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The Plant Seed - Germinating and Starting Indoor © 2006

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Seed Starting Trays - A Primer © 2006

There are a lot of seed starting trays on the market for starting seeds indoors. The best one is probably the standard 10/20 flat. It is called the 10/20 because it is ten inches wide and twenty inches long. Available in many different styles, the 10/20 flat has become the standard flat for commercial growers. Clear plastic domes are available that fit perfectly on top of these trays.

There are also many different types of inserts which are designed to fit in the 10/20 flat. Some of these are plastic, some are peat, others are styrofoam. These are all useful, some for specific types of seeds, others for a more general nature.

For starting seeds, you don't necessarily need an insert. You can, of course, just fill the seed flat with medium, label and plant the seeds. This is fine if you are planting a lot of just one type of seed, like all marigolds or zinnias, but can be a bit tedious if you are starting a few of a lot of different kinds of seeds.

Seeds come in different sizes and germination times. If you plant a lot of different types of seeds in one tray, some will germinate fast, some slow. You will leave some in the flat as you transplant others out, leaving open spaces in the germination tray. This wastes valuable space in the seed starting area when you need it the most. You can plant more seed in the spots that some seedlings were transplanted out of, but this is not recommended. Diseases like damping off can get started this way, rogue seeds start which may confuse you, and germination rates may be lower in medium used this way.

Plastic bedding packs are the most versitle inserts for plant trays. They may be used to start seedlings, grow transplants on, and root cuttings. They are sold in a number of different sizes. You will notice four numbers used to reference. Numbers like 1203, 0606, or 0806 refer to the individual cell pack. 12 refers to the number of packs which will fit in a plant tray. The number 03 refers to the total number of cells per pack. Thus for a 1203 size cell pack, you will fit twelve packs of three cells in a tray, or thirty six individual plants.

An indoor seed starting system designed using this type of pack would be the most versital. Packs can be moved in and out, as the seeds germinate. Packs can be uses to transplant the seedlings into and grown on in a hot bed or greenhouse. The packs are useful for both small seeds and large seeds, quick starters and slow starters.

Fiber pots are another popular seed starting tray. There are a couple of different versions of this item. A peat pot is available which is made from pressed peat moss. The other is a fiber pot which is manufactured from recycled cardboard. Both are similiar in that the individual pots are useful for starting individual varieties of seeds, or smaller seeds of similiar culture can be grouped in one container.

The pots soak up water which permits bottom watering, if a no hole seed tray is used. Bottom watering is beneficial in that the seeds and seedlings are not disturbed after planting. The constant moisture of bottom watering speeds and improves germination rates.

Styrofoam seed starting trays are available in several different styles and types. These are nice for most vegetable and larger, quick germinating flower seeds. The styrofoam tray helps keep soil moisture and temperature at a constant level, important for germinating seeds. Most are sized to fit a standard 1020 seed starting tray.

Some have special soil medium plugs which are used start the seeds, although you could used a good soil mix in them, too. The plugs would be less messy and easier to use. Soil mix would be more economical. The one pictured here, available from Charlies Greenhouse, has the added feature in that the base can be turned over and used to pop the finished seedling out of the tray when transplanting time has arrived. The tray could then be cleaned and reused.

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