For experienced gardeners and newbies alike, it can be fun to plan out your garden every year and even get a head start on your planting.
The scoop
TikTok user Sandra (@sandra.maria.home) posted a video tutorial showing how to DIY mini greenhouses for your garden in the winter to get a jump-start on spring. She repurposes milk jugs to start seedlings in the colder months.
@sandra.maria.home As promised, here is the milk jug tutorial. I sow brassicas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, peas, and flowers to start out with. I also throw in some less hardy summer vegetables as an experiment because seeds are cheap! #wintergarden #greenhousegarden #gardening #gardening101 ♬ original sound – Sandra
“I like to make milk jug greenhouses because they produce hardy plants with little-to-no transplant shock, meaning you can plant them right away from the greenhouse into your garden,” she said in the video.
Sandra advises that the jugs need to be at least semi-transparent, because opaque ones won’t let enough light in. Almost any soil can be used except for soil specific to seed-starting, since it’s too light and doesn’t contain enough nutrients.
“To assemble the greenhouses, you’ll cut all the way around the jug using a knife and scissors, leaving only a little bit uncut to act as a hinge. Then you’ll need some drainage holes at the bottom of the jug. I like to use a soldering iron because it melts right through the plastic, but you could also use a hot nail or a knife,” she said.
You can recycle the bottle caps, as they won’t be needed for this. After filling the bottom half of the jugs with soil, sprinkle the seeds in and re-seal the jugs with duct tape.
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“This is what creates the greenhouse effect, so make sure you seal it completely,” she shared in the video. “Then after you’re done with all that, you just put the jugs out in full sun.”
“I like to check up on my greenhouses every few days, just to make sure they’re creating enough condensation inside the jug to water the soil. If you see that the soil is dry, then just spritz it with a water bottle,” Sandra added.
“In a few short days, the greenhouses should be pretty warm compared to the outside temperature, and you should see some sprouts.”
How it’s helping
Gardening provides many benefits to your health and to nature. Growing your own food means you’ll have better-tasting produce, you’ll save money at the grocery store, and you can even improve your mental and physical health.
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It’s great for the environment because it decreases the demand for mass-produced, globally shipped produce. Caring for your yard and tending to a thriving garden to ensure that it’s welcoming to wildlife will help support your local ecosystems and encourage biodiversity.
What everyone’s saying
In the comments, viewers thanked Sandra for the DIY tip and shared their own garden-planning hacks.
“Nice I’m starting this now,” one user commented.
“Love this! This is my second year winter sowing. I chose to do it in clear totes with plastic cups. Excited to see your seedlings!!” one user said.
Another commenter said: “Love it, thanks for sharing this awesome info!”
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