Seed starting is a right of passage for most gardener . However , there are so many dissimilar ways to do it , that it can be overwhelming ! liken the pro and bunko game of seven different DIY seed starting trays that you may make at habitation . From using eggshell to stool paper bowl for seed starting , check which method works best .
The atmospheric condition may be warm a bit , and it ’s been many calendar month since we had our green thumb digging in the land , so it ’s no surprise that folks are just itch to get seeds started .
I ’m hearing about or date a lot of differentseed - start blog postsfloating around the web , from greenhorn who picked up a kit at the local ironware store to seasoned pro with reasonably sophisticated grow ops .
Many containers at home can be recycled and used for seed starting trays.
I decided it was probably time for me to chime in and divvy up what I live to be true about seed start as well , so I put together this series .
I ’ll share my experiences with all thosesuper - endearing containers you may make at home(Part 1 – below ) as well as some thoughts on thestore - buy stuff ( Part 2 ) . So here goes the goodness , the bad , and the ugly of seed begin container .
In this post , we will overcompensate :
Note : for more entropy on the whole process of seed starting , retard outSeed Starting 101for the bedrock . The following is more in - depth on only one of the issue covered briefly in that post .
The Best DIY Seed Starting Trays You Can Make At Home
You absolutely , positively do not need to BUY anything to be successful at seeded player go . Well , besides your seeds ( if you have n’t spare your own ) and some great sterilizedseed start mix , you could incur most of what you need around the house . That includes homemade source starter trays !
Not every oh - so - precious Pinterest - worthy repurposed container gives your seed the best first , though . And some are just unnecessarily prison term - use up for the home gardener . Here are the facts so you may choose the dependable tray for you and your garden .
Newspaper Pots
picture : How to Make paper Seedling Pots
These wildly pop little container can be easy made by cutting strips of newspaper and tramp them around a small tomato library paste can , ice , ora fancy - dancy pot makerto make cheap picayune starter . Make certain the newspaper you pick out expend a non - toxic soy - free-base ink , peculiarly when rise veggies or an herbaceous plant garden .
Newspaper is biodegradable , so you could plant your seedling out in the garden in the newspaper pot , and it ’ll interrupt down naturally from the bacterium and other organisms in the soil . That in itself can make it a with child growing culture medium .
pro : cheap , readily useable , plantable pot breaks down easily .
Cons : can be flimsy when wet , ca n’t bottom - piddle delicate seedling , clip - consume to make many , not a recyclable seed tray .
Toilet Tissue Roll Pots
These pots are a flake sturdier than the newspaper pots and , again , readily usable . We all use toilet paper , right?To make a toilet paper roll into a simple diy seed starting container , trend the tissue roll in half . Then sheer four ½ ” prospicient slit on the bottom of one end , equally spaced to make four flaps you will close down over like closing a box .
In theory , the cardboard will break out down in the soil so it can be planted out like the newspaper green goddess , BUT not all dirt is equal . If your grease does n’t have the necessary ingredient to transgress down this composition board quickly , the root word will not be able to propagate , and the plant will suffer .
If you do embed them in the background , be certain to plant the whole container because if the rim stays above soil , it can wick moisture away from the roots .
This method acting of seed startingworks well for cutting and seeds that may take longer than average to burgeon forth . But retrieve , without the right stain , your seedlings will likely have to be removed from these before planting , so choose wisely .
Pros : cheap , readily available , sturdy , hole in the bottom for drain
con : time - consuming to make many , too little to be useful for most seedlings , will likely need to be remove when plant .
Egg Cartons
testis cartons can be a good choice for start plant with shallow roots that you want to imbed in a row , such as peas or moolah . By the way , we ’re talk about the cardboard variety , not styrofoam egg carton here . Styrofoam never decomposes — I avoid it at all costs .
Grab a boxful cutter and utilise it to score ( not cut ! ) a line through the heart of the divets in the carton on the bottom of each prison cell . You are essentially doing this so that all seed sprouting can happen all together , but later , you may gently pull it apart to drop all the source into the turd .
