Upcycling milk cartons into starter packs

I have a growing collection of milk cartons. Also, I need to start plants away from cold over-night temperatures and preying sow bugs. For plants like Radish, which sometimes sell for 35c/bunch in the stores, it makes no economic sense to use 10c peat pots. So, bringing it all together ...



My 2nd version (not shown) has four bottomless sections that slide out of a containing box. This will make it easier to pop the plants out when they're ready to transplant.

SF Gardeners are a clever and resourceful bunch!

PS Direct sow radishes in the bed.

sanderson wrote:PS  Direct sow radishes in the bed.

I did this successfully with SFG#2. But when I tried it with SFG#1 the young plants were so savaged by tiny critters that it stunted their growth. I've noticed that once plants reach a certain size and get their secondary leaves they tend to withstand attacks better. Except Bok Choy, which get attacked no matter what I do.

I'm thinking that one of the downsides of living in a warmer area is that there is never a clean cut off between years, and the bugs never get frozen out. So perhaps the bug population was able to build up over the course of the last 8 months in Box #1. I've put out active yeast traps and there are earwigs, sow bugs, and some very tiny things that I may be baby earwigs and sow bugs. Is there an entomologist in the house? I've noticed that yeast doesn't seem to drown snails, though it does attract them.

So, anyway, this is why I'm thinking of removing the laths from the SFGs and replacing with cord of some type. I've seen sow bugs scurry under the laths for a hiding place. This is also why I'm starting the radishes outside of the garden, even though it would be more convenient to start inside the garden. I'm experimenting with making barriers around the most threatened plants. I'm also a bit tempted to look into actual pesticides

Both SFG#1 and #2 are under tulle, so it doesn't seem to be a flying-insect problem. I've noticed that the cabbage looper moth goes away this time of the year, because even the Kale trees outside the tulle are doing pretty well. The two boxes are only 20 feet apart, and yet there is a major difference between their performance.

Thanks!

I lightly sprinkle with Sluggo PLUS around the perimeters, and even a couple grains around each young seedling. I know sow bugs and earwigs aren't supposed to eat plants but they sure do my young seedlings and new sprouts. Maybe it's a CA thing.

sanderson wrote:I lightly sprinkle with Sluggo PLUS around the perimeters, and even a couple grains around each young seedling.  I know sow bugs and earwigs aren't supposed to eat plants but they sure do my young seedlings and new sprouts.  Maybe it's a CA thing.

It isn't a CA thing. The sowbugs with totally destroy my young seedlings if I do not control them - I put out swimming pool traps for them when I plant the seeds, and by the time the seedlings are up most of the sowbugs are gone.  But, the sowbugs not only eat the young seedlings, they take bites out of the radishes and destroy their beautiful red coat.

The more mulch or compost there is, the more sowbugs there are.

sanderson wrote:I lightly sprinkle with Sluggo PLUS around the perimeters, and even a couple grains around each young seedling.  I know sow bugs and earwigs aren't supposed to eat plants but they sure do my young seedlings and new sprouts.  Maybe it's a CA thing.

Ok, I'm ordering the Sluggo. Now what am I going to do with the beer I have for the garden? It's not very good beer

OhioGardener wrote: I put out swimming pool traps for them when I plant the seeds, and by the time the seedlings are up most of the sowbugs are gone. 

What are swimming pool traps?

OhioGardener wrote:The more mulch or compost there is, the more sowbugs there are.

There's my problem --  I always plant with a bucket of compost by my side!

markqz wrote:

OhioGardener wrote:I put out swimming pool traps for them when I plant the seeds, and by the time the seedlings are up most of the sowbugs are gone. 

What are swimming pool traps?

Bury shallow cans, such as a Tuna can, so that the rim of it is even with the soil level, then fill the can half full of water.  After dark, when no one is watching, the sowbugs will go skinny dipping. But, they can't climb back out of the pool. The next morning, pull up the cans of dead sowbugs and dump it on the compost pile, re-bury the cans and re-fill half full with water for the next nights swim event.

markqz wrote:OhioGardenerThe more mulch or compost there is, the more sowbugs there are.
There's my problem --  I always plant with a bucket of compost by my side!

