I am about to use this method for the second time as I had success following your instructions to sew tomatillos. I grew them in the jug from a slice of a tomatillo. It has yielded 4 plants. I'll be growing various types of peppers this time. Thank you, sir for sharing this with us.
Winter sowing is mainly for brassicas and perennial flowers, warm climate plants like peppers and tomatoes dont do as well and once sprouted will die when the frost returns a night or two.
My mom planted one Early Girl in zone 5 in the midwest in 2019. She had so many tomatoes she ended up canning several pints, giving fruit away and they kept on going and going well into fall. It was an amazing plant. She said they were so tasty and just the right size for one person. So I planted 12 of them in 5 gallon buckets this year in zone 4 because I like to can. They are growing like crazy! So excited. Going to try some of my crops using this method! TFS. 😉
I use vinegar in my laundry. After rinsing the gallon bottles, I use them for winter sowing. That is a great idea to plant in the garden and just cover with the top of the bottles. Arthritis keeps me out of my big garden, so my husband bought a lot of large pots for me to use on the deck. We also use large plastic buckets. I planted seeds that I saved from an apple that we ate in a vinegar bottle, and they are growing very well!
We have done similar in Texas all my life. We used to take the very bottom off all the way around, plant directly in the ground, and build dirt up around the jug outside. This holds the jug in place during winds. Another way we use is cut the bottom in half and then cut around the bottom edge and leave about two inches making a flap. Again sow directly in the ground. Cover the flaps with dirt to hold them in place. When, it is past frost, the plants are usually to the top of the jug. Then we just pull the jugs off and grow naturally in the ground
This is great! I was going to make milk jug skulls for Halloween before I realized melting plastic was pretty toxic. Now I've gt a great use for a garbage bag full of tmilk jugs! Thanks Erv!
Thank you. I had not thought of that. I did try them to plant my herbs this year. So far so good and a lot cheaper than buying planters. I also painted them with some kiltz as I did not want the roots against the walls to burn since I am using them as planters. Used as seed starters I would not paint the jug. I will try this next year to get my plants going and have them set on the porch. I am in Texas and will try to remember and plant early girl. Thank you again and look forward to your next video.
Thank you buddy I live in Pennsylvania and we always have white flies and those worms that like to crawl into your squash plants and live off of it while your squash dies, this seems like a really good idea, thank you very much I will try. Many blessings on your garden.
Paint pen, also made by Sharpie, will never fade (because it's paint lol!) They can be purchased in craft stores. Also believe it or not, pencil doesn't fade.
Great video thanks for this! I’m growing tomatoes, peppers and a few varieties of lettuce in jugs. So much better than indoor sowing and much less hassle.
Why not plant the seeds directly in the ground, cut the bottom off the jug, & put the jug over the area. It can be done with transplants too when they are small. I've done it & it works.
This looks like a really good methodology and I am going to try it myself! Makes perfect sense! I might try other style food grade containers for farts and giggles! Although the square base of the milk jugs seems like a good thing!
Great video. We grew Early Girl here in Tampa, FL. Was indeterminate and grew about 10 ft and one plant had 30 tomatos by June 1. I would grow them again in a heartbeat.
My old man is an otr trucker and he keeps bringing home his empty water jugs that just collect in a shed. I tried putting them thru the wood chipper......I don't recommend doing that. I'm really liking the lettuce idea, easily portable, easily maintained. I'm wondering if I could sell them at my roadside stand? 🤔🤔 love your channel, I'm subbing from northern lower michigan on the coast of lake Huron😁
Yes, Early Girls produce well. They need a cardboard shade until over knee high or another sort such as climbing beans for shade. By experiment, planting them in groups of four, with a 3 ltr bottle with drain holes expedites watering and promotes deeper roots. Ours have crushed their cages every year, so stake poles with stretched t-shirt ties for extra support. I've heard cheap bras, but never tried that. For lower limbs organization crates can be strategicly placed to keep fruit off the ground, especially before a rain or high humidity. Thank you, from S. Tx.
