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Winter Sowing: Container Choices

January 18, 2023

By Beverley Wagar, Volunteer, Royal Botanical Gardens

Container Choices

Choosing the right container is probably the most important determinant of winter sowing success. So I’ve brought together what I’ve learned from many years experience with many types of containers. At the end of this article is a list of criteria that will help you decide whether a container is worth trying.

There are two variations on the mini-greenhouse concept. First is what I call the all-in-one, where the part that holds the soil (germination mix) is attached to the greenhouse top. Second is the big top setup, where a large jug holds several smaller tubs or pots that contain the soil.

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Winter sowing jugs and bottles on the author’s back deck
Winter sowing jugs and bottles on the author’s back deck

All-in-one types

pop bottle example of ‘all-in-one’ container. Note the placement of drainage holes and the additional vent holes in the top
Pop bottle example of ‘all-in-one’ container. Note the placement of drainage holes and the additional vent holes in the top.
examples of all-in-one containers: small, rigid sides, transparent
Examples of all-in-one containers: small, rigid sides, transparent

Pop bottles

These are probably the easiest containers for beginners. I like the ‘hourglass’ shaped ones because they can be cut so that the top fits over the bottom, which requires less tape and is easier to pop open if you need to add water or check for germination.

You can use straight-sided bottles (ones that don’t ‘nest’)—just line up the top and bottom and join with transparent, water-resistant tape.

Here’s a gallery of container information and ideas:

"All-in-one" container sample
Checklist for all-in-one type containers
pop bottles showing cutting lines and the cut portion of top that allows the top to fit over the bottom
Pop bottles showing cutting lines and the cut portion of top that allows the top to fit over the bottom.
Close up view of plastic nested pop bottles
Hourglass-shaped coke bottle showing how to mark cutting lines. Turn the bottle, not the pen.
Hourglass-shaped coke bottle showing how to mark cutting lines. Turn the bottle, not the pen.
Clear plastic diet coke bottle with dashed line around the middle and bottom of the bottle
Close up of the bottle om a clear plastic bottle with drainage holes on the bottom
pop bottles with seedlings germination
Germination happening.

Other all-in-one options

examples of plastic "all-in-one" containers
Image: SK via Flickr. CC-BY-ND.

More examples of ‘all-in-one’ containers. I don’t advise using opaque tape, though. As well, additional vent holes and better labeling would help.

If you sow directly into the bottom of a large container (as this gardener did with the top left jug) you’ll end up with a lot of seedlings that you may not need. As well, four inches of seeding mix in a lot of large containers can get expensive.

Juice jugs, if the sides are rigid enough, can make good all-in-ones. Sometimes these have large dimples on the bottom. These can be cut out and the bottom replaced with a similarly-sized piece of plastic. Or you can use it as is.

For efficient use of seeding mix and space, consider using large jugs to hold several smaller containers. I call this a ‘big top’ setup.

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plastic juice jug cut for nesting
Another all-in-one option. This has corner slits allowing slight overlaps that reduce the top diameter and allow a ‘nesting’ fit

‘Big Top’ setups

A ‘big top’ is simply a large jug that holds several smaller containers. The jug is the greenhouse; the containers are the pots that hold the soil. Pots do not need lids or tops.

Look for large jugs that once held vinegar, kitty litter, detergent, windshield wiper fluid, etc. They should be translucent or transparent, not opaque. Cooking oil jugs can be used but it’s difficult to remove the oily film.

"Big-top" container sample
Checklist for big-top type containers

Big-top setups require extra work but have several advantages. They avoid the problems caused by flexible plastic. Because the sides of these large jugs are not very rigid, they bend when moved or handled. This causes gaps and cracks to open up in the germination mix and seeds sometimes get buried in the crevasses.

Another reason I don’t like planting directly into big jugs is the sheer number of seedlings they can hold. I usually don’t want a bazillion of a single species—and I don’t advise growing more than one species per container, for reasons I describe in part two of this article. Yes, I could sow more thinly and get fewer plants, but that’s a waste of expensive germination mix and also not an efficient use of the limited space on my back deck. I prefer to sow thickly in smaller containers such as deep mushroom tubs, 3.5″ pots, or 500ml yogurt tubs. Each holds a single species and they nestle securely into the big ‘greenhouse’ jugs.

large plastic jug next to smaller soil containers
How to use a really big jug. The hinge can go on the side (as shown) or in a corner.

