I put my sprouted containers in dappled shade. When it's time to "vent" I just whip my tops off like gardeners gone wild.

As for my tip - never never ever use cheap potting soil. EVER!

Need seeds? I have tons.

I don't ever cap the jugs; the spout acts like a flu and vents out most heat. If I really need too I add some gashes to the top and/or attach a clothepin to the bottom half so the top half can't make a close seal--that seems to do the trick for me.

I think most importantly is to get a good potting soil mix,or seed starting mix; not those cheapies found in the Dollar Stores, and then to use at least 3 inches of this good soil in what ever container you decide to use. Oh and don't forget to label each container with seed name and date.
Alberta

Welcome aboard. These kinds of threads are fun and informative. Here's my thoughts:

something you may feel is important for a newbie to know

You already know maybe the most important thing a newbie should know ... don't be afraid to ask questions

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

something you learned your first year

It's okay to experiment ... in fact ... it's fun to experiment and learn to do things "your way".

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

something you would not do again

I will not again sow multiple varieties in the same container.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

something you have always done since you started WS because it worked out so well

Plan seed selections in advance, prepare tools, containers, soil and space in advance, employ an assembly line approach to as many of the individual tasks in the process as possible, and knock out as many containers as possible in each session because the advance planning and preparation affords it and a high finished container yield is what makes all the advance planning and preparation worth the effort.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

something you have learned over the years to be effective

Merlot lubricates the process quite well.

:-D

Label, label, label - because you will forget! I like to put a tag inside my pot so when it's time to plant out my seedlings I can plunk it into the ground right along with them.

Everyone has their favorite way to make a tag. The aluminum foil tape I found to be the all time best way to make a tag for me. I stick them on a cut-up mini blinds. They last a long time and I reuse them from year to year if I'm replanting the same thing. Last year I found that they started skimping on the quality of the mini-blinds; they are making them really flimsy and they crack when you bend them. This year I'm going to get a more expensive blind and skip the discount stores.

Hi! Already wonderful advice! :) Thanks!:)
Bakemom,you are too funny! I have plenty of seeds to start with,so I am not in need of any,but Thanks,you are so sweet!
So Trudi, what your saying is to not use the lids on my milk jugs at any stage?Just leave them off from beginning to end? How would I know that I need more ventilation? Any tell tale signs?
I am using a sphagnum and perlite mix to start my seeds in,I hope that is satisfactory.The soil I bought wasnt top of the line but wasnt the cheapest either,I got it at Home Depot.I plan to use the soil for the ones I am planting in containers.
I have already prepared to label everything inside and out,I am going to put plant markers inside the containers and a label on the outside.I had this vision of a million milk jugs and no idea what was in them...lol!I am thinking of using Paint Markers for this, any pros or cons to this? What does the majority use?
Mudinmyshorts,you answered a question I was going to ask already! I was going to ask if there was any success in planting multiple varieties in one container.I wll need more jugs...lol! I am going to take your advice on preparing,I have all my supplies,I just need to disinfect my containers and mix up my peat and perlite.I have been going through my seeds choosing ones that I feel would be best for winter sowing.I already have Sundew patiently waiting in a pot on my porch,so I guess those would be my first to sow!

I am going to use some 1 gallon ice cream buckets,so far I have a couple,but plan to feed my family lots of ice cream over the next month...lol!:)I have saved a few clear plastic bakery containers,like the ones the cookies are in at the grocers bakery,are these any good to use?They seem sort of flimsy and I am afraid they may colapse under the weight of the snow.
I have been trying to figure out what I am going to sow for solstice,as soon as I read about the celebration I knew I had to participate! I plan to make my choices over the week end! :)
I am so giddy about WS,I cant wait to get my containers out side! :)
Thanks again for the tips,you all have already helped ease my newbie nerves! :)
~Angie
p.s.Not a wine drinker,but have been known to crack a light beer once in awhile...lol!