Ijaz H that sounds cool but I'm having trouble visualizing exactly what you mean. Are you using the half with the handle or hanging with nails? Are you cutting it half sideways or removing the the top half with the handle?
Aloha I forgot to drill holes in my containers for Potatoes they have been flooded. awesome easy good for Hurricane Season, I can move them into the Shead. Bless Your ❤️ and Family 🤗🏝️🌈
cool idea, i just use the bases, add fine sprinkle of cinnamon on the soil, they grow on my porch, but im gna try this to help save watering time. Cheers Ervs , nice video, kia ora from NZ and also a great way to recycle.
Hi Erv, use the white foam inside the lids to deter white moths: simply cut the white foam into a simple moth shape; push onto a wood scewer and place amongst any vulnerable plants. Moths are territorial!
Excellent option for lettuces and greens that will be cut early for eating. We get so much rain in the spring that most of the roots end up waterlogged, so this is a great option.
Good idea! It would be a pretty good way to start winter veg in a easy and care-free way, my concerns is how about growing summer plant seedlings in early Feb or March where sometimes weather could get below 0 occasionally while seedlings would not sprout until temperature is as high as 65F. I started seedlings indoors, but it is quite troublesome and needs constant care.
Good point! The seeds won't germinate until the time is right, and the air temp inside the bottle seems to stay high enough. Even through freezes, frosts and snowfall.
Look at all these new comments! Seems like youtube put you near the top of algorithm, congrats. How well many cuts were you able to take off that high intensity lettuce?
The experiment was successful. What happened afterward was pretty cool, I planted all the tomatoes and they did very well. The high-yield gardening didn't work out like I wanted it to. It was too late in the year and the lettuce and spinach turned bitter and bolted. That has nothing to do with the milk jug gardening though. That was on me for not getting it potted quickly enough.
If I do it again, from a high-yield gardening standpoint, I just need to be more attentive, potted quicker, and actually cut it that was the issue. I didn't follow through with my plans.
I'm next to El Paso Texas here in Las Cruces, NM. Tried Early Girl but as soon as Springtime temperatures hit 90 degrees the flowers fell off and would not produce fruit. Turns out our 100 degree temperatures kill the plants even when covering with a white bed sheet. Stay below 90 degrees!
I have to admit I don't think it's been an above 100 degrees here in Cincinnati. It has been well into the 90s and extremely dry before, and the early girls just kept on producing.
With the lid off of The Jug, the plants typically get all the water they need from rain. You wouldn't think so, but they do. Unless you live in a very dry or arid climate you should not need to water your milk jugs. As far as feeding goes, if you use a good organic potting mix oh, you should be just fine for the short period of time a plant will live in The Jug.
Thanks. Subscribed! Coincidentally, I have saved half a dozen 2-litre jugs already intending to pot on seedlings maybe to give away. Now I'm thinking I will follow you. I'm experimenting with no-dig using cardboard. I videoed some until my card ran out! I might provide a before and after later in the season, Be careful and keep well, Terry
@@pattywacker6340 I'll see how I get on with it. I might film myself doing the planting through the cardboard and at the final harvest. One video to cover the whole process.
My garden bed use the nodig cardboard method. And I must say it has worked great. Problem is the we'd love to grow in it in the winter and early spring before I plant my garden.
@@pattywacker6340 Yesterday I cut the bottoms off some of the jugs. I had sunflowers to protect from the storm, so I inserted a long cane beside each one then slid the jug down over it. Trouble was the wind was blowing the jug around the cane so I had to push a spare cane down the top hole to anchor it better. Still stormy outside today but all seems well.
why not just plant in the dirt and cover with a jug with the bottom cut out? that way no transplanting.... wouldn't that work ? or is there a specific need to isolate the seeds in the plastic bottom?
This system should work anywhere in any climate, however I would be careful doing this once the temperature starts Rising outside. You could easily bake your plants.
