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+--- Thread: What Is A Seed Tray? (/showthread.php?tid=776)
What Is A Seed Tray? - lolpv1 - 09-29-2021
So, what is a seed tray? A seed tray is a container used to sow multiple seeds at once. After seed germination, seedlings grow in the seedling tray until they are large enough for transplant. A single seed tray can hold anywhere from 6 seeds to over 1000 seeds!
Of course, when choosing a seed tray, there are lots of options for the material, the type of tray, and the number of cells.
In this article, we’ll talk about seed trays and the options that are available. We’ll also get into how to use seed trays and how to water the seeds and seedlings.
Let’s get going.
Solid seed tray without drainage holes (leak proof seed tray) – a solid seed tray without drainage holes does not allow for any drainage. A solid seed tray without drainage holes is best for holding a cell flat (also called a plug flat). Since it holds water, it can be used to catch excess water from watering seeds, or it can be used to water from below (more detail on this later). You can find cell seed trays without drainage holes from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
The more pellets that are placed in the mould, the denser and stronger the seedling tray with lids.
In cheaper trays, there tend to be slightly bigger gaps between the expanded pellets, and fine plant roots can enter these, making it difficult to pull out the plants.
Some farmers are put off by the price of paint, but this treatment is well worth the cost: not only does it extend the life of the rice seedling tray by many years, but it seals the fine gaps in the polystyrene.
This reduces the risk of pathogens lurking in these crevices and also makes it much easier to pull out the seedlings.
Roof paints come in many colours, so you can use different colours for different years to keep track of the lifespan of each batch of styrofoam seed trays. There are often specials on roof paints and you can take advantage of these to cut the costs of the treatment.