Want to get a head start on your garden for the spring? Reuse gallon milk jugs to start seedlings for your garden.
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@Robin . . . thanks for the tip! This process is so new to me and so the learning has been fun.
Wintersown.org is the place to go for information on this. You can even get free seeds from this organization. I’ve gotten free seeds from them for two years in a row. They have so much information on this topic and I think these other websites probably got their information from here.
I’ve not done this method before but not all plants will grow by winter-sowing. Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, etc. are warm weather plants and won’t grow. You can grow things like lettuce and spinach, some herbs, and some flowers this way though. Look for varieties that are especially cold hardy.
I love this! I’m going to start some to give to my mom and sisters on Easter.
What a great idea- I can’t believe I’ve never seen this done before! I am just about to start my seeds so I will look into this further!
Over the winter, my husband had us and his parents saving milk jugs for this exact reason.
Any general tips/advice on how to inexpensively start and maintain a flower and/or veggie garden?
K – I just bought flower seeds last year and planted them. My Cosmos were amazing up until November. Sure, it took a little while to grow, so if you are into instant gratification with flowers this may not be the way for you. But with seeds, you can really grow a lot of flowers for a fraction of the cost of pre-grown potted ones. And yes, they look every bit a beautiful! Look at growing a butterfly garden – most varieties are native to your area and thus prove more hardy.
Hope this helps,
Michelle
http://www.texashomemaking.blogspot.com
Check freecycle or craigslist for people diving plants and giving away the extra.
I will say while Freecycle and Craigslist have fantastic offers – be wary of plants from them. Before you take them home and plant them in your garden double check the soil for termites or fire ants. We got a ton of gorgeous plants from Freecycle a few years back but had to dispose of them after noticing termites in the soil. But if you come across “clean” plants, than by all means plant them! Good luck!
That is such a neat idea. Where we live, little bunnies love seedlings. What a great way to grow and protect them. With our family of 7 going through easily 4 gallons a week, we can have a garden in not time at all!! Thanks for this great idea.
Katheryn
http://www.outoftheboring.com
I’ve done this in the past! I’ve even used juice containers too. They are a little smaller but have a great retangular shape for easy organizing.
Lowes has some fantastic seeds right now – even organic. They also just got their shipments of fresh flowers in. Absolutely gorgeous!
We found awesome deals at Menard and Lowes. We got seeds for .50.
Great use for milk jugs! Are there any good deals around for vegetable and herb seeds right now? Thanks!