Keep the bucket of compost by your side, just thin the sowbug population. 

OhioGardener wrote:Bury shallow cans, such as a Tuna can, so that the rim of it is even with the soil level, then fill the can half full of water.  After dark, when no one is watching, the sowbugs will go skinny dipping. But, they can't climb back out of the pool. The next morning, pull up the cans of dead sowbugs and dump it on the compost pile, re-bury the cans and re-fill half full with water for the next nights swim event.

Oh, so maybe I don't need to fill the "pools" with active yeast?

Thanks!

markqz wrote:

sanderson wrote:I lightly sprinkle with Sluggo PLUS around the perimeters, and even a couple grains around each young seedling.  I know sow bugs and earwigs aren't supposed to eat plants but they sure do my young seedlings and new sprouts.  Maybe it's a CA thing.

Ok, I'm ordering the Sluggo. Now what am I going to do with the beer I have for the garden? It's not very good beer

Sluggo PLUS, not just Sluggo.  I poured a bottle of nasty beer in one of my compost piles.  I know a woman who feeds her roses beer and epson salts.

sanderson wrote:

markqz wrote:

sanderson wrote:I lightly sprinkle with Sluggo PLUS around the perimeters, and even a couple grains around each young seedling.  I know sow bugs and earwigs aren't supposed to eat plants but they sure do my young seedlings and new sprouts.  Maybe it's a CA thing.

Ok, I'm ordering the Sluggo. Now what am I going to do with the beer I have for the garden? It's not very good beer

Sluggo PLUS, not just Sluggo.  I poured a bottle of nasty beer in one of my compost piles.  I know a woman who feeds her roses beer and epson salts.

Makes me think of those flying horses that only drink malt whiskey.

So, how long does it take for Sluggo Plus to start working, and are there any indicators (like dead critters lying around) ?

Thanks!

markqz wrote:Makes me think of those flying horses that only drink malt whiskey.

So, how long does it take for Sluggo Plus to start working, and are there any indicators (like dead critters lying around) ?

Thanks!

Or, as Toby Keith says, "Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses..."

Sluggo Plus works as soon as the snails, slugs, sowbugs, etc., eat it - assuming they get to it before they get to the seedling they are headed for. Won't see any dead critters, though, as they return to their hiding place to die. The only indicator would be seeing less damage to the plants.

As OG wrote, you just see less critters starting, like, the next day.  I have seen a few sow bug "shells," though, as well as snail shells.

I just realized that I can cut out plastic muffin containers to use as plant sleeves. From this I conclude that I should be eating more muffins  

I like how your milk carton design follows the square motif! LOL

sanderson wrote:Sluggo PLUS, not just Sluggo

I see AM Leonard has the same formula (iron phosphate plus spinosad) though there's no price advantage unless you buy 20 lbs at a time.

markqz wrote:

sanderson wrote:Sluggo PLUS, not just Sluggo

I see AM Leonard has the same formula (iron phosphate plus spinosad) though there's no price advantage unless you buy 20 lbs at a time.

I bought some last year from the local Home Depot - they had it in 1#, 2.5#, and 5# bottles.  Don't remember the price.

So I want to retain notes with a square. Like when did I last use sluggo here? Or when did I transplant the marigold? But everything I've tried gets washed away by rain or faded by sun.

But I've also got buckets of old pens, saved because ??? They will never write again. But if you unscrew them, pull out the cartridge, you have a waterproof chamber in which to insert rolled up notes. The pen can then stay in the square, ready for the next update.

So now I've got the garden memory stick:

Modifying my approach to use origami paper separator boxes:



The problem with the previous approach is that the soil would fall apart when transplanting. Now I can transplant the boxes themselves.