gaps around containers

I wintersowed again this year in gallon milk containers ... but this year I have gaps here and there around the cut part at soil level because I fit the top inside the bottoms and they tend to be wavy -- do you think this makes any difference or do I have to duct tape around the cut ... the caps are off for ventilation ...

I'm glad you asked the crockny as I've had the same issue with the 2 liter bottles. I ended up putting just a small piece of tape over the "flap" just to hold it secure. I was kind of worried about it flying off in high wind.

I get those gaps to and I tape over them. It seems to work.

here's a neat little ditty I found on the other garden site that worked really well for 2ltr bottles.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wtrsow/msg1219382531858.html

scroll half way down -- it's the green bottle. cutting the "V" into it seems to really help.

I'm talking about the squarish gallon milk containers -- when cut below the handle to leave 3" for the dirt the tops don't fit well onto the bottom using flaps -- I used flaps but the top is somewhat narrower than the bottom and a bad shape because of the handle so my flaps are out, not in -- my question was "is it necessary to close those gaps"?

this is my first year SW'ing and just started cutting the jugs -- I seemed to cut all of my milk jugs above the handle, leaving that handle as my "hinge"

the first few I really had to wrestle with'em to get the soil in - and taping was no picnic
til I saw to close them with twisty-ties -- that seemed to work for me, much easier.

I'm finding everything is a learning curve.

terese

Last year I cut the jugs just below the handle to form hinge and taped the whole cut with duct tape. It was a bear to get that tape open. This year I'm just using one small piece of duct tape vertically on each, which leaves big gaps. I don't expect that to be any problem. If anything it might help when our spring monsoon rains start and they're too wet.

Karen

Here is how I'm doing it now, and there's been no "wrestling" on the last few.

My cutting of the jug is not straight, as i just use a paring knife -- and i'm finding cutting at the base of the "handle" and leaving that as a "hinge" -- it's working well.

I was using a hole punch to make the holes, and I seemed to have walked off with it, and darned if i can find it. (Ive searched everywhere, even the frig.... ) Oh well....

Try the microwave.

LOL -- maaaan - I've looked everywhere, dishwasher, (the wave has been used, so i know it's not there) drawers, cabinets, bathrooms, the basement, garage, garbage cans ..... I've actually given up.. I know one minute i'll just find it sitting there.

my son thinks the dog took it out in the yard - he has a bad habit of stealing things -- but if so, it'll be a long time til it turns up since we have blizzard-like conditions and my back yard is all snow-drifty (though we don't have anything like the 140+" NY has)

guess i'll just have to buy a new one before the DH realizes i've misplaced/lost something else.

Maybe it is in the bottom of one of your winter sown jugs or the bag of soil.

i did check the soil bag too - but not the containers.

very bizarre -- kinda like when i lose my coffee cup.... find it in the strangest places..

Not long ago I found the TV remote in the freezer.

tee hee -- I found it. It was outside in a box of SW containers. go figure.......

At last.

I don't worry about the gaps - it didn't seem to make a difference last year.

Try to wrestle the top OVER the bottom-- front and both sides. It wil leave small gaps in the back corners which you can either leave open or tape over. You have to work with it to get the top over the bottom because the soil sort of stretches out the bottom, but it can be done.

I have gone with the twistie ties, too.

Suzy

Too late -- they're out in the snow and I'm not digging them out ... whatever happens happens!

That's the spirit! W/S is all about faith!

That is a good way of thinking. By the way I have gaps too. Sounds like a scary disease doesn't it?

Mine have gaps, too, but I don't think it will be a problem. When they're frozen it certainly doesn't matter. In spring when it gets warm we'd be opening the jug or enlarging the holes anyway, so I figure this way some ventilation is already built in. Last year when I taped all the way around it was a nightmare to remove all that tape. This year it's one or two small vertical strips at most. The only advantage to more tape is security in moving the jugs by the handles.

I haven't tried the twist ties but basically they give me fits in any other application. I guess my clumsy arthritic hands just aren't up to that and I get frustrated. And when my husband closes something he seems to try to lock it up forever. I can never open jars around here. He must think some burgler is going to break into our house just to eat pickles.

Karen

Karen -- i must have read that about taping all the way around, so i only did it to 1 or 2 milk jugs - it was such a pain, i gave up. But i do recall reading about what a pain it is to get it off. Then i read about the twisty-tie, but I guess with arthritis - it wouldn't be as easy... sometimes just trying to feed the tie through the hole is hard enough. I have not, yet, had any troubles moving them just grabbing the handle -- the ties seem to hold well. (I think out of all my 35 containers, only 6 or 7 are milk jugs)

>>my husband closes something he seems to try to lock it up forever. ... He must think some burgler is going to break into our house just to eat pickles.

ROFL!! Mine's the same way. Too funny.... must be a guy thing.

tcs: I'm only middle-aged, but I use my hands a lot in my work. I'm right handed. The doctor says the arthritis in that hand isn't all that bad yet, but I also have a carpal tunnel in that hand, too, and had a bad tendonitis in it a year or so ago. Also have bilateral trigger thumbs and one trigger finger finger on the right, I've had lots of cortisone injections, up to 3 at a time in one hand. It helps for a while, then it returns. I have lost a lot of strength and coordination especially in the right hand. But basically, things like twist ties and my hands aren't a good combination. I could do it OK, I was thinking more about later on when I'm opening and closing so often, like daily, and having to deal with 50 or so every day. That's why I'm sticking to tape.

Karen