Jugs in the Garden

Donna Young @ 23 May 2008
Filed in Categories: Bugs Garden Tools

http://donnayoung.org

Gardeners make use of assorted discarded items such as jugs and other types of containers. The purposes of the containers are few but all of the purposes indicate protecting a young plant from something. Some of the things that threaten young plants are bugs, animals, hard rain, and frost. Once the young plant is larger and stronger, remove the jug. The plant can usually withstand some damage when it is larger.

Not all plants will need a jug, only those that are severally threatened. In my garden the threatened plants are a few tomato seedlings that I did not plant. The seedlings are sprouting from last year’s cherry tomato plants. All of the tiny tomato seedlings are pockmarked with holes from flea beetles. I want at least one plant to survive so I selected one, removed all the bugs from the plant and the surrounding soil, and put a jug over it.

The Jug

The jug I am using is a cat litter jug. I rinsed it and cut the bottom off the jug. The jug is firmly seated into the soil. An inch or more of the jug’s bottom edge is pushed in and buried into the soil. Below are some comparison photographs of the plant today and a few days ago, and one unprotected nearby plant.

. . .

The Plant Four Days Ago

. . .

The Plant Today

The plant is growing better now that it isn’t being eaten.

Note: The jug’s lid is removed. The plant receives moisture from condensation and what little rain falls through the jug’s opening.

. . .

A Nearby Unprotected Plant

Growth is slow on the unprotected plant. Note the lack of central stem growth.

. . .

UPDATE: May 27, 2008

The tomato in the jug has grown rapidly in the past four days.

In summary: This is just one way of many to prevent bugs from killing or stunting a young seedling without using pesticides.

. . .

Happy Gardening!

Looking good!

While planting some flowers and tomatoes today, I was thinking about gardeners in general. I emptied an old container used by the previous occupants of our house; she was a beginning gardener well on her way. Inside the container, she used a Cool Whip container at the bottom. It was a little smushed and had a slice on the side, but I assumed it was to provide some drainage, since there wasn`t any broken bricks or pottery pieces at the bottom.

Funny I should come here and read about your resourcefulness, too. big smile

I am sorry you`re having such a time with flea beetles.

— Sheri · May 23, 10:10 PM · #

That is a great experiment with your tomato plants. I`ve not begun my veggies at this point but hopefully I`ll be doing so very soon.

— Elaine · May 24, 12:04 AM · #

It is like an experiment isn`t it Elaine? There is always at least one experiment going on in the garden, usually a lot more.

— Donna Young · May 25, 02:53 PM · #

That is a cool idea....like a green house almost. One day I will have dirt that I can plant in and not have to hang things up in buckets.

— Ginger · May 27, 02:51 PM · #

What a neat idea. I am going to do that with the lettuce seeds. Maybe the squirrels won`t eat the seeds then. smile

— Appliejuice · May 28, 04:51 PM · #

Applie, if you try it, let me know how it works. The jug environment is warmer than the surrounding air and I would recommend taking the jug off after the lettuce seeds germinate.

I am using floating row cover over my small lettuce bed. Product description says that a floating row cover raises the temperature inside the area, but if it does, it is not by much in the case of our row cover.

Lettuce is temperature sensitive and not usually a summer crop. A certain degree of warmth makes lettuce go to seed (bolt). it is been a cool spring in this area so I am hoping that I can harvest the lettuce before it bolts. I plan to plant a fall lettuce crop at some point this year.

— Donna Young · May 29, 03:03 PM · #