winter sowing

**jimmy cee** 2/23/2014, 4:14 pm

I came across this phrase this morning, did a google on it and came up with some very interesting info.
Have you ever heard of it before ? (winter sowing).
I just love the idea of using up bottles that otherwise would be tossed into the rubbish.
Done correctly it looks like many miniature hot houses.
Gallon milk jugs seem to be widely used also.
winter sowing Winter12

CapeCoddess 2/23/2014, 4:17 pm

yes, I've heard of it. The ones I saw used milk jugs. I think it's a neat idea! Are you going to try it?

CC

**jimmy cee** 2/23/2014, 4:34 pm

you betcha.
just finished up a new batch of grow lights.
T-8s 2 footer's 4 of them makes 8 bulbs, I needed another row.

CapeCoddess 2/23/2014, 4:43 pm

are the grow lights for the jugs? The ones I saw sat outside and started to sprout when their time came. No grow lights needed.

quiltbea 2/23/2014, 4:58 pm

I tried some winter sowing year before last, in bottles, left outdoors in the winter. The idea being they will sprout sooner. Well, it didn't work for me. I had 3 bottles of cole crops and except for a few germinating, then dying, in the spring, they just didn't work for me.
winter sowing 01-24-10

Broccoli, cauliflower and parsley on Jan 24th when I sowed the seeds.

**jimmy cee** 2/23/2014, 9:33 pm

CC...no I just needed another set of lights now need to figure out what I am going to use to hang it, may use threaded rod hangers so I can adjust in small increments.
winter sowing New_li10

QB... All the bottle's I've seen growing have been cut in half and taped.
Look at the pic, see how their cut in half ?
I am going to try this soon, only will open up the top on nice days.
Have lots of flowers to plant and seeds to use

Marc Iverson 2/23/2014, 10:58 pm

I'm going to be doing that this year too. There were a couple of discussions about winter-sowing just last week, and I provided a good link on it.

I've collected a couple of milk jugs and may also use some 2-liter bottles for smaller plants.

The reason people slice the jugs in half is to tilt back the top half if the plants have sprouted and it has gotten unseasonably hot and sunny. That can help control moisture build-up and spur earlier growth (if that's even desirable).

Windsor.Parker 2/24/2014, 7:22 pm

jimmy cee wrote:...
I just love the idea of using up bottles that otherwise would be tossed into the rubbish.
Done correctly it looks like many miniature hot houses.
Gallon milk jugs seem to be widely used also.

And your bottle garden will be more manageable if you can score some of those crates used by deliverymen.

**jimmy cee** 2/24/2014, 9:57 pm

Great thought Windsor !!!!

quiltbea 2/25/2014, 11:18 am

Jimmy.....I cut my bottles in half and taped them, also.

Goosegirl 2/26/2014, 8:24 am

I am definitely trying a few of these this spring! Still way too cold to even attempt right now, but when temps stabilize above 0, I will get a few bottles ready to set outside.

GG

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