so lucky to find this video! i’m a newbie at gardening & i’m also an hour away frow toronto. i recently started repurposing our recyclable plastic junks into pots like you too, and i’m definitely gonna be taking note of all your winter experiments ❤ very helpful content
I learned and tested Swamp milkweed just snip the end of the seed with nail clippers and leave it in warm water until it sends out its radical(1-5 days) or leave it in water (5-20 days) for germination then pot them right up.
I am still mostly waiting. I think I see a bit of spotted bee balm and hoary vervain popping up, but I need them to grow a bit more to confirm. So far no sign of the butterfly milkweed though.
I used a product from Home Depot called "Everbilt 15 ft. L x 36-inch H Black Plastic Fencing with 1/2-inch x 1/2-inch Mesh." It effectively keeps out wildlife, but it's not great for keeping out weed seeds, since the holes are kind of big. This wasn't a problem for these five pots, but it was a problem for some pots I did in November - there were a lot of weed seeds still flying around, so many weeds came up in those particular pots.
@@NativePlantsNearLakeOntario Thank you so much for taking the time for a detailed response! I'm dealing with a lot of sprouted weed seeds right now, so I appreciate your mentioning that specifically as well. I think I'll try to find this mesh for fencing and maybe try tulle to cover pots I'm seeding. Thanks again!
@@NativePlantsNearLakeOntario I didn't know rabbits eat milkweed...! I don't have bunnies but I do have raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, opossums and squirrels in my city backyard. Hopefully none of them get the milkweed munchies! I'm going to look for this variety.
Greetings from the other side of the lake! I'm planning on starting my native garden beds this season so I don't have any seed to try sowing yet. I did buy some but they are in my refrigerator because the company refused to say if they had already been cold stratified yet. I won't be buying from them again. Hopefully I won't have to. I will be curious how your plantings work out. My experience in saving seeds is that usually I get a really good germination rate. But if the seeds are free, why now spread them thick.
Personally I prefer to place mine in part shade, or shade because I don't want them to germinate too early and then risk being killed by frost. In early April, I often try to give them a bit more sun. Other people may have different approaches.
I tried to subscribe , but , RU-vid says I have too many subscriptions !!!! Keep making gardening videos and I'll keep watching !!!! Thank you very much !!!!
Been waiting for someone to make this video!!! I think I’ll try the yogurt containers w just clear tape on top since that’s what we have the most of on hand
This is my first year trying the jugs method. Next year I am using jugs (I think) and also looking into using buckets with custom made domes (to eliminate transplanting).
I'm glad to have found your channel because I also live in Ontario, in Scarborough, specifically. My main purpose in gardening is to plant for pollinators so most of my ornamental plants and herbs are those preferred by our native pollinators. However, it's hard to find some of the native plants that grow in Ontario. If they are available, they are pricey like bloodroot, sweet Joe Pye Weed, blue cohost, etc. Like you, I use different kinds of containers that can be recycled which my daughter finds an "eyesore." But once my plants are transplanted and bloom, bees, butterflies, birds, dragonflies are their regular visitors. Modesty aside, our councilman sent me a certificate of appreciation for what he deemed a 'beautiful garden." For me, my better reward is the buzzing bees, the flitting butterflies and dragon flies and the foraging birds, not to mention the rabbit and the squirrel that nibble the leaves of my echinacea and the flowers of my sunflowers. It's ok they need to survive, too, for as long as they leave some for the pollinators. I am now your subscriber. Thank you for sharing very useful information about winter sowing of native plants in Ontario.
It depends on your province or territory. In Ontario (where I live) and in Quebec, we buy milk in 4 litre bags (in which there are three small bags). I'm not sure about other places, but I think milk comes in jugs in some prairie provinces.
I can share my personal approach, although I'm still learning. When a plant needs 90 days of stratification (pale purple coneflower, turtle head) I make sure I sow them by early-mid January so they experience enough cold. When a plant needs 60 days of stratification, I sow them in January, or even early February. When a plant needs 30 days, I sow them anytime in January or February. When a plant doesn't need any stratification, I sow them in January, February, or early March. It's ok to over-stratify a plant (toughens them up). It's not good to under-stratify a plant. Lastly, I have never tried snowberry. Good luck.
If you take a walk on garbage day you can find lots of water jugs in your neighbour’s recycling bins. The extra large ones are great for covering plants after you plant in case of frost just cut the bottom off.
@@NativePlantsNearLakeOntario we are in Hamilton. I am able to collect enough jugs each fall/winter that I can recycle them after I finish with them. If the bins are at the curb you don’t need to ask. We walk the dog each evening and on garbage day find one or 2 each week. You get to know who puts them out.
Hello fellow Canadian gardener! I am looking forward to your update on your direct sowing. I am starting from scratch in a new yard completely unlandscaped and can’t wait to get some gardens in this spring! I’m in Winnipeg and just subscribed to your channel.
Do ya'll have Chobani yogurt in Toronto? Thatbrand has excellent, thick clear lids. I often use them for " water saucers" to collect drainage under pots. Or to keep them stabilizeed, put inside the clear bins. The US milk jugs are thun walled & become brittle in TX sun here. I like using the rhicjer walled gallon White distilled vinegar bottles which I use as a fabric softener / stain cleaner for laundry. Also using 50/ 50 vinegar water spray to get rid of fungus gnats for inside sowing/ rooting cuttings that my nursery center suggested on fruit tree cuttings. Did not want to use chemicals on edible plants so Im trying this spray & baits / added sugar & dish soap.🤞
Unfortunately I haven't seen that brand called Chobani - it would be handy to find a brand with clear lids since I eat yogurt every day. Good luck with getting rid of the fungus gnats on your indoor sowing.
I also had the idea to use yogurt containers this year, luckily the brand i use already has clear lids ! I also like how easy it was to just snap the lid back on, instead of cutting bottles and taping which can be time consuming
I use potting mix when up-potting, such as Pro Mix, or other brands. I don't feed my little transplants anything, personally, but I know that some people will give a bit of food. Next spring, I might change my mind when it comes to my large containers - not sure yet.
This is such a great video! I've WS in the plastic bins, yogurt containers, salad containers, milk jugs, cool whip containers, soda bottles and kiwi containers. The worst germination were the plastic bins. The best germination was from the milk jugs, cool whip containers and salad containers. I'm in zone 5b, NW Illinois.
Chinese take out lids are clear and fit the yogurt containers well enough. Ask you local restaurant if you can post a sign asking people to save them for you in exchange for free plants. Oatmeal canister lids will cover some nursery pots. Also go to your local glass or window store and ask for scraps of plexiglass or even recycled windows could be set on top of cinder blocks. Thrift stores often have donated Rubbermaid totes.
I use yogurt containers too. They do fall over easily so I've gotten free trays with individual holes for each 6" pot from nurseries. They have tons of them and leave them for their customers to use when you buy lots of plants to carry. Just ask and they'll give you some for free. The tray fits the yogurt containers perfectly, will stabilize them and make transporting so much quicker.
