The Best Seed Starting Trays For Beginner Gardeners

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Starting your garden journey with the right seed starting trays can make all the difference. These trays, available in various sizes and styles, provide a controlled environment to germinate your vegetable, flower, and other plant seeds indoors before the weather becomes suitable for outdoor planting. Which one should a beginner choose? Let's explore.

Are Seed Starting Trays Necessary?

Initially, I used different containers like solo cups, old flower pots, yogurt containers, and egg cartons. Though it's a budget-friendly method, it posed several challenges. Different containers required varied watering amounts, occupied a lot of space, and moving each seedling individually was cumbersome.

So, are seed starting trays essential for beginners? Not necessarily, but they simplify the process and significantly increase the likelihood of successful germination and growth.

Benefits of Seed Starting Trays

• Improved Lighting: Grouped seedlings can be uniformly lit and easily moved under grow lights.
• Easier Watering: Uniform cell sizes make watering more manageable, and proper drainage helps avoid overwatering.
• Organization: Trays allow for planting similar types in one place, facilitating hardening off and transplanting at different times.
• Moisture Regulation: Some trays come with clear covers to maintain moisture, especially during early germination.

Materials and Designs of Seed Starting Trays

Seed starting trays come in different materials, commonly rigid plastic or thin recyclable plastic. Some combine a plastic drip tray with biodegradable cells or peat pellets that can be planted directly into the garden.

The choice of tray depends on multiple factors. Let's review some common designs to help you decide.

Seed Tray Sizes

Typically, seed trays are 10" x 20" but vary in the number of 'cells' they have. A larger number of cells means a shorter timeframe before the seedlings must be transplanted into larger containers.

• High-cell-count trays are ideal for quick-growing plants like lettuces and herbs, which can be transplanted sooner.
• Trays with fewer cells are better for slower-growing plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.

Root vegetables should always be planted directly in the garden.

When roots start coming out of the cells, it's time to transplant them into larger containers or the garden.

Biodegradable Inserts vs. Plastic Cell Trays

The choice between biodegradable inserts and plastic trays is personal. While biodegradable inserts simplify transplanting and degrade in the soil, they need yearly replacement and are prone to mold. On the other hand, plastic trays are reusable but can make transplanting seedlings more complicated. Avoid pulling on seedlings' stems to prevent damage.

Essential Accessories for Seed Trays

• LED Grow Lights: Provide the necessary light for healthy seedling growth.
• Heat Mats: Maintain consistent soil temperatures to aid germination.
• Base Trays: Facilitate drainage and bottom watering, reducing the risk of disease.
• Clear Dome Lids: Keep moisture and heat in, especially useful during germination.

Popular Seed Starting Trays for Beginners

In our trials, we compared three commonly available 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.

Jiffy Professional Greenhouse 72-Cell Starter Kit

Review:

A fantastic choice for beginners. Add water, and the peat pellets expand, eliminating the need for additional potting soil. Seeds sprout rapidly, and the clear dome retains moisture. However, seedlings quickly outgrow the peat pellets, necessitating timely transplantation.

Pros:

• Easy to use peat pellets
• Includes clear lid for moisture retention
• Comes with a base tray for watering
• No additional potting soil needed

Cons:

• Limited growth period before transplanting
• Pellets require replacement after each use

32 Cell Peat Pot Strips

Review:

The larger cells allow for 6-8 weeks of plant growth, making them ideal for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash. The base tray simplifies watering, but care must be taken to avoid overwatering. Cutting the strips apart before planting eases transplanting with minimal disturbance.

Pros:

• Biodegradable inserts simplify planting and transplanting
• Larger cells allow for extended indoor growth
• Includes base tray for easy watering
• Facilitates longer growth period before transplanting

Cons:

• Yearly replacement of inserts required
• Solid watering tray needed (sold separately)
• Requires potting soil to fill

Re-Usable 72 Cell Plug Tray

Review:

This reusable tray needs only to be filled with new potting soil for each use. The deep 1.8-inch plugs support significant root development despite the high cell count. Seedlings can grow for 4-6 weeks before needing transplanting. However, removing seedlings from the trays at transplanting time can be challenging and requires loosening the sides with a spoon or popsicle stick.

Pros:

• Fully reusable plastic tray
• Each cell has a dedicated drainage hole
• Deep cells support robust root development

Cons:

• Requires base tray for drainage
• Seedlings are difficult to remove

Summary

In our assessment, each type of tray has its benefits and drawbacks. The Jiffy peat plugs are best for lettuces, herbs, and brassicas that can be transplanted soon after germination. The larger 32 cell peat pots are excellent for plants needing longer indoor growth, and the reusable 72 cell tray with deep plugs offers flexibility for a range of plants.

For more information on planting trays wholesale or seed tray manufacturers, feel free to contact us for an expert consultation!