Hi. I only have 1 year of experience, but here is my 2 cents!
You don't really have to harden them off. They are already used to being outside. You just kind of use a 6th sense to determine if you need to remove the top of the milk container, or leave it on. I either left the whole top on, or took it off completely. Some plants grew so fast that I had to take the tops off so they could breathe (lettuce, zinnia's). Others I left the tops on until the day they were planted (rose campion, lupines). It also depends on the moisture level. Last spring was strange. We had a major snow in mid-April.
As to my best advice, label your containers well, with a paint pen, NOT a permanent marker, because they are not permanent!
What will I do again? Like Mims said, plan ahead (I burnt holes in most of my containers in early November).
I am ready to go!!!
And I just receive a huge package of seeds from a group trade. WOOOHHHOOO! I love winter (sowing)!!!
Maggie

Shimla,you posted while I was composing my post!....lol...so I guess I was right to mark them inside and out!Thanks!:)
These aluminum foil tags how do you make them?Or do you buy them?
~Angie

1) Something you may feel is important for a newbie to know:
It will take until at least July to get all the seedlings planted.

2) Something you learned your first year:
Milk jugs with the U-flap are convenient. It is easier to cut the U-flap in December on an empty jug than in April on a full one.

3) Something you would not do again:
Pick apart EVERY seedling sown hunk-o-sod style.

4) Something you have always done since you started WS because it worked out so well:
For my second year, I will once again hedge my bets and sow 1/2 the seeds in the dead of winter, and 1/2 in the early spring.

5) Something you have learned over the years to be effective:
Instead, I'll post what I wish I had learned:
These folks are not joking when they say containers will fry in full sun in May.

Have fun!
Squirrel-Girl

The only sign that I can guarantee shows you need more ventilation would be green algae on the soil. Ventilation does a few things, it lets in fresh air and wind to clear out stale air. In a stagnant atmosphere your seeds can get damp-off. The venting also allows excess moisture to evaporate. The vents do let in rain and snow which are both important to keep the flats moist but sometimes if the base of the flat is frozen solid, a cold rain may not drain through well enough, so good venting helps by allowing moisture to evaporate...on the other hand, in warm weather and a hot and windy day the venting is too much and the soil can dry out. Fortunately tape and scissors can correct either situation, you add vents with scissors and tape over excess vents. These are very quick fixes, most of the time you won't have to do any of that...but should you think you need to it can be done in moments.

A lot of us store milk jugs throughout the season because they're such great WS containers. It is a REALLY BAD IDEA to store them with their caps on. You might think you've got the inside super clean before you store them, but there's always a few micro-particles of milk left in there to go sour over a span of a few short weeks and build up a scent that will knock you over when you take the cap off. I simply rinse that bottle very well and toss the cap in the trash.

T

April has a really great pic in the thread below of the tape. I think it's just awesome. I get it in the hardware stores (in the plumbing sections). It's rather like your kitchen aluminum foil. You can write on it with a pen/pencil it doesn't matter. It makes an indent on the foil so you don't have to worry about print fading. It sticks unbelievable well so it doesn't peel off when wet. If you stick it to the outsides of your pots, you should make sure to brush off any sand that might be there (I don't clean my pots for year to year) and you're good to go. Ron had a really great up-close photo but I can't find it tonight.

I used to label on the outsides of the pots and put a tag inside. I graduated to lazy girl so I just tuck one on the inside. I miss not knowing what's in the pot before it's time to take the cover off but it saves time.

