I keep many of my containers from year to year. When I plant out I rinse the containers and store them in the garage until I am ready to ws again. I used to wash and sterlize them with bleach before resowing but don't bother anymore--just rinse and sow.

Oh yes I keep mine too. I did a few hundred containers last year and kept a lot of cups and two liters. I have some bins from that and a new one. So prep time definitely gets faster.

I finish cutting off the tops and use the bottoms to pot up the stuff I'm taking to swaps and giving away. I don't have a place to store the empties out of the sun and weather so they get too brittle over the year to reuse the next winter.

I also saved the easy to stack ones from last year. I had ordered a bunch of take out containers (the kind soup comes in usually) so those were easy to stack. The best part is the holes were already done in the tops and bottoms.

I did not save any jugs though. I wish I had.

Karen

I have no room to store the jugs so they go right to the recycle bin when they get emptied. I thought about stringing them up like some others do, but I think my DH would kill me. I already have to be super sneaky while I am doing them. As long as he doesn't see them until they are done and out in the yard, he leaves me alone.

Karendee..what kind of soup containers are you talking about? Where do you order them from? Do you have to order a large amount? Are these plastic or cardboard like you get soup in at the grocery store salad bar area?

Finally got to HD to buy MG yesterday and also to KMart for bin for my MG..cut plant ID markers last evening from the mini-blind I bought at Thrift shop for $3 brand new. I was amazed how easy it was to cut through the vinyl slats. Also bought a Homer bucket to mix the soil in..so I don't have to bring the entire tub in. Want to go to Dollar store and buy some disposable lasagna pans to sit the cold drink cups in, that will be stored inside Sterlite plastic container(clear on all sides) Next year, it won't be this slow I'm sure. Lot of personal complications/doubts the first year.

pippi: You are doing fine! You are ahead of me in preparing labels and containers too. It's SOOO cold ... I'm looking forward to the warming trend this week.

Pippi,
I did dollar store pans last year /my 1st year too. They work great. And they are easier to get the seedlings out of.
I like the milk jugs better now because they take up less space, they seem to need less water, and easier for me to move around. Make sure you support the bottom of the pan when moving or they could collapse. Don't ask how I know.lol.
Have faith. If I can do it, you can do it. Translation: It's almost fool proof.

:)Laura

Laura, thanks for the vote of confidence and emotional support. I know I've asked many people for advice and I apologize if I've been a pest, but I just want to get this right and succeed, so I can prove to myself and hubby it works! Hoping for success so he'll get invoved next year with me and I don't want to hear from him "I told you it wouldn't work, look at all the money you wasted." I know next year I'll be more confident and prepared, because I'm going to start collecting my milk jugs early in the late summer or early fall.

pippi: Assuming this works (and all these experienced folks are evidence that it does), do you expect him to admit he was wrong? Given how H & W relationships work, that may be too much to expect. ;-)

Can you relax a bit and see WS as a fun thing to do? As a better way to spend cold winter days? OK, time to MMOB (mind my own business)

LOL, My DH and my kids think I'm nuts. Heck My kids friends come over and think I'm cooking something, ( I wet my soil in a large pot)It's pretty funny when they ask "whatcha cooking?" I tell them "Just dirt, do you want some?"

It's pretty silly, but DH doesn't care as long as it makes me happy. I bet down inside all our Husbands feel the same way.

Like the old saying goes...
If Mamma ain't happy, Ain't nobody happy!

:)Laura

pippi, you're bound to get something out of it. Success breeds success.

I saved my jugs but wish I'd rinsed them outside when I had the hose set up, don't know how many years I'll get out of them. Some I had rinsed, and some were filthy. Cleaned and rinsed the the filthy ones but didn't sterilize and wasn't too fussy about how clean I got them.

I don't use many gallons of milk but saved all my jugs and always rinse and drain upside down as soon as they are empty so they won't have milk residue. Then I turn them right side up, let them dry and stash somewhere.

When I get too much milk on hand, I either make a large batch of rice pudding combined w/1 tall can evap milk or use instant pudding. I like the vanilla, add just a half capful or so of good rum flavoring, mix in a little nutmeg at the 2-min mark, then sprinkle a little on top, stick in fridge, ready in 5 min. Tastes almost like that eggnog I love during the holidays which I missed this year. I inhale that stuff if I can find the right brand (it's not alcoholic and don't mix w/alcohol).

