Cass,
I too am new to this winter sowing experience. I am not so sure about the jiffy greenhouses. The only problem I might could see is if your seedlings got too tall which could happen if the little 8 by your screen name means zone 8. If you live anywhere near a recycling center, you might look there. I got a bag of gallon water jugs last week and there were plenty more. Also our local Starbucks will give you milk jugs. I was worried about finding plenty of containers, but I have been pleasantly surprised to find lots of free containers, you just need to know where to look. Good luck to us both this first year!!

Another very easy container to use is a gallon zip lock plastic bag. Make three small holes in the bottom with a scissors. Then fill up with soil about 3 1/2 inches worth..water well and plant your seeds. Leave the top zipper open about an inch for aeration. Some use a clothespin to make sure it stays open. Then write the lable on it with a permanent sharpie.

Another easy container is to go to the dollar store and get the aluminum baking pans with the clear plastic lids. They are about 13 by 9 by 2. Then poke holes with a knife for drainage and one hole in the top plastic lid for aeration. Put in soil, wet, plant seeds and top with that nice lid. I write a lable on duct tape and put it on the bottom of the aluminum pan.

Just some suggestions to get you started!!!

Go to Starbucks, or a busy coffee/espresso/latte place and just ask them if they have any empty jugs. With two trips to Starbucks, I came home with almost 40 containers!

The jiffy containers dry out to quickly.....
Monica

Thanks to everyone who posted and gave me great tips!!
I will get started tomorrow and let you know if I have success. Good luck to all of you too.

Oh, also, are you guys using a potting mix like Miracle Gro or does it need to be something different? Sorry for all the questions. It seems like with each knew answer, I just get more questions (huge learning curve:)

Thanks a bunch
Cass

i read somewhere else a woman went to walmarts bakery and asked them for the frosting containers. kinda cool!! (i'da loved the frosting LOL)

Any good potting mix is fine. Many WSers use Miracle Grow.

Karen

Hi Cass, if you have some Child Care Centers in your area, call and ask to pick up there milk jugs, a center can go though 15-20 gallons a day, they have milk for breakfast, snacks and lunch. Most center probably want you to pick up daily as they can't have them setting around. Also post on freecycle.com, ask for water jugs to be saved, then no sour milk.

last year I used a bunch of syrofoam coffee cups. They were like $1 for 100 at the dollar store. I put them in a tote and covered with plastic. worked great and really cheap.

I love that idea, stacy! Now what did you put the cups in and cover with plastic? I'm still a little confused and what about drainage in the bottom?

Thanks
Cass

I didn't have an issue with jiffy pellets drying out.
I put newspaper in the bottom of the aluminium baking pans, that were slit on the bottom, slit the clear lid. The ground was soft so I nestled the pans in the soil.
If I don't have time to plant those containers in the spring, I then put another baking pan with no slits under it, that keeps a water in the bottom and the newspaper acts as capillary mat. I have also used yogurt cups and plastic NOT PAPER bathroom cups the same way.
I have oodles of baking pans and use those just filled with potting soil for spring sowing, slits on the bottoms and the tops. All zinnias, seed dahlias,marigolds for me are started this way.