Favorite products for seed starting?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:54 pm

Was seriously wanting a soil blocker this year but now have heard there may be quite the learning curve for it.

Opinions? Tips? thoughts?

Karen · Post by **Karen** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:55 pm

I start tomatoes and peppers in one big tray and then plant out to individual pots (reused) when the first true leaves appear or when I get to it, usually about a week later. This means I use very little sterile potting mix and the only containers I have to sterilize are the initial starting trays.

I can do hundreds of plants a year and use half a bag of sterile potting mix. I am lazy and cheap.

Callie · Post by **Callie** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:55 pm

I like just regular 6 packs and 4x4 pots. With care they last for years. I use the 4x4s (or 3x3s) to start several seeds then transplant them to six packs as they grow. I use potting soil in the bottom of the pot and a seed starting medium on top.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:55 pm

I like to use the 10x20” plastic grow trays that can be reuse every year. Then put the clear 12oz solo plastic cups in the trays for my seedlings.

Liz · Post by **Liz** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:55 pm

I start seeds in 16 oz size "solo" cups. The 16 oz size are large enough that I don't have to up-pot the seedlings for quite a while (generally only TP when they are ready to go outdoors). I usually put 2-4 seeds per cup and pinch off all but the strongest seedling.

Betsy · Post by **Betsy** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:55 pm

Please visit The Gardeners Workshop for a tutorial on soil blocking. Lisa Mason Ziegler is quite the gal! Knows and shares so much info. And sells the products, seeds etc.

Lisa! · Post by **Lisa!** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:56 pm

My growing season is very short. We're lucky if we get 90 days frost free so I use things to prevent transplant shock which slows growth with each transplant. I start with those peat pellets, then drop those into 3x3 peat pots, and then drop those into fabric grow bags. By then, they can be moved to the greenhouse. Finally, in mid-late May, I plant them permanently into raised beds, pots or 5-gallon buckets. The most sensitive plants go into pots and buckets so I can move them into and out of the greenhouse as frost threatens until the end of June and again at the end of August. This method has gained me the most produce so far.

Corinne · Post by **Corinne** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:56 pm

I use a winter-sowing type method for cold hardy and perennial seeds in large bins right in the greenhouse and use 10 x20 trays of different cell sizes for frost tender annuals for inside under grow lights then pot up if necessary before planting out in zone 5b. Am thinking of moving to soil blocking on diy wood trays next year for tender annual flowers if growing a lot of them.