How I'm SS (Spring Sowing) - My jug ghetto

aliska12000

14 years ago

I don't put out as many as some of you. I've got 12 jugs, 2 porch boxes, 1 tray of delphs in back, and 4 shallow trays on stands on the front porch.

Some may have seen me talk about this, but not the photo. I started them 2-3 weeks ago, extra vent holes, cap off, taped them up, labelled. To my horror, most were covered with icky mold in no time at all.

So I did a frantic search and sprayed with 1:10 H2O2 to water, took care of the mold after a couple apps, but are they ruined?

Now I decide better open them up, it's not a good idea this time of year to use the winter method. So I ripped the tape off, left the tops on because labels are taped to the handles, propped them open w/pieces of bamboo.

Then what to do about chipmunks and squirrels? Found a piece of chicken wire and secured that with more bamboo stakes. Some people wouldn't put up with this, but it gives me satisfaction to start my own plants, and I also purchase just a few plants mail order, don't like tramping around garden centers any more.

Now most have sprouted. The porch boxes the lobelia seeds sprout sooo tiny but well, the painted daisies doing very well, but the others are coming along all but 2. Russian sage is in one, and the pkt said it could take a long time to germinate.

I keep a close eye on them, the hose is nearby, and they haven't needed (very gentle) watering every day. I figure if I can get them in the ground by August or Sep even, some should grow. I don't need that many and may have lots of extra if I don't neglect them.

So maybe that will make up for the fact that I was too apathetic to sow in Feb. Plus I suggest running the jugs through bleach water and rinsing well as a few had milk residue as it sours before I can use it all sometimes.

I feel kind of good about this really. Too bad I can't easily get under there and read the labels.

Oh, and to sprinkle the smaller seeds, I fill a salt shaker w/large holes with about a teaspoon of sugar, hold top and shake. The seeds don't look mixed in well so I make several passes sowing, and shake them in between. I figure sugar is organic, hasn't seemed to hurt any of the many I've done that way yet. The larger seeds, I just pour in the palm of my hand, pinch a few up at a time and scatter, press down or cover as directed.

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Comments (8)

ontheteam
14 years ago
very inventive with the bamboo! I just did something similar with the bamboo and my roses. We call it the "Braveheart" method.
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karendee
14 years ago
Nice ideas.

Karen
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With all these posts about the lack of having to do the on/off thing, as a newbie 3 or 4 years ago, where did I get the idea that I have to do this??? I seem to be making more work for myself. Is it a zonal thing? Did I miss the medical study where they decided it's no longer necessary? Did I misunderstand something in the beginning that I interpreted as tops on/off for a period of time for hardening off? What's making me do all these extra steps that apparently are unnecessary? I obviously missed something. Perhaps I interpreted a 'rogue frost' on/off protection (for tenders) as 'watch the weather every day and apply it to every container you have' and messed up the whole process in my yard. I think I need to go back and visit the FAQs to see where I went wrong. No sense doing this on/off nonsense if it's not necessary and no one else in Z5 is doing it!
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"Curiosity killed the cat!" It appears you don't have the milk jugs taped or at least I don't see any in the picture. How do you close your milk jugs up? I'm finding out that a lot of people don't tape up the entire cut edge of their milk jugs. I thought it was needed and would be afraid that a strong wind would lift them up and toss them or critters would get inside to the seeds. Looks like you might have planted inside several square flowerpots? What are some of the containers to the bottom right of the photos? Congrats on learning how to post the photos..that's more than I know how to do!
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Seedmama, Congrats on your little sprout. I'm sure it's getting bigger every day. The cottage gardens forum has directions for posting photos from picasa and photobucket in the gallery. Click cottage gardens, and then right before the posts, there is a link to the gallery. The instructions are one of the first posts in the gallery. Just don't post a response there so that the instructions stay at the top. Squirrel Girl
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Ok, my progress today has been good. I managed to get 2 of the plastic racks from the grocery store. They are not the same as yours though because the sides are not high at all. I went to additional 4 more stores in hopes they would have something different, but no score. So I did not ask for more. What does seam like the best option is the coke and pepsi crate like containers. All the stores were a no go on those, they all told me they belonged to company and they could not let them go, not even when I offered to buy them. Then I stopped by the dollar store to get some of the shoe containers. So, I am off to a good start. I was able to fit 60 foam cups in the 2 racks that I got, and I filled them all with soil tonight. The issue that I am having is that the local home depot, lowes and the nearest nursery did not have the bedding bags. Is there a certain place I need to buy them from? I am hoping I can find them tomorrow, or else I do not know what else to cover it with. :(
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aliska12000
Original Author
14 years ago
Braveheart, ha ha. I've had to learn to improvise and be resourceful, but I still spend way more on some things than I really should. I just ordered 3 Brave Heart Daylilies yesterday and some iris and not done yet.

Even if you save by recycling things, it still adds up fast, all the garden tools I've bought and all the supplies. The 2 bags of weed 'n feed blew my mind. Over $70. Sent the kids for it, and they used too much, and it's going to need another application.
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greenbean08_gw
14 years ago
I keep the tops of my jugs open by putting a rock in the top. I just pluck one out of the river rocked area by the drive & toss it in. It's worked so far...

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener
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carrie630
14 years ago
While I love good ideas, I do all my sowing on my screened porch (to avoid the critters), but that sure is helpful if I decide to put some containers outside. Thanks

Carrie
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aliska12000
Original Author
14 years ago
greenbean, I don't have any river rocks, think I used them all in a French drain. Sure have enough other smaller rocks I collect from digging and put on my geranium pots. I have a nice supply of bamboo, was breaking them into smaller pieces for markers and saved them when done, come in handy.

carrie630, I wish I had a screened porch but don't. That is great. I have started some in the sunroom especially when I can open the windows, but it works much better outside.

Either way, you and I are going to have to gradually have to introduce them to more sun B4 transplanting into the garden. Better than hardening off, dragging plants in and out. Also mine sheltered from rain, it could beat them down if I'm not careful. The others can take it.

More rain and more sprouts in the jugs.

And more problems with other things. The rain was welcome and think that and cool and cloudy saved most of the alyssum (huge clump from self seeding and never got around to saving the seeds last fall). Best to transplant those with a spoon before they get too big. Good thing I let the mulch get skimpy or they wouldn't have self sown. It wouldn't be such a big deal, seeds are cheap, but these are a little different variety, nice spreading habit if they have enough room, and the best one last year got huge where it's part shade. I transplanted slipshod yesterday, cuz I hurt and wanted to get it over with.
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stlgirl
14 years ago
Love your setup. Now this is something I could try to maybe deter the stupid squirrels I have here.
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aliska12000
Original Author
14 years ago
Chicken wire is a nuisance and hard for me to cut, but it sure comes in handy. The worst is breaking out a new roll. What a tangled mess until you find and cut the right wires.

I also use Liquid Fence and did spray some on the opened tops just for good measure, but it doesn't last, and I've never been sure if it does any good or not.

I'm sure thankful for this forum because I never would have thought of the milk jugs and some of the other ideas and remedies I've picked up here. Then I adapted to my own needs and things I've learned the hard way or just thought up.

The beauty of the jugs is if they root solidly enough, you can cut them into pieces or just dig a hole and plop the whole contents there. I don't mind transplanting some special ones singly if they're large enough to handle, but the jugs are so much easier for me to work with even if they do take more soil than the trays.
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How I'm SS (Spring Sowing) - My jug ghetto

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How I'm SS (Spring Sowing) - My jug ghetto

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