planting day

Today I started seeds! Yes, in january with bitter cold and snow outside. I'm trying out a new method of winter sowing, read about it here. Basically you take empty, rinsed out milk jugs and cut them nearly in half, leaving an inch attached for a hinge

punch drainage holes with a hot phillips screwdriver

fill with a few inches of soil, plant your seeds and set them outside to be tended to by mother nature. The soil is supposed to be well-draining and mine felt kind of heavy, so I amended it with some cactus mix and crushed eggshells.

I got a little ambitious, even with my small space. Supposedly this method results in higher germination rates and sturdier seedlings, and if it doesn't well then my balcony won't be overcrowded. I only sowed a few of each seed type- no more than four or five. In the four jugs I've got:

Hosta, Echinachea, Cosmos, Marigold, Romaine Lettuce, Simpson Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Dill, Oregano, Cilantro, Green Onions, Parsley, Rosemary (a long shot, they don't germinate well) and Summer Savory.

I need to clean more jugs! I want to start a few more flowers, and some Thyme. Want another Stevia plant but that's notoriously hard to germinate so I'm going to look for a grown plant when the nurseries get stocked in the spring.