milk jugs vs raised bed for WS

12 years ago

What is the advantage of the milk jugs? Is it so you can label your seedlings. With the milk jugs do you have to make slits in the top. The cap is thrown away right?

My other option which I'd like to try is to make a wooden box with 1 ft high walls and fill it with dirt and cover it with thick plastic. The plastic would have slits in it and I would ancor the plastic down with rocks or bungy cords.

Is it too early to start sowing now.

I do have quit a collection of milk jugs and good soil ready to go, so you tell me which idea is best,

TY so much

Newbie to WS

Comments (4)

morz8 - Washington Coast
12 years ago
Micki, a problem with a large 'container' like you describe is you will have different type plants germinating at different times, the requirements/hardiness won't be uniform and cover on/cover off could be a problem ...

Moving the seedlings becomes more of an act of transplanting too than with breaking off a 3-4" deep chunk of soil with roots that you've removed from a milk jug or other type pot.

I've sown a few things that require a warm moist period before a prolonged chill in order to germinate - other than that, nothing. I don't know where you are, but it's not that cold here yet. Things could germinate to be lost to a winter storm later.

Winter sowing traditionally begins on the solstice, Dec 21, although many of us can be busy that week and while we may do a token container, the bulk of winter sowing could be after Christmas and holidays.

By good soil ready to go, do you mean a soilless mix formulated for use in containers? That seems to work best.
micki
Original Author
12 years ago
very good, you've answered my questions, and I have several containers. How do you transplant seedlings from the milk jugs. Would cutting the milk jugs be necessary.

No my soil is miracle grow type, and sort of a succulent mix with lots of pine bark muld and pea pebbles and sifted garden soil. By soiless do you mean vermiculite and perlite?

Are you bleaching your milk jugs out?
They are to be cut in half right?
Save top or not?
Make slits in the top for water to run through and ventilation right?
I can get started already.
And I want to get than paint pen I've been reading about.
Micki
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bakemom_gw
12 years ago
Two important things:
1. Read the FAQs
2. Include your zone and location so we can better understand your conditions.

Also check out wintersown.org.

Then, come back with more questions.

no bleach
cap off is all you need
holes in the bottom
I cut mine in half to form a hinge - there are other ways.
docmom_gw
12 years ago
Another advantage to smaller containers, if no one else has mentioned it, is soil temperature. The smaller containers warm up faster and so will germinate a bit sooner than the raised beds.

Martha