Pro tip: I stopped buying nursery starts and tried winter sowing in milk jugs, and the results surprised me | Botany Lovers - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Pro tip: I stopped buying nursery starts and tried winter sowing in milk jugs, and the results surprised me
Back in 2019 I was spending about $200 every spring on annuals and veggie starts from a nursery in town. A guy at my local garden club kept saying I should try winter sowing instead, just seeds in old milk jugs left outside in the snow. I finally tried it that December with 12 jugs. By April I had more lettuce, kale, and marigolds than I knew what to do with. The germination rate was way better than I expected, probably 80 percent or higher. Has anyone else gone this route, and do you poke holes in the top or leave them capped?
That $200 a spring adds up fast, so hearing you got 80 percent germination from old milk jugs is pretty encouraging. Sorry you had to hear about it from the garden club guy for a few years before trying it, that stuff always stings a little. For what it's worth, I punch a few holes in the top and leave the caps off so rain gets in but the seeds don't drown. Curious how you handled the snow cover on yours.