Water Bottles. Gallon Zip Bags. Old Nursery Trays.
(common discarded items find a new life as germinators)
Papa said, "Never throw anything out! You may someday need it again."
Hooray for Winter Sowing which reuses so many items that might otherwise be sent to landfills or incinerators. If you are a packrat, or just pinching your pennies, Winter Sowing finds a use for those items saved to use again someday. Hooray!
For best viewing click on any thumbnail image to expand it to full size.
Materials Needed:
Gallon-Size Bags
Potting Soil or
Sowing Medium
Water
Plant label and marker
Seeds
Prepared Water Bottles
Tray for holding Tepees
Put your hand inside the bag. Thumb
and fingers bring together the corners.
View of fingers inside bag corners.
Use staples to join the points.
View showing stapled points.
A reused gallon-size pot holder from
the nursery will hold our tepees. Any
sturdy bottom container will do.
The bag is placed in the container.
Two 16 ounce cups measure enough
soil for the Water Bottle Tepee.
Add water to the soil to moisten it
before sowing.
Set a bottomless, uncapped water
bottle onto the center of the soil.
Staple the bag about a third across
the top.
Repeat with other side. The bottle is
centered between the staples.
View showing both staples and the
centered bottle.
Fold together the left and right sides
of the bag top.
Use a sharp knife and add some slits
below the soil line so excess moisture
can drain away.
Four trays of Water Bottle Tepees
showing condensation.
Tray of six Water Bottle Tepees seen
from above.
See more creative containers and
Winter Sowing photos at: