I finally have some sprouts in my WS jugs! There may be hope yet...

:hurray:

I used to use used yogurt cups a lot, for both indoor and outdoor seedlings, and cuttings. You can also use sytrofoam cups or Solo cups.


Karen

Ann I lost track of what it is you are growing in 3" pots? But I wouldn't grow anything outdoors in such s small container because it couldn't hold enough moisture

Ann was just looking to pot up seedlings from her milk jugs. I assume they're tiny and it would be for the short term. And Judy, it's probably easier to keep tiny cups moist for a few spring weeks in Pa. than in SC. In morning sun they'd probably be fine for a few weeks. We just got warmth up here last week. And I mean warmth, not heat. (You lucky dog Judy!)

Karen

I have a question----
Pretty new to WS--but I have 6 milk jugs going. I looked inside--and all have sprouts growing.

Now that the weather has settled down a bit--should I remove the tops and allow the
seedlings to continue growing in the jugs???
Then I could move the jugs around a bit.

Thanks--Gita

The way I do it is I check the forecast to see if it is going to get below 40 in the next week or two. If it is I keep the jug lid connected but I open it up. Kind of a pain because it takes up more space that way. But for the nights it is going to get below 40 I can tip the top back over to protect the seedlings. But it the weather looks good for two weeks out I cut the tops off. I've still had occasion where we got frost after I cut the tops off. I lugged everything into the garage for those nights.

Yes, remove the tops so they don't fry in the heat. Those jugs get hot in the sun. Also, keep them moist as temps get warmer. They might do better in part sun than full sun, too, until they're bigger.

Karen

My tomato babies came out of their WS-tote and went into cells, to toughen up before plant-out May 15th.

Ann, my way of saving on the cost of potting soil is to adulterate whatever I buy with cheap-cheap shredded, screened pine bark.

First screen out anything too big (small pots don't want chunks much bigger than .1 inch, and seedlings probably prefer smaller fibers anyway). If you don;t want to use the big bark chunks for mulch or outdoor soil amendments, you can chop up and rub down the big stuff into smaller fibers.

Screen, shred and rub until the bark approaches the coarseness that you want in your 3" pots.
- - - finer fibers hold more water, so you need to water less often
- - - coarser fibers let more air into the soil, so roots drown less often

Now mix well whatever potting soil you BUY with your bark shreds.

To save more money, use more bark. Anything from 0% bark to 70-80% bark is good, if the coarseness of the bark is fine enough. Start with 30% and go to 50% ASA you're comfortable with the texture and water-holding capacity.

I stopped buying and screening mulch from HD: what dirty, smelly, trash! Stored wet and fermenting anaerobically. Like a case study for what you do NOT want to expose plant roots to!

Lowe's had much cleaner bark products at around the same (cheap) price. Their "fine bark nuggets" looked almost like tiny orchid bark, but was coarser than I like for potting mix.

P.S. Don't sow tiny seeds that need to be on the surface (need light to germinate) into a COARSE mix. They fall into the cracks and are never seen again.

(Ask me why NO petunias germinated that year, in a whole tray! I was "experimenting" with well-draining, coarse bark mixes. "Bark" won't fix "dumb", even though I do rely on it to protect my seedlings from my over-watering them.)

Put a layer of something like medium vermiculite on top of the coarse mix, and sprinkle dust-like surface-sown-seeds on top of the vermiculite.

Ahh! I think i made a winter sowing fail: finally opened my containers with the intention to start transplanting and my broccoli and kohlrabi are ridiculously leggy. I don't think they're going to transplant very well, but I'm trying a few to see how they do. Most of the rest will be salad. direct sowed some seeds for good measure.
(wop woooomp)
The spinach is not so bad, and bok choi looks like it'll be fine. It's going to be high teens, low 20s celcius here the next week so will transplant this weekend, I think.

So, for future reference, when should you remove the lids: after the sprouts are a certain size, or once the weather hits a certain temperature?

Oy. Learning curve.

That's a tough one Peggy. I untape mine first when they get true leaves then open them up on warmer days and cover them when it gets cold. A few did get big and I had to remove the tops. Once I know the nights will be above 40 all the tops come off. Makes it easier for watering too.

Thanks Rick! I hadn't even thought about that. I actually have a bag of orchid mix that I won't be using anyway.

My first attempt at WS was quite a success. More than I had ever imagined.
Like--I sowed some Balloon flower--just for the heck of it--and they all came up!
Now I have, maybe, 20+ of these.
Also--I used to have a beautiful, yellow Rudbeckia Hirta--which I had not seen alive
since 2011. Old seeds? Yep! A bunch still came up.

I asked, here, back in April 22 if I should take my lids off--and it seemed
that I was already late doing so. SO--off they came!
The seedlings were already 3"-4" tall on most of them.
Now I am just waiting for this stupid weather to behave. Taining over andover!
Still cool nights--last night it was 43*. Tonight--around 48*.
In 2 days it is Mother's Day! What gives?

Anyway---here are some pictures.
1--My 5 milk jugs after I removed the tops. Everything looks good.


2--Here are some of the seedlings awaiting planting


They have grown bigger yet--mostly annual Celosias--some are now 7" tall.
Also--a lot of, what i am hoping, will be the Dwarf Red Satin coreopsis.
I have has issues with these--mostly thinking I am planting Blue Angelonias--and
had a lot of these Coreopsis come up.
Somehow, my seeds are mixwd up.. We will see!

Everything looks great Gita This weather has been horrible hasn't it I got my calendula in the other day but that's' about it. The rain is bad enough but the cold is killing me. Chills you to the bone when you're out in it.

Gita, your plants don't look "good" -- they look great!

I love the way you used the dividers in the jugs... I used some big kitty litter jugs, with several kinds of seeds in each, but it never occurred to me to do that . Next year...

I used straws and they rolled away

Great job!

Weather hasn't been great for gardening here, either. I'm way behind normal this year.

Karen

Thank you all for all the "Thumbs up". I need to learn how to give Thumbs....

Karen--we ALL are way behind!
When will all this end? My whole back yard is a mud-puddle!
Plants are sitting on the patio table waiting--patiently....

I have 2 great nurseries a couple miles from my house--and i CANNOT go in there
and NOT buy s couple trays of plants...

Watch it! The next sunny days--i will either be working all day--or it will rain.
*** "Gardening is an exercise in patience"...The rewards of it pay off....
Gita

Gita thumbsup are easy, at the bottom of someone's post you will see a star, acorn and thumb. Just touch or click on the thumb when you like or agree with something.