Erv's Garden I live in Georgia in zone 7A. I have new seeds and soil ordered which will be here this week and I plan to start a new crop of flowering annuals for later summer bloom. I will also plant seeds for some perennials for bloom next year, plus late summer and fall vegetables. I have always shown them sow them in uncovered pots. Can I use your method to start the seeds, and transplant as soon as they are large enough? Or would they get baked before they were ready to transplant? Any suggestions for me to try this method, or a modification of it, now? If I’m not still in coronavirus lockdown, I will definitely try it in February next year. If I am traveling again by then, I will try it on a smaller scale in my RV. I love your video and your humor. I will subscribe.
What is winter sowing ..... you put the seed in the jug for how long. When do you plan them in the grounds..... where do you keep the jug. In the garage or indoors .... it’s my first time.
Plant the seeds in The Jug as shown in the video. You can do this at any point in the winter oh, and you sit it out in the sun. The sun creates a greenhouse environment inside The Jug, which then builds up enough heat cause germination once the conditions are right. The seeds are okay with being frozen, don't worry about that. The seeds will know when the time is right to sprout, they're pretty smart in that aspect. Just make sure it gets water if you go too long without rain. Or if it gets too hot. Good luck!
Me too! Beats trying to keep the kittens out of all my indoor cups and containers of seedlings this winter. Thanks for these suggestions! In Georgia here!
You can totally start 50 tomato seeds in that much space. You will need to separate them eventually, of course - and it’ll require you to keep a closer eye on watering. But you can prick out (separate) the seedlings when they are 4-6 inches tall (though I successfully separated tomato seedlings which were 12 inches tall). Don’t worry about them surviving the separation - they will. Just make sure not to water for a good week before separation, as drier soil will come off the roots easier. There will be some root lost due to entanglement, but as long as some root survives, the plants will be fine. They will inevitably be leggy in a milk jug (long and thin), which is actually an advantage during the transplant stage, as you can bury them deeply and they will root all along the stem. I always multisow tomatoes and it’s a fantastic method to reduce space. Btw, you can do that with some of your lettuce as well: if you leave several plants unharvested in your baby greens batch, just dig them up and plant them in one of your beds.
You put these out in the middle of the winter when the temperature is at its coldest. Seed love to be frozen. I did a frequently asked questions video on my channel, I recommend watching that. Do not do this after the first Frost, you will likely burn your plants. It can get quite warm inside the milk jug.
Yes, you can sit the jugs in the snow. Seeds love to be frozen. However, seedlings don't like to be Frozen. I have found that seeds are very smart. They know exactly when to sprout, and they're very hearty too. I had no problems at all, my seeds did not sprout until it was appropriate to do so. You're basically relying on mother nature to do its job. But no, you don't have to worry about snow. Seeds love snow, in many cases seeds need snow. Good question. Thanks for watching!
Questions... I have a 5gal bucket full of kitchen scraps, crushed bones, old peelings, etc. Would a scoop of that, and 5 scoops of potting soil hurt my seed/lings? And if I'm understanding correctly, this method of gardening could work at anything over 32°?
No, don't put any of that in your jug. Just put the best potting soil that you can afford. Save that other stuff for later when you plant in the ground.
I live in Chicago. I will try to do this method next year. When is the best time to do this? I plant bought seedlings from a nursery for years. I did indoor seedlings germinations this year but it is tacky sitting in my dining table. I used grow lights. I do not get enough light in my house! Uuggh! So, maybe this gallon method might be good but when should I start? I plant my veggies in June. Ty After gallon is prepped and seeds are in, I CAN JUST LINE THEM UP IN MY dormant garden bed? No lid. Will the soil inside freeze?
I did a frequently-asked-questions video on my channel, you might want to watch that. You can put the milk jugs out at any point. The colder the better. Seeds love to be frozen. They'll know when to germinate, just make sure The Milk Jug remains moist.
I am new to gardening and live in southern Maine . I am looking up start some flower plants and veggies this winter way using your milk jug method this winter . If I were to start in January , are there any tips you can give on how /when to transplant outside ?