Here is a link that might be useful: Faded labels thread

Ok,I am glad I started this thread,it is nice to have all these great tips in one spot!:)
Ok so let me get this right,I am not using those little lids at all?If so, this will relieve DH he is tired of finding them stashed everywhere...lol!
Maggie,I also am due for a giant package and have received a couple of nice size ones from generous traders,I am in seed heaven! :) I am not only starting a bunch of annuals for this house but I am starting my perennials for the next and starting Mothers Day gifts...lol... also have plans to grow a few other types that cant be WS during the spring and summer,I love to watch plants grow from beginning to end, so the more types I start the better for me! I promise not to over due it....giggle...:)Oh and Maggie,how is that crazy Tiger?
squirrelgirl,I have been reading alot, but, somehow have over looked the U-flap part,can anybody explain?
I was wondering about the 'hunk o seedling' method,I somewhat do that with my transplanted babies,it is tedious work to seperate them all and it seems you lose more seperating them anyway.I think the hunk o seedlings is what I will do also! :) So you plant 1/2 in the winter and the other 1/2 in the spring? That sounds like a brillant idea,I am definitley going to do that myself,thinking about it ,it makes perfect sense!Thanks! I will keep an eye on the sun situation,I plan to put them on my deck,which leads to a question for everybody,One 1/2 of my deck gets the morning sun and evening shade the other 1/2 gets the evening sun and shade in the morning,it is completely enclosed with panels,my question is which is the better 1/2 to put my flats?
I think I am going to play with the ventilaton with a mock container so I can better judge when there are no babies involved!
I want to thank all of you ,I tried to inform myself as much as possible before posting any questions,of course I have a ton more to learn, but, between you guys and another member that lives in my area that WS,I think I might just be Ok with this...lol! :)

Shimla! That is such a great idea! Thanks for the tip!Now I need too find some mini blinds.......:)

Welcome, welcome - Ask any questions on this forum, none are silly and don't ever be afraid.

I have an idea for you and many other newbies. If you go to the "search" bar and type in the word (for example)
"Learned" - many threads will come up from the archives - and particularly there's a good one from June 18, 2007 -
and many others - There we have had threads where many have posted previous mistakes or what they learned from experiences, etc. etc. There is a lot of information if you use that search feature. I have found it helped me tremendously.

Good luck - and please ask as many questions you want - but don't blame us if you become a wintersowing "addict"...
There's no cure!

Carrie

A couple things I have learned along the way: what ever you decide to label with be sure it will stay through all the harsh winter elements, secure your bottles so they can not be blown over, and last be sure that whatever you ws will not sprout to soon if we get some warm temps during the winter months.. I used to start the 1st of January but now wait till at least mid-January though it is so hard!!! hehe

Hi there, agirlsgirl! I "know" you from the big seed swap.

I've read of other people using the cookie containers. If you add supports, they won't collapse--use something like a chopstick broken off to the right height, and put a few of those near the center of the container.

I think the more sun your containers get, the sooner they sprout. Earlier is better, as long as they're perennials, and maybe with annuals. With annuals, frost can be an issue (alhtough some are frost-hardy) so a warm spell and a lot of sun could make them sprout earlier than is good for them. Once the weather warms up, if the containers dry out quickly I'd move them into less sun, and definitely less sun if the lids are still on.

These are the tips I think will be helpful, in addition to ones mentioned by others above:

Poke bigger drainage holes than you think you need--1/4 to 3/8 IS the right size. Do some on the low SIDES, too. I started out with smaller drainage holes, and not as many on the sides, and I found setting the containers on bread-flats helped with drainage.

Unless you really know the plant, also write its height, color, and A, P or B (annual etc) on the label you make when you sow, for ease during plant out.

You can get containers easily by going to a recycling drop-off center and fishing around in the dumpsters. Just park your car close, and try not to blush when people catch you! If you make a fishing stick for recycling dumpsters, make it LONG, and/or have a wrist-strap on it so you don't drop it into the bottom of the bin! I made mine by taping a coat-hanger onto a stick. A short stick. :(

*** Put out a container with no seeds in it. You can then use that containerÂs weed sprouts to compare with your other containers, and you wonÂt be fooled and get all excited about sprouts that you identify as weeds weeks later!

