In addition to my regular seed starting, I am trying the winter sowing method for the first time. Yarrow, chamomile, snap dragons, chives, lettuce, aster, and marigolds have all germinated successfully so far. I’m finding there are many positive aspects to this method:
1. They are not taking up any space inside under my grow lights, allowing me to grow more plants.
2. I have not had to water them at all. The jugs act as a green house, and they get additional water whenever it rains or snows.
3. I feel good about putting my plastic Simply Lemonade jugs to use. Even putting them in the recycle bin seemed wasteful. Now they have a purpose and a real second life. I’m hoping to re-use them next year too.
Garden Answer’s channel has many videos including progress updates about the winter sowing method. This is a good introduction to get you started, if you are interested.
Once I saw how successful my seedlings were growing, I took it a step further… I picked up a few used clear view bins with lids from Facebook Marketplace and drilled holes in the tops and bottoms. The lids had some cracks, but that doesn’t matter for their new purpose. I reused some old 4 and 6 cell packs to plant the seeds and fill the bins. I was glad to be able to re-purpose and reuse items that may have been considered trash. The lettuces in them have just started to sprout.
I am still starting many seeds inside, especially those warm temperature loving plants like tomatoes and peppers. In the past I’ve used the plastic seed cells and trays each year. However, they are cheap and the plastic was starting to crack and tear. Last year, I upgraded to trays I hope will last long-term. I have several Burpee SuperSeed Seed Starting Trays. I like that the water tray and upper parts of the cells are hard plastic. The bottoms of the cells are silicone, making them easy to squeeze and to pop out the seedlings. Also, I just read they are dishwasher safe! I haven’t tried it, but I will after this round of seedlings gets planted out. They come in a few different sizes, but I use these:
Leave a Reply