Sorry for the delayed response, and this may be a little too late, but once the last danger frost is passed in your area, then you're going to plant them in the ground. You can always take the tops off once the weather gets warm enough to bring the day, as long as there's no frost expected. But as you know Frost can sneak up when you least expect it. So it's a balancing act, I hope you had good luck.
I am about to use this method for the second time as I had success following your instructions to sew tomatillos. I grew them in the jug from a slice of a tomatillo. It has yielded 4 plants. I'll be growing various types of peppers this time. Thank you, sir for sharing this with us.
You're welcome!
Winter sowing is mainly for brassicas and perennial flowers, warm climate plants like peppers and tomatoes dont do as well and once sprouted will die when the frost returns a night or two.
My mom planted one Early Girl in zone 5 in the midwest in 2019. She had so many tomatoes she ended up canning several pints, giving fruit away and they kept on going and going well into fall. It was an amazing plant. She said they were so tasty and just the right size for one person. So I planted 12 of them in 5 gallon buckets this year in zone 4 because I like to can. They are growing like crazy! So excited. Going to try some of my crops using this method! TFS. 😉
Awesome!
Im looking for winter lettuce! Thankyou.
I use vinegar in my laundry. After rinsing the gallon bottles, I use them for winter sowing. That is a great idea to plant in the garden and just cover with the top of the bottles. Arthritis keeps me out of my big garden, so my husband bought a lot of large pots for me to use on the deck. We also use large plastic buckets. I planted seeds that I saved from an apple that we ate in a vinegar bottle, and they are growing very well!
We have done similar in Texas all my life. We used to take the very bottom off all the way around, plant directly in the ground, and build dirt up around the jug outside. This holds the jug in place during winds.
Another way we use is cut the bottom in half and then cut around the bottom edge and leave about two inches making a flap. Again sow directly in the ground. Cover the flaps with dirt to hold them in place. When, it is past frost, the plants are usually to the top of the jug. Then we just pull the jugs off and grow naturally in the ground
Where do you live in TX? I live in Austin and I’m going use this method this year
You can cut slits in the lid caps to keep pairs of socks together in the laundry.
Great idea! I will be sure to try. :)
Thx
lu845carpenter you could go barefoot!
Genius!!! Thanks!
O okay
You can use a 2 litre cocacola bottle instead of a milk jug
This is great! I was going to make milk jug skulls for Halloween before I realized melting plastic was pretty toxic. Now I've gt a great use for a garbage bag full of tmilk jugs! Thanks Erv!
This is a genius little mini greenhouse! I love it !!
Great Video. I just completed my first milk jug with some herbs for my daughter's rabbits. I am hoping for great results.
Thank you. I had not thought of that. I did try them to plant my herbs this year. So far so good and a lot cheaper than buying planters. I also painted them with some kiltz as I did not want the roots against the walls to burn since I am using them as planters. Used as seed starters I would not paint the jug. I will try this next year to get my plants going and have them set on the porch. I am in Texas and will try to remember and plant early girl. Thank you again and look forward to your next video.
Fantastic video. I'm going to try this tomorrow, thank you Erv! Be well during these times.
You too!
East Texas here. Plant early. Fades out when temperature gets high, but second crop in the Fall.
Thank you buddy I live in Pennsylvania and we always have white flies and those worms that like to crawl into your squash plants and live off of it while your squash dies, this seems like a really good idea, thank you very much I will try. Many blessings on your garden.
Use a Phillips screw driver. Heat on stove. Punches right through plastic with a perfect hole. Melts a hole.
Do you ever need to water them?
Cheap soldering iron is my favourite method.
Sunnyforever Always No way! Thank you, I never thought of that!! 😀
Edisto Joe I assume your on Edisto Island. 😀
This is brilliant. Thank you!
I live in south texas and plated those tomatoes last year and there still growing and producing this year
like your humor and method
Paint pen, also made by Sharpie, will never fade (because it's paint lol!) They can be purchased in craft stores. Also believe it or not, pencil doesn't fade.
I will try this here in Florida . We go through 3 gallons of milk a week so it won`t take long to collect some .