I do prefer cooked pudding and use instant in some of my cake recipes, also my pistachio pudding marble cake with chocolate shavings. Nothing like drifting OT which I'm so good at.

I didn't keep mine last year but this year I may. I am using old plant containers instead of milk jugs this year. They store a lot easier and I feel like I'm recycling or something by using them. But it's give and take I guess because now I'm throwing out the milk jugs instead of saving them again. LOL*

Hey, this is hard work! I did manage to get some WS accomplished tonight.

Drummond Phlox
Balloon flower
Mexican Hat
Liatris
Heuchera "Palace Purple"
Malva "Mystic Merlin"
Malva Zebrina

Lessons I learned tonight..need a fine point paint pen..the one I bought isn't fine enough..figure out a better system to speed up the process. I tried 8 oz. styrofoam cups tonight,they are kind of flimsy to work with. I made up my markers but forgot to mark the name of the plant on the outside of the cup..I did it after I had finished..so scared I'd turn over the entire dozen cups that were planted. My watering can sprays too large of a space..like a shower head..will switch to one spout type tomorrow. Will draw a line on outside of container, marking my 4 in. of soil.

My first year of wintersowing, my MIL would not stop telling me how it would never work and how I was wasting my time and I was crazy to think that anything would survive our winters outside. Year number 2 she came over with all her milk jugs for me (never admitted that it actually worked). Year three not only did I get all her jugs but then in April she bought 3 planters, brought them over, and gave me money to fill them with plants!!!! (Still never admitted that I was right and She was wrong)

It's going faster this morning. Sowing the gal size jugs is easier than using the coffee cups. Will try the 1/2 gal. jugs later today as hubby is having a fit about WS supplies being in living room. We had to get the ladder down and put the Fall wreaths away, as well as Xmas wrapping paper and ribbon..we store that above garage rafters. Washing bed linens in between. I have what I have sowed..outside in the breezeway area. I'm feeling more confident today.

Here's what I sowed today and I'm bushed..
Coreopsis "Sunray"
Shasta Dasiy "Alaska"
Forget-me-nots "Blue Bird"
Canterbury Bells "Cup and saucer mix"
Painted daisy

Some of the tiny seeds, I spread all in one jug..might have HOS..we'll see!

Oh, gardenluv, that's funny, lol.

Jane

You're doing great!!! You will be so happy come spring when you see all the little bits of green appearing in your containers. :) :) :)

gardenluv - great story about human nature! You are a wise woman, you didn't force the issue.

pipppi - congratulations! I did a bunch of containers yesterday too. The process felt awkward because it's new, and I haven't learned how to do it by heart yet. In time, we will work faster and easier.

Pam, just knowing that I was right and she was wrong was enough for me, but man I was a little irritated with her that first year so I was soooooo happy when I had such great results. I do confess, I have an evil side to me. I waited until I knew she was coming over one afternoon. I pulled out all my germinated containers with their tops off, and lined them up and down the side walk so that when she came over, she actually had to move around them, and step over some! I wanted to make sure she did not accidently "miss" seeing the results of my "waste of time". Was that mean?

"Here's what I sowed today and I'm bushed.."

I can relate to that as I'm finding it gets very tedious, but it can also be energizing because it's goal-oriented. I'm not fussing as much as is my tendency. They will have to sink or swim, work through the process as quickly as possible.

How on earth anybody can sow 500+ or even 200+ and find room for all that boggles my mind.

I sowed my first jug (a few broccoli and red cabbage for the early spring veggies) last weekend. It has been 20-30 degrees colder than normal, so I'm waiting to do the others when I can be a ltitle more comfortable out on the patio!

Last year was my first ws, and I only did about 30 jugs, but I sowed heavy and got ALOT of plants. DH wasn't crazy about the milk jugs in back, but like Laura said, "If Mama ain't happy..." After he saw all the plants, he was very impressed and he hasn't said a word about the milk jugs in the garage all summer. I did get some lovely compliments on the flowers from neighbors, too. My next-door neighbors both want me to show them this year! You will be vindicated even if a couple containers don't work out! Follow the instructions, have fun, and most of them will grow!