When it ’s time to imbed , just make a manger in the grease and place your testis cartonful halves inside . draw the cartons aside so that the seeds fall through .
pro : cheap , readily available , avail keep seed spaced evenly asunder
Cons : have to get the seeds from the container into the terra firma , which can be tricky , soil dries out quickly
Egg Shells
These are so lovely , are n’t they ? Using a composition board egg cartonful filled with filth , you may find 12 trivial cells to start seeds . When you ’re ready to institute , you may theoretically just grab one and plant it in the garden like the toilet tube . And the eggshell could n’t be more precious .
HOWEVER … I wo n’t even do a pros and cons list on them because that ’s it for pros ( cunning ) and never take care that you ’ll have to remove the seedling from that plate and smash it before it hits the soil , they are just too darn modest .
This intend you will have to delicately extract that lilliputian seedling before it has its true leafage and plant it in a expectant , cryptic container . I say , why not just start with a bigger container and save the seedling ’s emphasis ?
Yogurt Containers
They do n’t have to be yoghourt ( shown here are cream cheeseflower container ) , but you get the picture . This is the equivalent of the plastic baby’s room cell seed pots . Just plug a few drain hollow in the bottomand Bob ’s your uncle . My only hint is tocheck your charge card for food safetyto verify it is n’t toxic to yourself or your plants .
professional : cheap , readily uncommitted , stout , can last a life , drain holes for bottom lacrimation , offer openhanded pots
Cons : Unless you are clean new to gardening , you probably have more baby’s room throne than yogurt container , not all plastic is safe to reuse
Plastic Salad Containers
The box that you buy pre - washed infant greens in will make a lovely container , as will a chicken dome or a patty tray . Anything that has a bit of a bottom on it and a wonderful exculpated charge card lid will create a mini greenhouse consanguineous to what you may buy in retail .
Cut a few holes in the lid for ventilation and check it often to ensure seedlings do n’t buckle under to the fearsome “ damp off , ” a fungous infection that kills the seedling . you may either set all your trivial homemade container in these or line the bottom with land and plant now .
pro : cheap , readily useable in different attribute , uncompromising , is a built - in glasshouse with humidity ascendancy
con : not all charge card is safe to recycle , you must keep an eye on glasshouse noggin and air regularly to avoid dampen - off , need to prick out and transplant germinated seedling one by one which will inevitably cause some loss
Soil-Blocking Tool
So , most likely , you do n’t have asoil - block toolaround your home . But they cost you about $ 35 , and once you have one , it is theoption with the least wastebecause it requires no extra stuff outside of your seed - starting mix .
Touse this handy tool , combine your seed starting premix with pee in a bucket until it ’s the same grain as slopped sand . take hold of yoursoil blocking tooland weigh it into the wet mixture . Then , press the handle and you ’ll have utter little blocks of dirt that you may add your seed into .
Pros : no - waste choice , easiest way to transplant seedlings into the undercoat
con : have to buy a puppet
The Best Seed Starting Trays – Personal Preference
That ’s my list . As you could see , clear your own seeded player starting trays can be quite rewarding ! Please comment if there are other starter trays out there that you have used and love or detest . What it really descend down to is a personal taste .
I originally bring out this post many years ago and have puzzle some more idea over the years :
I ’ve tried many ways , and I have my favorite , trusted , sometime standby semen - starting methodological analysis , but you will get hold that in Part 2 of this serial publication . break outSeed Starting Containers : The Real Dirt – Part 2 , where I write up the pros and cons of the store - bought seed starters out there : peat pellets , fiber pots , and more .
DIY Seed Container FAQ
I recommend bottom water your seedlings . If you water system overtop , the semen can easily be free from the soil or the delicate seedling damaged . To bottom water , fill a tray with piddle and place your container in the tray . The soil will slow imbibe up the weewee . Leave the water in the tray until the top of the ground is moist , then rain cats and dogs out any remaining water from the tray .
It bet on how large your ejaculate start containers are . If they are quite small , such as the egg cartonful , they should only remain in there for a workweek or two after burgeon forth . pass on seedling in small raft with no nutrition will cause undesirable stress to the plant . When seedling have two true leaves , they ’re quick to be graft into larger container if keeping them inside or quick to move outside to harden off .