Chuck Smith gonfly model yachts
I love this method for seeds! Plus you can spy on them through the top! No bugs in the house either. Thank you!
I love your personality! Your videos are interesting because your not boring!
This method conserves water. And is great to introduce children to gardening.
I'm definitely going to try this. I have over 100 water jugs to get rid of since you can't drink the water around here.
This is perfect for porch/patio gardening! Thank you! 😀
We used to do this as kids , 20 + years ago. Love it!
I didn't do any milk jugs this year, trying a different type of gardening. I guess I need to do a gardening update for 2019.
Great video thanks for this! I’m growing tomatoes, peppers and a few varieties of lettuce in jugs. So much better than indoor sowing and much less hassle.
Why not plant the seeds directly in the ground, cut the bottom off the jug, & put the jug over the area. It can be done with transplants too when they are small. I've done it & it works.
This is a great idea, and I know a lot of people do it this way. Great tip! Thanks.
My Grandpa did it that way every year and it worked great in crazy Ks. Spring weather!
What a great idea 👍👍
@@s.engelsman4521 WE also have crazy weather in Illinois where you run your air conditioner in the daytime and your furnace at night!
That’s what I thought he was going to do, but his way is perfect if your growing area is a porch. Also, it makes them transportable. 😀
This is excellent! Will give this a try and share with my friends. Love the sense of humor. Than you greatly for sharing! 🌱❤️🤘🏻
What a great idea, I will be doing this one day.
Am collecting my jugs now to give this a try!
This looks like a really good methodology and I am going to try it myself!
Makes perfect sense!
I might try other style food grade containers for farts and giggles! Although the square base of the milk jugs seems like a good thing!
Dave M
Good idea! Of course no pesticides either.
Great tutorial! I did this for my broccoli, tomatoes, sunflowers, zinnias and sweet peas! Zone 8a Htx
I had great success with this the year that I did it.
Michele, I am in 8 a too, DFW. i wanted to try this, I hope i have success as you did.
That’s a great way to start a garden. Thanks for the video and wonderful idea 👍
Great video. We grew Early Girl here in Tampa, FL. Was indeterminate and grew about 10 ft and one plant had 30 tomatos by June 1. I would grow them again in a heartbeat.
My old man is an otr trucker and he keeps bringing home his empty water jugs that just collect in a shed. I tried putting them thru the wood chipper......I don't recommend doing that. I'm really liking the lettuce idea, easily portable, easily maintained. I'm wondering if I could sell them at my roadside stand? 🤔🤔 love your channel, I'm subbing from northern lower michigan on the coast of lake Huron😁
Thanks alot new subbie! I hope to have some new videos posted soon!
Great tutorial. Starting seeds indoors is very tricky and expensive too. Thank you.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
My dad has planted early girls and he is 1.5 hours north of Houston.
Ingenious, Thanks for sharing. You are courageous from Indiana
I've used Early Girl, for yrs, in NE. They're smaller, than some, but work great, for canning. Will usually fit whole, in sm mouth, qt canning jar.
If you are we using for sandwiches. My son slices him up he absolutely goes nuts over them.
Yes, Early Girls produce well. They need a cardboard shade until over knee high or another sort such as climbing beans for shade. By experiment, planting them in groups of four, with a 3 ltr bottle with drain holes expedites watering and promotes deeper roots. Ours have crushed their cages every year, so stake poles with stretched t-shirt ties for extra support. I've heard cheap bras, but never tried that. For lower limbs organization crates can be strategicly placed to keep fruit off the ground, especially before a rain or high humidity. Thank you, from S. Tx.
Thank you for sharing.
Is well appreciated. I
Like your method.lve
Subscribed. Look
Forward for more
Innovative methods.
Love your energy new to your channel cant wait to see more
I cut the handle side of the bottle off and fill the half bottle with soil and hang it on the fence. Works great with strawberries.
Ijaz H that sounds cool but I'm having trouble visualizing exactly what you mean. Are you using the half with the handle or hanging with nails? Are you cutting it half sideways or removing the the top half with the handle?
Good idea
Would like a visual of this...
