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Got Milk (Jugs?) -- Then You Can Start Your Tomatoes

Spring is here and the time is right for getting those tomato plants started. All that is needed is a DIY mini-greenhouse made from recycled materials.

Samantha Burbach is the education and programming coodinator for Klehm Arboretum. She creates activities people can do at home with materials they might already have.

Referring to Governor Pritzker's "stay-at-home" order, Burbach said, "We want to give some ideas to gardeners so they can get their spring rolling, even in the circumstances we are in."

She recommends sowing tomato seeds in milk jugs and placing them in a sunny spot outside. Be sure to poke holes in the bottom for drainage and top for ventilation. 

She said, "It's very cost effective and it'll produce some nice, strong plants that are already used to being outdoors. They're going to be able to stand up to some of the outdoor weather that we might get in spring."

Burbach says if a hard freeze is coming, throw an old blanket or sheet over the greenhouses for the night.

Credit Connie Kuntz
Work through your soil. If you don't find any frozen layers, you can sow certain types of vegetable seeds.

For gardeners who don't want the extra step of  creating a greenhouse, sowing certain vegetable seeds directly into the soil is an option. Burbach says you can start spinach, kale, lettuce, peas, broccoli and radishes as long as your soil isn't frozen.

She said, "Keep checking to see if you've got any layers of frozen soil. If not, then go ahead and put those seeds in the ground directly."

Click here to find specific gardening resources from Klehm Arboretum.