A really large jug holding four smaller tubs. The two on top are deep mushroom tubs. For this one I used one edge as a hinge.

plastic nesting jug with soil
A ‘big top’ setup ready to be labelled. I use a single tub inside a jug because the sides of the plastic bottom are often thin and prone to twisting and bending. This can open open up gaps and cracks in the soil.

A smaller jug that nicely holds two 2″x3″ cell-inserts.

Pots in a large plastic jug
A ‘big-top’ setup like this one lets you keep species separate.

A small jug can hold a single pot.

Here’s a setup using a greenhouse tray with a high dome. Inside are either cell inserts or smaller containers.

The amount of air space above the soil level is important. This ‘head space’ prevents overheating, allows for air circulation, and permits seedlings to get quite tall before they hit the ‘roof’.

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Setup using a greenhouse tray with a high dome. Inside are either cell inserts or smaller containers.
Setup using a greenhouse tray with a high dome. Inside are either cell inserts or smaller containers. Photo: copyright Pam McDonald

Getting creative

A google image search using ‘winter sow’ or ‘wintersowing’ will result in hundreds of container ideas that gardeners have tried. When deciding if something will work or not, keep the following in mind:

  • Is there enough head space? Is there space for additional vent holes in the top?
  • Is the top transparent or translucent?
  • If the part that holds the germination mix is opaque, can it be filled to the very top? If you only partially fill a pot, the part above soil level will cast shadows on the soil surface, causing irregular germination.
  • How big is the soil-holding container? You will be sowing only one species per tub, so unless you’re planting the entire back-forty, a small one is usually just fine. Remember, though, that the smaller the pot, the faster it dries out. So if you’re using really small pots (such as cell inserts or plug trays) be sure to regularly check the soil moisture levels in the spring. Do not use peat pots, which tend to keep seedlings either too soggy or too dry. They also cause trouble when pricking out seedlings since roots may be damaged if they’re attached to the peat walls.
  • Can you cut or melt holes in the greenhouse material? This rules out glass and thick plexiglass.
  • Can the greenhouse top withstand strong winds and the weight of big dumps of snow? I’ve experimented with setups using clear plastic bags, but I never found a reliable way to prevent them from collapsing onto the soil surface.
A variety of plastic containers

A variety of containers. The opaque tops are questionable but the other ones are fine.

styrofoam cups with soil and seedlings

Styrofoam cups, plastic ‘solo’ cups or any type of pot with opaque sides are good for situations where the light is directly overhead at all times, such as in an indoor setup with grow lights. Outdoors, though, the sun (in winter and spring in the northern hemisphere) is low in the sky. Opaque pots will cast a shadow over the soil surface, causing seeds near the edges to germinate later than the rest. To avoid this, fill opaque containers to the very top and tamp well to minimize settling.

Clear totes in the soil with no vents

Clear or translucent plastic totes are popular. Use them only as big-tops to hold smaller containers–don’t fill them directly with mix. I find them far too large for my available space. Don’t forget to make drainage and vent holes.

Soil mix too shallow? Ventilation– not much space between soil and lid

This gardener has used a large variety of all-in-one containers. I suspect that some are quite shallow (less than 3″ of soil mix) and most have minimal head space for ventilation and seedling growth. All seem to have vent holes.

soil container set up in rows

This gardener may have trouble. The soil mix depth is too shallow. Those outside labels won’t survive long outside. Are there drainage holes in this? I recommend not mixing several species in a tub for reasons described in part two.

various plastic bottles and jugs
Here’s my haul from neighbourhood blue bins on recycling day. The blue-tinted jug and the yogurt tub did not make the cut.

All containers can be saved, cleaned, and re-used next year.

Whatever containers you choose, keep records of what worked well and if you try something new, do a backup jug, just in case.

Wintersown native plants on shelves outside, late June 2022. Some are waiting to be pricked out; some are in pots for growing on.
Wintersown native plants on shelves outside, late June 2022. Some are waiting to be pricked out; some are in pots for growing on.

Have fun! This is the wonderful end result!


In Part Two of this series we’ll look at the step-by-step process and present tips for success. Part One presents the reasons and principles behind winter sowing.

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All photos, unless otherwise noted, are © Beverley Wagar under Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

About Beverley Wagar
Bev Wagar caught the winter sowing bug in 2005. She has 23 years experience making, tending, and learning about gardens. Since 2012 she’s been a volunteer at the Royal Botanical Gardens where she leads a volunteer gardening crew at the Helen M. Kippax Native Plant Garden.

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