tried new containers - for me

14 years ago

Well I finally got around to winter sowing for this season. My potting soil was frozen but had a bag in the garage. My duct tape doesn't seem to be sticking so well, and my milk jugs and similar containers are either brittle or hard to hold the top part open. So I had some clear plastic containers like the lids of store-bought roasted chicken, a plastic ice cream container, and a plastic candy container that previously held those chewy candy orange slices. I also had saved many clear bags like birdseed came in or toilet paper. I really liked sowing in these clear containers. I did punch drainage holes (easy with an awl), and holes in top and bottom of plastic bags. I inserted the containers in the bags and closed with a twist tie. Walmart bags are "clear" enough to work too. I was also successful with a blue paint pen from Walmart craft dept that is working well. Anyway, I sowed 5 yesterday and 9 today. Another thing I tried, just for fun, and because we rarely have snow on the ground in Mississippi, is that I sowed the seeds on dry potting soil, patted them in, and then covered with scoops of snow. Bundled up and sitting in the sun and working out of a wheelbarrow, it was not too cold.

I sure enjoyed myself.

Laurie

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Comments (5)

karendee
14 years ago
good for you...way to be creative!!

I am running out of containers myself. I saw some clear shoe boxes at Home depot I may get. they would be nice and were .99 cents (I think)

Maybe I should get the kids to drink more soda and milk?

lol

Karen
ramazz
14 years ago
I use the clear shoe boxes and really like them. I have done them two ways - filling the shoe boxes with soil or putting a couple of plastic pots inside each shoe box. I prefer using the pots, and rotate them depending upon what sprouts first. I got mine at KMart and this is my third year using the same ones. I need a few more, though, since I just used my last one today.

Becky
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I had a similar experience last year with my peppers. They did miserably in the raised bed, and really well in the containers. Tomatoes in containers also out performed my raised bed ones. I was using MG potting mix in the containers . But I had the opposite experience with cucs. They did better in the raised bed. My tomatillos also did amazing in the raised bed. I realized this year (before starting my Year 2 veggie garden) that the reason for this inconsistency was 1) watering, 2) fertilizing and 3) my raised beds were new (triple mix, mannure, top soil).4) planting temps I was over watering everything. Basically not letting soil dry out a bit. Which caused a lot of problems. I didn't think I needed to fertilize the raised beds, because I figured the manure and organic granular fertilizer was enough. I didn't realize these things take time to break down and become available for plants. I planted my peppers/tomatoes in the raised bed too soon and they were stunted. I also used SFG method and cramped the tomatoes in the raised bed way too closely, resulting in some bacterial and fungal issues. So there was a lot of learning from Year 1 to Year 2 for me. My conclusion last year was that containers were better than the raised bed and my plan was to max out on containers this year. After some research and thanks to the helpful folks on this board, I was able to properly time my planting and water when needed. So far, I am having excellent growth and yields from both the raised beds and the containers. My plan is to move over exclusively to raised beds next year.
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gardenweed_z6a
14 years ago
I'm almost out of milk jugs--again--and have my eye on the big jugs vinegar comes in at Costco. I buy the vinegar to use as an organic weed killer but before I even discovered WS something made me run a bungee cord through the handles of all the empties (and they are legion after all the rain we had in '09) and hang them from a nail inside the garage. They're big--a gallon and a half--so they'd be good for stuff that gets tall maybe. Also have a clear plastic jug that held olive oil. Half the fun of WSing seems to be finding ARCs--alternative recyclable containers!!
aliska12000
14 years ago
If it's not free or I find it in some trash, I don't want to pay for it. My neighbor gave me a 3-drawer plastic chest, saw one just like it for $10. Guess I could burn holes in the drawers and use them for my half-gallon jugs. Otherwise I will use cardboard boxes and put a fresh one out if they get ruined.

Just got done burning a a whole bunch more holes in gal and half-gal jugs, went in the back hall, shut the door, cracked the storm open. Oh my, does it stink in here. Even the cat doesn't like it. I'll do the rest outside when it warms up next week.

I did a deli container (square, small), but 3 or so inches and also a clamshell box. I will also need my deli trays for spring sowing but they need larger drainage holes burned in.

I don't know whether to use the tp rolls I saved or not, seems like more of a nuisance than it's worth to prepare and pack with soil. I was going to sow my special pansies in them, bought 6 pkts, decided to try WS'ing two of them into one jug. I just do not have the patience to sow one small seed per/something. Hope I'll get some that will reseed, then I'll have plenty to work with.
ramazz
14 years ago
Ah, well, considering what I just spent ordering seeds (I swore I was not going to order any, just trade, but that didn't work out), the shoe boxes are a small investment. I use them multiple years and they stack easily for storage. Plus, with all my kids grown, we don't accumulate milk bottles, and since I work full time, so I don't have the time or energy to go searching for extra containers. I just bought some more shoe boxes at Home Depot for $1 each and hopefully I will not need any more for a few years.

Once the holes have been made in tops and bottoms of the shoe boxes, I put 2 or more pots inside, fill the pots with soil and plant the seeds. I use the same pots over and over again, too, and just put white duck tape labels on the pots. If one pot has sprouts and the other(s) don't, I can move the sprouted pot to a box with another sprouted pot and keep all the unsprouted ones together. And when it is time for the sprouts to go topless, I can use the container again for some different seeds. My friends at work, who still buy plants, give me their empty pots, so I have an enormous stockpile of those. They know I will share my extra seedlings with them.

Everyone has their preferences, and fortunately this method works well with all of them.

Becky

tried new containers - for me

Comments (5)

karendee

ramazz

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