Great tutorial, Erv! Thank you! I’m going to try this next Feb!
🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱
Thanks for watching! I did this just once, but it was wildly successful.
Well Erv that presentation was brilliant enough to get me to subscribe! Thanks, instant mini greenhouses, WOW!
Aloha I forgot to drill holes in my containers for Potatoes they have been flooded. awesome easy good for Hurricane Season, I can move them into the Shead. Bless Your ❤️ and Family 🤗🏝️🌈
NC here. Already carried mine in shed for tropical storm Arthur. (Which was a bust.. better safe than sorry tho.)
🍅🥒🌶🥔🥕🥦🥬
🌲🏖🏡🌲🌴🌪🌫⛈
Nice work! We never know when we will get a surprise frost!
I just posted a Frost video to show how I deal with frost actually.
Wow! I want to try this next spring!
Thank you for sharing. You are sooooo honest👍😂🤣(Don’t take anything I say seriously, this is my first time trying)
really enjoyed your video. I learned allot about how to start plants. thank you.
cool idea, i just use the bases, add fine sprinkle of cinnamon on the soil, they grow on my porch, but im gna try this to help save watering time. Cheers Ervs , nice video, kia ora from NZ and also a great way to recycle.
Just in case people are wondering the cinnamon has to do with preventing damping off.
Recycling! Yes save money wise! Thanks for sharing
This video makes me feel good about my self I turned up the brightness on my phone just to see your brightly colored 🦆🦆tape
Obviously I'm kidding but get you some 3M tape it will hold
Love it, dude! Thank you. 😃👍
Excellent video ❤
The early girl tomatoes grow great here in Alabama!! We have a bunch of clay soil and they do fantastic!
Oh wow!
Thank you. Loved your video
Hi Erv, use the white foam inside the lids to deter white moths: simply cut the white foam into a simple moth shape; push onto a wood scewer and place amongst any vulnerable plants. Moths are territorial!
Excellent option for lettuces and greens that will be cut early for eating. We get so much rain in the spring that most of the roots end up waterlogged, so this is a great option.
Good idea! It would be a pretty good way to start winter veg in a easy and care-free way, my concerns is how about growing summer plant seedlings in early Feb or March where sometimes weather could get below 0 occasionally while seedlings would not sprout until temperature is as high as 65F. I started seedlings indoors, but it is quite troublesome and needs constant care.
Good point! The seeds won't germinate until the time is right, and the air temp inside the bottle seems to stay high enough. Even through freezes, frosts and snowfall.
You're cool. Thank you!
Look at all these new comments! Seems like youtube put you near the top of algorithm, congrats. How well many cuts were you able to take off that high intensity lettuce?
A few, It was delish.
The experiment was successful. What happened afterward was pretty cool, I planted all the tomatoes and they did very well. The high-yield gardening didn't work out like I wanted it to. It was too late in the year and the lettuce and spinach turned bitter and bolted. That has nothing to do with the milk jug gardening though. That was on me for not getting it potted quickly enough.
If I do it again, from a high-yield gardening standpoint, I just need to be more attentive, potted quicker, and actually cut it that was the issue. I didn't follow through with my plans.
I'm next to El Paso Texas here in Las Cruces, NM. Tried Early Girl but as soon as Springtime temperatures hit 90 degrees the flowers fell off and would not produce fruit. Turns out our 100 degree temperatures kill the plants even when covering with a white bed sheet. Stay below 90 degrees!
I have to admit I don't think it's been an above 100 degrees here in Cincinnati. It has been well into the 90s and extremely dry before, and the early girls just kept on producing.
you the best
This such a brilliant idea, am going to propagate perennials, cannot wait to try this, what about watering, feeding
With the lid off of The Jug, the plants typically get all the water they need from rain. You wouldn't think so, but they do. Unless you live in a very dry or arid climate you should not need to water your milk jugs. As far as feeding goes, if you use a good organic potting mix oh, you should be just fine for the short period of time a plant will live in The Jug.
Good video and you made me smile. Thank you.
