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Seed starting trays are one of the easiest ways to start vegetable, flower, and other plant seedlings indoors before the weather warms up. They come in a variety of sizes, with different features, and materials, but which ones are best?
Are some seed starting trays better then others and why? This is what I set out to find out this years growing season, in my quest to grow more of my own vegetables at home!
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In past years, I never really used seed starting trays and always went with a collection of mixed solo cups, old flower pots , yogurt containers, egg cartons, basically whatever I could find and put soil in! While all these containers do work, and can be a great way to garden on a budget, I never really found that much success with my mix and match approach.
The main problem with this approach is that it simply makes things harder to manage. The various containers all require different amounts of water to stay moist, they take up way more space, and you have to move each seedling individually should you want to move them out, under grow lights or into a new window sill.
In short, are seed starter trays necessary for the beginner gardener? No, not exactly, but they sure do make life a whole lot easier, and dramatically improve your chances of success!
Seed starter trays make life a whole lot easier by conveniently grouping seedlings into easy to manage trays.
Most often seed starting trays are made of rigid plastic and are reusable, or are made of super thin recyclable plastic that is meant to be thrown away after using. Some are a combo of plastic drip tray with bio-degradable cells or peat pellets that can later be planted right into the garden.
There are a wide range of designs to choose from, and it can be overwhelming, especially for new gardeners.
Which you'll end up choosing depends on several factors and we'll go over some of the most common designs in this guide to help you decide what will work best for you.
Most seed starter trays come in a 10" x 20" size, but differ in the amount of 'cells' or individual plants that can be planted in the tray.
The more cells a tray has, the shorter the time frame before the seedlings out grow the tray and need to be planted out or transplanted into larger containers.
Tray sizes range from 12 cell trays - 128 cell trays! In my experience, tray sizes between 24 cells and 48 cells work best and will safely keep your plants indoors for 4 to 8 weeks before needing to be transplanted.
Root vegetables, should when possible always be planted directly in the garden and not transplanted.
If you see roots coming out of the cells or peat pellet inserts, it's time to transplant the seedlings into a larger container or into the garden.
Which style of seed starter tray you choose is ultimately up to you.
Bio-degradable cell inserts are great, and make transplanting easy as the entire 'cell' is simply transplanted directly into a larger container or into the garden, and the tray material bio-degrades. They do need to be replaced yearly though and have a tendency to develop mold easier then plastic cell trays do.
Plastic seed starter trays are mostly re-usable, especially the more rigid plastic celled trays. The seedlings can be slightly harder to remove from the trays at transplanting time though, and you may need to use a butter knife, or spoon handle to help loosens the sides of the individual cells.
Never pull on the seedling stems to try and remove the cell from the tray as you will most probably damage the plant!
Consider these accessories when starting and growing seedlings indoors. They make life a whole lot easier, and increase your chances of success! If you have to pick just one of them, I will always recommend grow lights be the first upgrade to your indoor seedlings!
In our quest to discover which seed trays work best for our vegetable garden needs, we purchased and trialed three of the most commonly available styles of seed starting trays. Biodegradable cell inserts on a plastic base tray, peat pellet inserts with a base tray, and a rigid plastic celled tray with a base for watering.
Review:
A great seed starting tray for beginners, just add water and the peat pellets expand. No need for extra potting soil, or filling pots. Seeds sprout quickly and the clear heat dome helps retain moisture, reducing the need to water as often. Downside to this size tray is the short growing time before the seedlings need to be moved to larger pots or transplanted into the garden. Plan accordingly. Perfect for lettuces or plants that can be transplanted within a week or two of germination.
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Review:
Large peat pots provide enough space for plants to grow for 6 to 8 weeks. Perfect for tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, or squash seedlings. Base tray allows for easy watering, though care must be taken not to overwater to prevent mold growth. We found cutting the strips apart before planting made transplanting easier, with less disturbance to the plants. A great, easy to use tray for most plants.
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The re-useable nature of this seed tray requires only adding new potting soil before each use. The deep 1.8 inch plugs allow for more root development despite the high cell count. We found the seedlings to easily grow for up to 4-6 weeks before requiring transplanting. Perfect for herbs, peppers, lettuces etc. Plugs are harder to remove at transplant time though and require loosening of the sides with a spoon or popsicle stick, increasing the chances of damaging roots.
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Over all we found that all three styles of seed starting trays had their own pros and cons making them great for different things. With all trays we tried, we found planting 2-3 seeds per cell and then trimming back to just one seedling after sprouting to give the best results.
The small Jiffy peat plugs where great for starting lettuces, herbs, and brassicas that can be transplanted out sooner even in cool weather. Tomatoes and cucumbers struggled in these peat plugs due to the limited growing space for the roots and required transplanting into larger pots fairly quickly.
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The larger 32 peat pots where wonderful for plants that require more time to establish before being planted out. Tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and squashes all did well in this tray for up to 8 weeks. The only downside was the need to separate and space out some of the plants once they grew so large they where shading the other seedlings.