I think that the better soil depends on what you are growing. I did Cosmos, Petunias, Marigolds, Tomatoes, Peppers, MG's and Sweet Alyssum last year and they all did great in soil that I gathered from one of my raised beds that I was working on. I mix 1 bag of top soil, 1/2 bag of cow manure and a 3rd of a bag of Home Depot's black satin mulch. Now these are all really hardy plants so maybe that's why they did well in this soil especially the Cosmos I think you could plant them in concrete and they would come up. Now this year I'm going to do some different plants and I planned on doing 2 containers of each one in the mix above and the other one in Miracle Grow to see which does best. What's so great about WSing is that it's soooooooooo cheap. All it cost you to do more jugs is a trip to the recycle area and some more dirt so make sure that you experiment and make your own decisions about the dirt.
PS this is only my 2nd year and it will be my 1st year using Miracle Grow so maybe next spring I'll be on here tell you how wrong I was about the soil but I find it hard to believe that the list I have above could do any better than they did this year. Best of luck and have fun.

Strouper

Thanks so much for all of the advice! You guys have pointed out so many things that will save me a ton of trouble I am sure!I think I may just place my containers out in the yard and when the days get longer move them onto the deck,I have an abandoneed veggie garden,that always volunteers tomatoes so I think I might just put them there for most of the winter and as things warm up and there is more sun they can be easily moved closer for better observation,please if you see any problems with my plan speak up!...lol...I am depending on my annuals to fill in this yard to sell this house,so they must make it...lol!:)Once again thanks for all the thoughtful advice,~Angie

Angie, thanks for starting this thread. I've picked up several ideas too. Everybdy here gives such good advice!
BTW, Tiger was spayed on Friday, & is resting comfortably in the laundry room. She is very happy being inside!
Maggie

YAY for Tiger! Congrats on your new addition(grin)! :)
This thread has been very helpful to me also,I have more little details here than I could find on a search,things I wouldnt even think of to search for are right here! Thanks again for all the wonderful tips,every tip has been very helpful in one way or another,I am not so nervous about this anymore,much more relaxed, and I owe that to all of you!:)

Put out a container with no seeds in it. You can then use that containerÂs weed sprouts to compare with your other containers

Good one, stage rat. I've never thought to do that but it makes perfect sense, and I think I'll start doing a small container with each new soil bag to see if that helps me identify my annual mystery monster population earlier.

When I used deli cake containers they cracked- not from snow but just got brittle in the sun, freezing, heating, etc. I stick to milk jugs.

I label jugs only with paint pens- they don't fade. Also label top and bottom half of each jugs. For in-ground markers, cut up yogurt cups and cottage cheese containers work well and they're free. You wil need a LOT of labels.

Karen

Newbie sitting here looking at an empty milk jug and wondering where the u-flap is.

:)
Thanks for all the other tips!

Did anybody mention washing containers in the dishwasher? I had 18 regular planting pots and put them and their trays in there.

This might help, scroll down until you find the title about the milk jugs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tips and Tricks-Milk Jugs

Thank YOU for that milk jug link, VERY inspiring.

:)

Love the CELLS idea, I had been wondering how to keep the roots separated in there. Very good!

You GUYS ROCK!

Agirlsgirl, the U-flap is just a U shaped cut in the top of the milk jug. It can be bent open or closed as venting is needed. Mine were about 3". I suppose they could be any size. I could probably have used one on each top side. I started the winter with the cap off and the U-flaps closed. As the weather warmed up, I started bending the flaps in more and more to create a bigger opening. In a cold snap, I could pull the little flap pretty much closed again.

Stage Rat,I LOVE the idea of the empty weed seed pot.

Here's another one. The sprouts grow faster once they are planted out in the ground. Sometimes, overnight I've noticed a few have appeared to have doubled in size. I'm not kidding, they love to be planted out! I don't know if you have room for a holding bed? I use a holding bed and I do a mass planting of things that have sprouted as soon as they look big enough. I just plant them in little lines (row run them). I make a trench about the depth of my pots and spread the plants out into it (I don't individually do each seedling) then backfill so they are snug in the ground. It goes quick. Then, I plunk my tag in and start on the next pot until my trench is full. If you put the trenches really close together, the seedlings will be fine and you don't take much space up at all.

