Quote:
Originally Posted by RiverRat
I've had trouble finding organic seed-starting mixes around here, too; the potting soil doesn't seem fine enough for tiny tomato and pepper seeds. I just ordered some online from Territorial Seeds and that should do me for this season.
I never thought about using those aluminum roasting pans; I'll bet you could put them on a heating mat, too.
How do you make sure that your varieties don't get mixed up, though? I used to start all my seeds in the Gardeners' Supply styrofoam APS system, but it's not compatible with bottom heat, so I tried Park's BioDome and didn't like being limited to only one seed per cell. I didn't have enough spares when sowbugs cut down my young seedlings after I planted them out. So I'm looking for an alternative this year. In the other two systems I either numbered the rows or used little sticks for labels, and I haven't decided how to do it if I use more of a free-sowing style.
|
I would think that you could put the heavy aluminum trays on anything. Then they can easily be washed for later use. I use popsicle sticks from a crafts shop that I mark with indelible marker to identify the varieties which I sew in lines. I have been staggering the sewings over the past month. If not using the plastic covers, you can also use them for planting as they are the same size and depth. That gives me four planting trays for about 3.50. As I place the individuals in cups, I simply use a popsicle stick for each or write directly on the cup.