The re-useable 72 cell tray with 2 inch plugs worked surprisingly well, even for our larger plants, such as tomatoes and peppers. The deeper cell plugs allowed the plants to stay in the trays longer then expected. Removing the plugs without damaging the roots was a bit of a challenge though and took some getting the hang of.
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As another season of Covid Uncertainty rolls around, I see the gardening momentum started in is continuing into the winter of . Gardening Instagram is filled with people starting seeds and sharing portraits of new little seedlings. When I started gardening, I found the whole process of seed starting daunting. The science, the equipment, the timing, the management. This guide is meant to help you get started off on the right foot.
Maybe. Zone 4 or 3 gardener? Likely. The reason we start seeds indoors in a short-season climate is to ensure our plants produce before the growing season ends. Most gardeners can tell you the heartache of a giant sunflower head that is just about to bloom as the snow starts to fall on it. However, there are pros and cons to indoor seed starting that you should be aware of before you get started.
Short season gardeners can grow long season plants.
Cost savings on plants - bedding plants are significantly more expensive than a package of seeds (see note about seed start investment below).
Allows you to grow a much wider variety of plants than what you might find at your local nursery.
Allows organic gardeners complete control of seed types and soil inputs.
Scratches that mid-winter gardening itch.
Initial investment for seed starting equipment can be steep, and you will need to purchase seeds & seed starting medium annually.
You need space for your seed starting set up, and if you get your timing wrong - you can end up with lots of very big plants (which requires even more space).
Indoor seedlings require time & attention - seedlings have to be watered, fed (later on), potted up, and monitored for any pest infestations.
Plants started indoors have to be &#;hardened off&#;, which can be time-consuming.
Improperly grown seedlings will be weaker, and more prone to pests and climate damage (especially sunburn and wind damage).
Figuring out methodology and timing can be CONFUSING! The Internet is full of bad advice and contradictions.
This is where you can press the eject button on seed starting. New gardeners or gardeners with less time to invest can start lots of seeds outdoors (called direct sowing), and fill in any long season plants by purchasing from a greenhouse or local gardener (who got overzealous and started way too many seeds). If you are ready to delve into the world of indoor seed starting&#;read on.
The options for your seed starting set up are endless. For me, I had to take the time to differentiate between a professional setup (for greenhouses, market gardeners, and other income-generating growers), and a set up for an enthusiastic hobbyist like myself. Below is my opinion on what you need (and can skip) to get started.
This setup is ideal if you are new to seed starting, and want to dip your toes in the water. With this set up you can start a few basic veggies 4-6 weeks before planting outside and purchase some of the longer growing plants (like tomatoes, peppers, and woody herbs). You&#;ll be able to start 216 seeds with this setup, more if you continue to start seeds once your first batch has moved outside. If you purchase a used shelf or already have one on hand, you can create this set up for under $100.
1 x shelf unit with at least 3 shelves that are at least 10&#; x 20&#; (the size of a basic seed starting tray)
3 x seeding starting trays (with no holes) with a dome lid - standard size is 10&#; x 20&#;
3 x 72 cell seed starting tray (I like the perforated type that also you to separate the cells in groups of 6)
1 x bag of soilless seed starting mix ( I use Pro-Mix organic seed starting mix)
3 x Grow Light Bulbs (I use Sunblaster 26W k fluorescent bulb) with a clip-on lamp - paired with a sunny window (this will not be enough light in a dark room)
1 x water spray bottle
Full disclosure - I have started tomatoes and peppers using this setup - but it&#;s not ideal. By the time my plants could go outside they were leggy and weak (there just wasn&#;t enough light). It made them more vulnerable to pests and climate damage.
So you are liking gardening, and you want to start growing more veggies or cut flowers from seed. You&#;d like to start some seeds that need to grow indoors for 6-12 weeks. Here&#;s how you upgrade your seed starting set up.
1 x shelf unit with at least 4 shelves that are at least 18&#;x48&#; (this will allow you to store 4 trays per shelf, with a slight overhang). Wire shelves are ideal so you can hang lights from them. I purchased this shelf that has shelves that are 24&#; x 48&#;.
up to 16 x Seeding starting trays (with no holes) with a dome lid - standard size is 10&#; x 20&#;
up to 16 x 72 cell seed starting tray (I like the perforated type that also you to separate the cells in groups of 6)
up to 8 x 48&#; Grow Lights. See below for a discussion on grow lights - there are a few options for you
A plug-in timer for your lights
Soilless seed starting mix (I use Pro-Mix organic seed starting mix)
Vermiculite
Heat mats (can do a large 20&#; x 48&#;, or just get one or two smaller 10&#;x20&#; mats and use them for seeds that really demand heat to germinate)
1 x water spray bottle
1 x watering can
1 x small fan
I&#;m cheap when it comes to gardening, so I am building my grow light set-up shelf by shelf. Each shelf can handle four seed trays (with dome and insert), one large heat mat (20 x 48&#;), and two 48&#; grow lights. Your investment is going to vary widely based on the grow lights you purchase. For - I&#;ll have 2 shelves ready to go, with an eye on expanding by one shelf next year.
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