Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - necessity of uppotting and tray for manging starters?

paradajky · March 21, 2022

Hi!

This will seem pretty banal and probably stupid to most of you. Consider I'm simply excited to finally get started this year and I'm trying to get better compared to my abysmal results last year

I've planned out more plants to grow from seed this year than ever before, hopefully somewhere between 40 and 50**. I will be most likely re-using 6-cell nursery seedling things, then transplanting to 4" pots once they will grow out the ~1.5" cells (or maybe they are 2" I am not at home to measure them now, they are the typical six-packs you see in US nurseries and box stores).

First question: is necessary to do such an up-potting, since nurseries sell healthy seedlings in these small six-pack containers to start with?

Second: what are some tray ideas so I could capture the run-off water (i.e. prevent it from dirtying my house and patio), and also transport the seedlings quickly?

In the past I found the 6-cell fit into the pre-washed greens containers, but that was easy since I only had two 6-cell containers, so 2 greens containers needed only. I would need 6 more and not sure how I'd eat that many greens in one week. Next, if up-potting, I think only two or three 4" pots fit into these so I'd need another 12.. I think I could eat that many in 4-6 weeks to transplant. Then again, that'd be a pain to move around that many once they are in?

I also considered purchasing a 72 starter plug tray cell thing since it comes with a humidity dome and a tray underneath, but, they are flimsy, and like.. why.. when I already have all these 6-cells here at home. Except of course some sort of tray. With the small plugs, I would certainly need to transplant, so this still leaves me missing a tray for the 4" pots.

Would cheap aluminum baking sheets from the restaurant supply store be okay? I'm a little worried about the reflective nature and heat-conducting metal once the seedlings are outside.

Thank you for your time!

** probably a bad idea since I don't really have the space but whatever, I couldn't decide on the varieties so I said wtf and ordered them all

March 21, 2022	#1
paradajky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2021 Location: Coastal Southern CA Posts: 164	necessity of uppotting and tray for manging starters? Hi! This will seem pretty banal and probably stupid to most of you. Consider I'm simply excited to finally get started this year and I'm trying to get better compared to my abysmal results last year I've planned out more plants to grow from seed this year than ever before, hopefully somewhere between 40 and 50. I will be most likely re-using 6-cell nursery seedling things, then transplanting to 4" pots once they will grow out the ~1.5" cells (or maybe they are 2" I am not at home to measure them now, they are the typical six-packs you see in US nurseries and box stores). First question: is necessary to do such an up-potting, since nurseries sell healthy seedlings in these small six-pack containers to start with? Second: what are some tray ideas so I could capture the run-off water (i.e. prevent it from dirtying my house and patio), and also transport the seedlings quickly? In the past I found the 6-cell fit into the pre-washed greens containers, but that was easy since I only had two 6-cell containers, so 2 greens containers needed only. I would need 6 more and not sure how I'd eat that many greens in one week. Next, if up-potting, I think only two or three 4" pots fit into these so I'd need another 12.. I think I could eat that many in 4-6 weeks to transplant. Then again, that'd be a pain to move around that many once they are in? I also considered purchasing a 72 starter plug tray cell thing since it comes with a humidity dome and a tray underneath, but, they are flimsy, and like.. why.. when I already have all these 6-cells here at home. Except of course some sort of tray. With the small plugs, I would certainly need to transplant, so this still leaves me missing a tray for the 4" pots. Would cheap aluminum baking sheets from the restaurant supply store be okay? I'm a little worried about the reflective nature and heat-conducting metal once the seedlings are outside. Thank you for your time! probably a bad idea since I don't really have the space but whatever, I couldn't decide on the varieties so I said wtf and ordered them all