I noticed that too a few weeks ago. Supposed to be more ergonomically friendly. Won't they think of the wintersowers?

Noooooo! I'll have to switch to generic, I will not switch to pepsi no matter how wintersowing friendly.
Maybe if I hurry and get out to the store I can stock up on the standard 2L bottles before they're all gone. I prefer 2L to milk jugs when dealing with smaller seed quantities.

MARY

I really like the 2L bottles too. Fortunately, they are easy to wash out and save from year to year, and they hold up pretty well. I noticed some of the milk jugs started to fall apart in the 2nd year of use, but all the 2 ltrs are okay.

I've saved at least 50 2 ltr bottles from the last 2 years. This is great because I don't have to cut that many new containers. My philosophy is do as little work as possible. :)

This will be my first year winter sowing and was wondering what the disadvantages are with the new 2 liter bottle design.
jim_6b

Biggest problems I can see are more overhead seed crowding and the roots being more crammed together, probably also less stable on high wind days. I only had to go out and right my knocked over jugs after a wind storm once this year, but I know for some of you wind is a huge factor.

MARY

Jim, the way I cut my two liter bottles, the new design means that it will be harder to get the soil out of the container since they are no longer straight sided.

{{gwi:446402}}

Yeah, it might even require a complete vertical cut on one side to get the seedlings and soil out. So much for saving and reusing...

shiny alloy, I have a large lawn bag full of clean Pepsi bottles I think I'll take back to the store. I can accumulate more.

But my main point is that I used them to cover rose cuttings, ran out and needed a few more, and the store sold me some back at the 5-cents deposit rate.

So maybe you won't have to switch to Pepsi if you want to try that.

elee55, what's the best way to poke drainage holes in the bottom of 2L's? I tried a knife but it just would go through. I've got lots of them--good old Polar seltzer. Cutting them around the middle wasn't a problem but I couldn't come up with a good way to poke holes in the bottom.

I poke with an ice pick, then enlarge by inserting scissors in the hole and twisting.

Karen

I cut the drainage holes in the bottom using an awl tool on my Swiss army knife. Insert and twist.

Some people use a soldering iron and melt holes; some use scissors. I think Token used a band saw.

If you have a gas stove, or gas grill, or similar source, heat the ice pick until it starts to turn pinkish red, then punch holes in your containers. A hot ice pick cuts holes through plastic like a hot knife through butter. (Well, almost).

If you have lots of containers, you will need to reheat the ice pick as it cools off. A red hot ice pick makes the process go faster and easier.

Yep, I used a bandsaw. I made slits in the "legs" of the bottle. 5 slits in each. They ended up being about 2" long and was perfect for drainage both on the bottom and up the side, plus it's the lowest point in the bottles. Then I used the bandsaw to cut them in half. A pair of scissors made a slice up the side of either the top or the bottom so that they fit into each other. It reduced their center of gravity. Not one flipped over all winter long.

Wintersowing with a bandsaw video - Youtube

deposit bottles now that is a really good idea unfortunately, I live in a no deposit no return state. But we do have recycling in our community, I guess it's time to
meet the neighbors. Not that all will be thrilled when I put out my seasonal display of jugs.

MARY

gardenweed,
I make drainage holes the same way token does, only I use a utility knife. Whichever method you use, just make sure you have a little "side drainage" because holes or slits on the bottom only sometimes get clogged. (wish I had a bandsaw, he makes it look so easy!!)

I was trying to use a knife. It was taking forever and I jabbed myself several times. So my husband came up with a better idea. We cut the bottles open and fold them back and set them down on a piece of scrap wood 2x4 and stick the cordless drill down inside and drill through the plastic until you hit the wood. Works good. I cut a bunch open and then take them out on the pourch and can drill the holes in a bunch of bottles in just a couple of minutes. But hold the bottle tightly or they start spinning like crazy until you hit the wood.

It depends on where you live-as soon as I saw the new (nasty!) bottle in the stores in the next county I freaked & started saving the old style bottles early, but several months later we still have the "good" bottle style here. I'm sure that it will change sometime, and then I'll have to rely on my sister the Pepsi drinker w/2 teenage sons! Yup, I'm bummed too!

We don't have the 'new' shape of coke bottle yet, but I think the area where they have placed the label has enough room for us to cut and make our vertical slits. When I started, I used a hot knife and ruined a few (you can't get the plastic completely off). Now I swear by a soldering iron for my drainage holes - one in the middle, then slits in each of the 'legs' for bottom and side drainage. Takes very little time and effort. I start the horizontal cut with the soldering iron and complete it with 'Crash Test Scissors' - the heavy duty ones they use for cutting crash victims out of their clothes. They will cut almost anything. Then as I am a tool person, I have a mini-spade to get my seedlings out, but before I had that I used a spoon - the small plastic-covered spoon used for feeding babies. They are straight and firm enough to cut through the roots and you can press them against the sides to bring the seedlings out. That way you don't have to cut the containers open as I have heard some WSers say. If you really wanted to get inventive, you could stuff the curved parts with newsaper so no soil goes there and no roots grow into that area. Where ther's a will there's a way. Good luck!!

If you have a Biggs grocery in your area, they sell a 3 liter pop. The bottle is shaped just like the normal 2 liters, they're just a little bigger- a little taller, a little wider. They work really well for wintersowing.

Trouble is I don't like Biggs or their generic pop. I've tried to learn but can't.

So check out the generic pop at your local groceries, maybe they have a cool bottle, too.
Karen

WOW! Those bottles aren't in Canada yet like Northerner points out and I sure hope they don't make their way up here, but know that in time they will. Thanks for the warning!

I usually keep my 2 liters for year to year but will be making even more of an effort to do so this coming year.