Growing our Own -Could Milk Jug Seed Sowing work for Pollinators?

Growing Natives from seed may be the best way to ensure you can get the species you really want, without pesticides and herbicides AND at a price you can afford.

This year the SMPollinators are trialing Milk Jug Seed Starting as a scaleable way to create Native plant stock to share, like Milkweed & Hummingbird Mint. 

What excites us most about this method is that it does NOT require indoor space.  Using recycled gallon jugs, the only cost is seeds and soil. Planted Milk Jugs spend the winter outdoors and the resulting plants do NOT need to be hardened off, a big plus for this gardener.

The Internet is full of info on this method but one site we can recommend in the Cornell instructions at https://cceputnamcounty.org/resources/native-seeds-of-fortitude-winter-seed-sowing

On March 26, the Silver Sneakers crowd at the Flatbush Y enthusiastically joined us for a hands on workshop, planting up Milk Jugs with vegetables and flowers for the coming growing season.

Seniors cut around milk jugs to create a hinge, with planting space at the bottom.

Next, drainage holes are drilled in the bottom planting area.

Now, the milk jug planter is ready for soil and seeds.

Seal the planted jug with packing tape and your soon to be plants are ready for life outside.