern Gardener was on winter-sowing perennials. You should have a base container and a flip top. Milk or water jugs work well, or you can use 1-liter (1 qt.) Here in Kentucky, temperatures can spike to 70 for two weeks in February then tank to below zero again in March–I don’t dare try the full winter sowing approach. #hobbie, A taste of winter in Kentucky I’ll keep you updated on the process as soon as I hopefully have germination and growth! //
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