Seed Trays

[keliz5000]

I'm sure there is probably a thread for this, but I couldn't find anything. Can I use small plastic containers, like water bottles, butter containers, yogurt containers etc, to plant seeds in instead of buying seed trays? And what else could I use, I'm already making the newspaper seed starter pots.

[Odsox]

You can indeed, as long as you remember to poke a few holes in the bottom first.
The compost needs to drain otherwise waterlogged compost leads to rotting seeds.
Another popular seed starter is loo roll centres, ideal for long rooted plants like parsnips and sweet peas as they are deeper than newspaper pots.

[Rosendula]

Yes you can use a lot of different things. Make sure you punch drainage holes in the bottom.
Don't forget to use loo-roll tubes for things that would normally be sown in the ground outside and don't like their roots disturbing (carrots, etc.)

I got some battered haddock portions that were reduced for quick sale in $ainsburps the other day and they came in deep, clear plastic trays. I've rinsed them out and will use them as propagator lids.

For things like butter and margarine containers, if you keep the lid it is the perfect size to use as the drip tray that goes under the pot

....Just noticed Odsox posted before me and said what I've said. I'm not deleting it though. Do you know how long it takes to type a message with a 2.67 year old clambering all over you?
Great minds, eh Odsox

[Odsox]

Great minds, eh Odsox

Of course ... although others might say "fools seldom differ" but we will ignore those people won't we ?

[Nomada]

Of course you can do that, my grandad always used to save plastic trays that fruit, tomatoes and meat came in, fruit ones are great as they already have holes. As Rosendula and Odsox said, small yogurt pots are great, as are egg boxes and loo roll tubes are good too, rot down! Plastic bottle have their uses, check this out:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bottle_ ... g_project/

I'm growing patio tomatoes this year, I'm planning to transplant the young plant into a plastic bottle with the top cut off, remove bottom leaves and heap soil in as it grows taller to encourage a good deep root system to form. Hopefully this will go well.

[Mal]

I did rolled up newspaper last year and frankly it was a bit rubbish. Lots of little flies (okay, so that may have been the compost), lots of mushrooms growing out the sides and then the paper didn't rot away so I felt that some things were a bit constrained - I had thought that part of the point was that the paper just rotted off in the soil, I ended up removing it before planting each time.

Maybe the Guardian was too high quality, and I should go with something that's muck to start with!? Anyway, I don't get a paper any more as I realised I never had time to actually read it, so I'm thinking of retreating to plastic modules.

[Odsox]

Sorry to hear you had problems Mal.
The little flies were probably compost gnats and don't do a great deal of harm except their grubs do feed on roots as well as the compost, but being incredibly small they don't really do any harm. If you don't like to see them or the mushrooms, you can sterilise small amounts of compost in a microwave. Put some in a bowl and heat on high for about 3 minutes.
The paper pots and peat pots too, need quite a damp soil to decompose otherwise they go hard. So if your plot is a bit dry give the pots a good watering from time to time.
Failing that switch to the Sun, that's decomposing to start with.

[theabsinthefairy]

Anything that you can reuse like plastic pots for seed trays is a great idea - and they last for a couple of years worth of plantings too so good recycling karma!

As well as the holes in the bottom advice, I tend to group mine in cardboard boxes and create little mini greenhouses around the garden with mine, slightly recess the box into the ground (I use the fruit boxes that are about 10 to 15 cm high) add your pots etc, compost and seeds, then cover with clear plastic or bubble wrap weighted down around the outsides. Because I am a bit short of indoor space I tend to do this in the garden, next to the final growing beds, then transplanting is quite quick and easy as the seedling pots are all right there to hand.

I love my toilet roll plantings though - even though our French neighbours all thought I was complete loopy the first time they saw my toilet roll army on the march through the garden - they were quite complimentary when they saw how pest resistant my early peas and beans were, and of course those delicate long rooted things adore it like parsnips, salsify and carrots.

[lsm1066]

I've just planted the first of my veg in special mini greenhouses. They're the plastic cartons that supermarkets pack biscuits, brownies, cookies etc in and they're fab!

Lynne