Thanks. Subscribed! Coincidentally, I have saved half a dozen 2-litre jugs already intending to pot on seedlings maybe to give away. Now I'm thinking I will follow you. I'm experimenting with no-dig using cardboard. I videoed some until my card ran out! I might provide a before and after later in the season, Be careful and keep well, Terry
I’d be interested to see how this turns out
@@pattywacker6340 I'll see how I get on with it. I might film myself doing the planting through the cardboard and at the final harvest. One video to cover the whole process.
My garden bed use the nodig cardboard method. And I must say it has worked great. Problem is the we'd love to grow in it in the winter and early spring before I plant my garden.
@@pattywacker6340 Yesterday I cut the bottoms off some of the jugs. I had sunflowers to protect from the storm, so I inserted a long cane beside each one then slid the jug down over it. Trouble was the wind was blowing the jug around the cane so I had to push a spare cane down the top hole to anchor it better. Still stormy outside today but all seems well.
Nice informative video
Early girls work grean in Macon ga! Gets hot here too!
I just subscribed!!! Hell yes!!! Love your videos!!!
Useful idea thanks.
why not just plant in the dirt and cover with a jug with the bottom cut out? that way no transplanting.... wouldn't that work ? or is there a specific need to isolate the seeds in the plastic bottom?
I love this guy!
Good job.
I'm planting in the UK, I presume I can do the same though its spring? Like your presentation.
This system should work anywhere in any climate, however I would be careful doing this once the temperature starts Rising outside. You could easily bake your plants.
@@ErvsGarden thankyou for your reply! It's very good info for a new gardner
Erv's Garden I live in Georgia in zone 7A. I have new seeds and soil ordered which will be here this week and I plan to start a new crop of flowering annuals for later summer bloom. I will also plant seeds for some perennials for bloom next year, plus late summer and fall vegetables. I have always shown them sow them in uncovered pots. Can I use your method to start the seeds, and transplant as soon as they are large enough? Or would they get baked before they were ready to transplant? Any suggestions for me to try this method, or a modification of it, now? If I’m not still in coronavirus lockdown, I will definitely try it in February next year. If I am traveling again by then, I will try it on a smaller scale in my RV.
I love your video and your humor. I will subscribe.
I will try it in Arizona that is kind of worry some to me because I care about what I am growing or the threes around me it's all about caring.
I would have used pink duct tape but green is alright. This is a great idea for planting
Hi thank you for sharing. Could you please tell me the best herbs to grow in 2 and 3 litre milk jugs.
Love it. Thanks Erv!
Awesome container gardening, funny about the duct tape
So if you live in zone 5 (Maine) when could you safely start seeds outside in these jugs 🤔
Anytime it's frozen and miserable.
Roots do not like light.
Ok for the top cover to create humidity, top off for ventilation. Can do with coke bottles to.
I had no problems whatsoever. The lettuce got huge!
I know I’m late on this. You used 6 spades full of the planting soil however how much trifecta are you using per jug?
Pretty neat idea.
What is winter sowing ..... you put the seed in the jug for how long. When do you plan them in the grounds..... where do you keep the jug. In the garage or indoors .... it’s my first time.
Plant the seeds in The Jug as shown in the video. You can do this at any point in the winter oh, and you sit it out in the sun. The sun creates a greenhouse environment inside The Jug, which then builds up enough heat cause germination once the conditions are right. The seeds are okay with being frozen, don't worry about that. The seeds will know when the time is right to sprout, they're pretty smart in that aspect. Just make sure it gets water if you go too long without rain. Or if it gets too hot. Good luck!
Hahah the scissors comment was great
You are adorable!! I'm looking forward to trying this, thank you :)
Me too! Beats trying to keep the kittens out of all my indoor cups and containers of seedlings this winter. Thanks for these suggestions! In Georgia here!
@BuzzardFlats well if it works in Oregon. It's got to work way down here in the South! Stay safe up there!
