Sprout they will Topie! Then you'll be doing the happy dance and want to sow more and more... It's a disease that's so good for you! :)

I use some of the solo drink cups and put them in a ziploc baggie, with the baggie turned sideways so the zipper goes down the side. I poke holes in the top of the ziploc with a pen and cut slits along the bottom for more drainage. The cups have several drainage holes also. As the sprouts start popping, I cut more and more of the top of the ziploc away. On really warm days, I unzip the side and let the sprouts bask in the sun. Takes just a few minutes to zip them back up for the night. This method works well for me with seeds I don't have a lot of and with multiple cups of the same thing for mass planting for my container gardens and hanging pots. Any extras go for a plant sale. There are ALWAYS extras beyond giving to neighbors, friends and family!
The solo cups go into a plastic pepsi crate I snagged from the recycle center.
There are some pics on my Flickr page of winter sowing. I don't use any duct tape, just the plumbers foil tape to make labels.
Have a fun time, try not to be nervous- it's all good!
Now go get sowin!
Ha Ha,

Shore

Sprout they will Topie! Then you'll be doing the happy dance and want to sow more and more... It's a disease that's so good for you! :)

I use some of the solo drink cups and put them in a ziploc baggie, with the baggie turned sideways so the zipper goes down the side. I poke holes in the top of the ziploc with a pen and cut slits along the bottom for more drainage. The cups have several drainage holes also. As the sprouts start popping, I cut more and more of the top of the ziploc away. On really warm days, I unzip the side and let the sprouts bask in the sun. Takes just a few minutes to zip them back up for the night. This method works well for me with seeds I don't have a lot of and with multiple cups of the same thing for mass planting for my container gardens and hanging pots. Any extras go for a plant sale. There are ALWAYS extras beyond giving to neighbors, friends and family!
The solo cups go into a plastic pepsi crate I snagged from the recycle center.
There are some pics on my Flickr page of winter sowing. I don't use any duct tape, just the plumbers foil tape to make labels.
Have a fun time, try not to be nervous- it's all good!
Now go get sowin!
Ha Ha,

Shore

Sprout they will Topie! Then you'll be doing the happy dance and want to sow more and more... It's a disease that's so good for you! :)

I use some of the solo drink cups and put them in a ziploc baggie, with the baggie turned sideways so the zipper goes down the side. I poke holes in the top of the ziploc with a pen and cut slits along the bottom for more drainage. The cups have several drainage holes also. As the sprouts start popping, I cut more and more of the top of the ziploc away. On really warm days, I unzip the side and let the sprouts bask in the sun. Takes just a few minutes to zip them back up for the night. This method works well for me with seeds I don't have a lot of and with multiple cups of the same thing for mass planting for my container gardens and hanging pots. Any extras go for a plant sale. There are ALWAYS extras beyond giving to neighbors, friends and family!
The solo cups go into a plastic pepsi crate I snagged from the recycle center.
There are some pics on my Flickr page of winter sowing. I don't use any duct tape, just the plumbers foil tape to make labels.
Have a fun time, try not to be nervous- it's all good!
Now go get sowin!
Ha Ha,

Shore

Sprout they will Topie! Then you'll be doing the happy dance and want to sow more and more... It's a disease that's so good for you! :)

I use some of the solo drink cups and put them in a ziploc baggie, with the baggie turned sideways so the zipper goes down the side. I poke holes in the top of the ziploc with a pen and cut slits along the bottom for more drainage. The cups have several drainage holes also. As the sprouts start popping, I cut more and more of the top of the ziploc away. On really warm days, I unzip the side and let the sprouts bask in the sun. Takes just a few minutes to zip them back up for the night. This method works well for me with seeds I don't have a lot of and with multiple cups of the same thing for mass planting for my container gardens and hanging pots. Any extras go for a plant sale. There are ALWAYS extras beyond giving to neighbors, friends and family!
The solo cups go into a plastic pepsi crate I snagged from the recycle center.
There are some pics on my Flickr page of winter sowing. I don't use any duct tape, just the plumbers foil tape to make labels.
Have a fun time, try not to be nervous- it's all good!
Now go get sowin!
Ha Ha,

Shore

Here is a link that might be useful: some winter sowing pics

You will get plenty of light with what you have. I'd wait to remove the duct tape, it's doing it's job. :)

I agree. Leave the duct tape or it will just make more work for you. They will get plenty of light and it looks like they will have enough headroom as well.

OK, thanks to you both for your follow up posts... I thought the juice bottles seemed fine at first, but then was struck by this sudden thought of, oh my, what if I put the center cut in the wrong spot? Now I can go ahead and keep sowing more bottles.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed this will work and I will have little seedlings in the spring...

Winter sowing is so exciting...it's really making winter fun this year!

Thanks again.

If it helps I often use big 44oz drink cups some of those are white and just have a clear plastic over the top. You will get plenty of light and be nervous until they start to sprout anyway. :)

Oh right, I forgot about those drink cups...now I remember seeing photos of someone's winter sown drink cups somewhere on this forum...that makes sense that if those work, my containers will be fine too.

A little nervous, lol, yes...it's exciting though too. I can't wait to see if my seeds sprout!

Thanks again...

-topie

Thanks for the zip-lock bag tip Shore! Now that I sowed most of my perennials (and used up most of my recycled bottle collection) I'm thinking about how I'm going to sow my annuals in the spring...the drink cup/zip lock bag combo looks like a great way to do it. Your Flickr photos were really helpful too...

I have a ton of zip-lock bags on hand because I'm so nutty about recycling that I actually rinse out and recycle our zip-lock bags...I think I'll put the multiple drink cups in some old plastic plant flats I have lying around somewhere.

It's so cool to be able to use all this plastic for something!

Thanks again.