It makes watering so much easier having everything together, you don't have to do individual pots (and you can start cleaning up the pots faster). They seem to take the downpours well and no worries about draining containers that flood. It gives you much more planning time rather than the 'plunk and run' method. Some people are really good at the planning part but I have a hard time digesting it all, all at once. Plus, it seems the things I want the most, germinate less than other things so I have to change around my plans anyway. When you start doing hundreds of pots you just end up overwhelmed trying to figure out where to put them all at once. This way is much easier for me. It's like shopping at a nursery when you go to make a bed! You can just pull out clumps of seedlings you want to use in different areas. I had enough space in my holding bed to leave my perennials until the next year (although I'm running out of room). There's nothing like having spare plants in the yard just in case :)

Shilohyn! thanks so much for the pictures. worth a thousand words and I finally get it!
~tom

I'm gonna jump in here cause this is my first time WS too. I'm wondering if I HAVE to put the jugs out on the ground. What I mean is would it work to put them on the patio (which is covered but not closed in. My dogs will tear the jugs apart if I put them out in the backyard and I'm afraid our code enforcement people would try to ticket me for "garbage" in the front yard if I put a gazillion jugs out there. What do you all think?

I'm using gallon water jugs rather than milk just so I don't have to clean them up so much. We buy bottled water for our animals so I have plenty of them.

Also how many seeds can you sow in a container. I have several seeds that I want to sow a bunch of. So i'm wondering if I can put a lot of seeds (same kind) in the same container.

Michelle
just outside OKC, OK

1) Something you may feel is important for a newbie to know:
Sow heavier than any commercial seed packet ever indicates.

2) Something you learned your first year:
I use a modified milk jug flap - I turn the U upside-down like a doorway arch, so it opens like a drawbridge. The flap bends down to open. This allows the same improved access (instead of cutting the whole jug in half), but increases access by allowing me to see what I'm doing in there! No ducking low to see under the flap.

3) Something you would not do again:
I will never use salad containers again, not enough soil and they dry out too easy. Had much better germination rates in the milikjugs.

4) Something you have always done since you started WS because it worked out so well -- Am changing this to "this year's hopeful improvement" since it's only my second year:

I like sowing more than one thing per container, and often have lots of things that I only have a small amount of seeds for -- so am using bottomless dixie cups as dividers inside the milk jugs. this way I can sow several columbines in the same container, and then they should all be ready to plant out at the same time.

Last year I put several things in the same jug, but had to keep them of different types (can't put rudbeckia 1 in with rudbeckia 2 or they're gonna get blurred together with watering sliding seeds around) so knew what was what if they got blurred together. This made for needing to remove 1/4 of the container for planting out and the rest of the container not being ready; and having much more complicated records for the jugs. Now I have Columbine jugs, Astible jugs, etc. Nice.

From last year--
Plant tag goes in with the seeds! Still listing container code numbers onto paper with a diagram of what seeds are where in each one...just in case of a container tumble later.

Paint markers are great for labels.

Make friends with someone who has 6 kids. They'll produce 5+ milk jugs per week for ya'.

5) Something you have learned over the years to be effective:
Organize the process for speed. Don't even try to hit the "normal germination" instructions for each seed type. Just plant half as deep as the widest part of the seed, don't bother nicking/soaking anything; make the seed lists straight from my seed box and leave it alphabetized; only separate the list by "these are definately being sown" and "these might if I have time", perennials and annuals, just basic prioritization; chunk the Priority Perennials list into 1st third = do in December, 2nd third = do in Jan, 3rd third = do in Feb; Priority Annuals into 1st half = do in March, 2nd half = do in April. Get to the extras when they fit in.

Gottta love the assembly line approach.

I'll follow Stage-Rat's example -- that weed seed pot is a "to die for" idea!

Yay! After so much copying of other people's good ideas, I managed to contribute a good idea of my own! :)