You can totally start 50 tomato seeds in that much space. You will need to separate them eventually, of course - and it’ll require you to keep a closer eye on watering. But you can prick out (separate) the seedlings when they are 4-6 inches tall (though I successfully separated tomato seedlings which were 12 inches tall). Don’t worry about them surviving the separation - they will. Just make sure not to water for a good week before separation, as drier soil will come off the roots easier. There will be some root lost due to entanglement, but as long as some root survives, the plants will be fine. They will inevitably be leggy in a milk jug (long and thin), which is actually an advantage during the transplant stage, as you can bury them deeply and they will root all along the stem. I always multisow tomatoes and it’s a fantastic method to reduce space. Btw, you can do that with some of your lettuce as well: if you leave several plants unharvested in your baby greens batch, just dig them up and plant them in one of your beds.
You looking for a hot date?? lol See you at home! love you!
There's something seriously wrong with you. For anybody reading this crazy comment, this is my wife.
Wrong, yes? Funny as hell? Yes.
#GiantEyeroll
This is the cutest interaction on the internet.
Txs for sharing..awesome tip..new to this .What is temp.safe to put them outside ?...did you start just after hopefully last frost ?
You put these out in the middle of the winter when the temperature is at its coldest. Seed love to be frozen. I did a frequently asked questions video on my channel, I recommend watching that. Do not do this after the first Frost, you will likely burn your plants. It can get quite warm inside the milk jug.
Amazing thank you
Thank you too!
How did everything turn out? I'm assuming I can't sit the jugs in the snow?
Yes, you can sit the jugs in the snow. Seeds love to be frozen. However, seedlings don't like to be Frozen. I have found that seeds are very smart. They know exactly when to sprout, and they're very hearty too. I had no problems at all, my seeds did not sprout until it was appropriate to do so. You're basically relying on mother nature to do its job. But no, you don't have to worry about snow. Seeds love snow, in many cases seeds need snow. Good question. Thanks for watching!
Michelle Sweeney ...........He said you could. This is so you don’t have to start the seeds inside.
great show I would drill more holes above dirtline for oxygen and co2 or not , if its early and you are trying to trap heat ,,, just enjoy.
I had no problems with air or water when I did this.
Thank you for sharing !😀
I’m guessing you don’t need to harden them off or anything since they’ve been outside?
Correct!
Thanks Erv! Great to know how to do this method. Happy seeding.
Questions... I have a 5gal bucket full of kitchen scraps, crushed bones, old peelings, etc. Would a scoop of that, and 5 scoops of potting soil hurt my seed/lings? And if I'm understanding correctly, this method of gardening could work at anything over 32°?
No, don't put any of that in your jug. Just put the best potting soil that you can afford. Save that other stuff for later when you plant in the ground.
Thanks buddy ! you got a sub and thumbs up ! Im gonna try this.
Thanks a lot Ray, please share with friends and family!
Thank you for sharing
I live in Chicago. I will try to do this method next year. When is the best time to do this? I plant bought seedlings from a nursery for years. I did indoor seedlings germinations this year but it is tacky sitting in my dining table. I used grow lights. I do not get enough light in my house! Uuggh! So, maybe this gallon method might be good but when should I start? I plant my veggies in June. Ty
After gallon is prepped and seeds are in, I CAN JUST LINE THEM UP IN MY dormant garden bed? No lid. Will the soil inside freeze?
I did a frequently-asked-questions video on my channel, you might want to watch that. You can put the milk jugs out at any point. The colder the better. Seeds love to be frozen. They'll know when to germinate, just make sure The Milk Jug remains moist.
The frequently asked questions is in you tube I suppose? Ty. For your reply
Taking heed! Yes!
I am new to gardening and live in southern Maine . I am looking up start some flower plants and veggies this winter way using your milk jug method this winter . If I were to start in January , are there any tips you can give on how /when to transplant outside ?
Sorry for the delayed response, and this may be a little too late, but once the last danger frost is passed in your area, then you're going to plant them in the ground. You can always take the tops off once the weather gets warm enough to bring the day, as long as there's no frost expected. But as you know Frost can sneak up when you least expect it. So it's a balancing act, I hope you had good luck.