Best Seedling Trays: Soil Blocks, Winstrip, and Plug Trays Compared
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
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Seed starting can be a challenge, even more so when you MIGHT not be using the best seedling trays for the job. I spent some time over at my friend Steven's farm, Nature's Always Right. We hung out in his new greenhouse and I tapped his brain for a knowledge dump on his favorite seed trays, including he will still continue to use soil blocks as a seed starting method.
Anything you like to use with your seedlings?
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I live in 9b and just planted my coneflowers and lupines. It’s very rainy and humid here so I kept it indoors and covered it with Saran wrap. I hope I see some growth by next week.
What's 9b?
Steven, I watched three of your videos today, and then I went out and made 2 inch soil blocks like a pro, and I had so much fun! I've been smiling ever since. I had such massive failure this past winter starting seeds. It is such a relief to ditch all that plastic. I spent 120.00 on stuff last year I never want to use again. I can't wait to see them sprout!
Thank you Kevin! I have learned so... much from your videos and have loved watching Steve's dedicated progression and his passion to fine tune his time wisely and freely sharing these bits of wisdom with all of us. I purchased these fantastic seed trays and are worth every penny. Thank you both for making growing our food fun again! Blessings
It really makes sense to buy a good quality piece. I’m not new to gardening, but I’ve only repotted a million different plants into pots that I’ve bought already started at Home Depot, nurseries, ect. I’ve grown perennials several times from bulbs. Just planted some sprouted garlic and onion that was lost and found in my pantry. I’ve also been propagating succulents from cuttings. This would be the next step for me. Growing from seeds. Right now I’m in the process of growing ranunculus, Ismene, and aqualegia, plants I’ve never even heard of. This is why I’m considering getting trays. So far I’ve been improvising with cookie trays, shallow filled 5 gallon vacant pots.
Thanks guys! Winstrip trays are expensive, but this video shows how effective they are. Please keep the videos coming
Will do!
with exposed bottom will it not drain out soil faster ? and it requires more frequent watering
Bootstrap Farmer makes some awesome stuff. I was really tempted to get the air pruning trays when I ordered this year, but opted to go with a soil block kit. It's going to be a lovely spring.
Great to see two of my favs collaborating on this video.
Keep up the good work guys 👍
Thanks, means a lot!
Love you guys and Conner Crickmore. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching!
Wow! Soil blocks sound perfect for me!
Nice vid, I am so happy you said the blocks were good because I just bought one today and not the cheapest either, from England but very sturdy Thanks guys
For this is my first year of starting seeds this actually helped a lot
Good luck this season!
Thanks for these type vids. I'm trying to get up courage to grow sprouts to eat. Good work!
Glad you enjoyed!
Finally bit a $27.59 Winstrip tray (incl shipping). At that price the tray best be heavy duty enough to last a least 20 years. Thanks for your excellent channel.
How did they turn out? Are they heavy duty? I am a farmer and my boss wants my opinion on these after some research. Honestly I still love the soil blocks best
@@jennmerrill3432 no doubt they are built for heavy duty commercial applications. I am a back yard hobby gardener but I hated the flimsy junk trays. I’m glad I spent the money. I had a variety of tomatoes, beans, lettuce trayed up and had good germination.
Thank you , I didn't know about winstrips.
I'm excited to test them as well
Great video! Thanks for sharing. Just bought soil blockers and learning more about using them.
Just for say, a day's extra work - I'm for the soil blocks. The winstrip tray is clever tho....
To each their own!
I've been doing it for a couple years I finally get to use the flats and kick the Solo cup but I got to thinking I'll keep the Solo cup lol here's hoping the trays make the job better if they get bigger they'll go in the Solo cup I wish they made them deeper just proud to have them lol
Nice work bro hellp full video
Yeah the only problem is $109.00 dllrs! so, this is for someone that has a commercial growing nursery
I hope he would sell them a bit cheaper and per unit
never knew something like the soil blocker existed.
so how do you get them out of the tray when its time to transplant them. sorry if thats a stupid question
Thank you for this video!
I’d like to transition from plug stars to either soil blocks or win strips.
Three questions:
1. My starts are inside my house so I am worried about a mess/watering issues/ spilled water etc. Would you think staying with my plug trays is better, considering my grow area is indoors?
2. I sometimes sell my extra starts at a farm stand. Would I be able to sell a start in a 3 or 4 inch soil block as a way to reduce plastic waste? Is it realistic to just hand over a tomato in a soil block instead of a plastic pot?
3. What is the smallest size pot you would use to bring a tomato to readiness before putting it in the ground? I’m considering using the larger 2 in. Cell trays to start tomatoes and then putting directly in the ground from there, or is it a “ must” to pot them up at least once before putting them in the ground?
Sincerely,
Silas
Flagstaff,AZ
1. You can get the mach thing in the right size to put into this tray, he showed. So there should be no water issue.
2. Just wrap the soil blocks into old newspaper. That's how all of my lokal (proffesional) nurserys do it.
3. I think, that depends on how long it is from seeding to transplanting. This soil blockers are available in a mini version. A mini block can be put in one of the blocks he showed in the video. And than there would be a even biger blocker to transplant the medium blocks in.
Do you use deep or shallow trays? Is there a benefit to either deep or shallow? Trying to determine which depth I need. We will use them to host seed starts and grow microgreens.
Great video excellent presentation
Hey Kevin, what do you do you prevent fungus gnats when starting seedlings.
I’m a home gardener and always start my seeds in my home under grow lights. I watched a UA-cam video where the guy boiled his seed starting medium to kill any eggs so that they didn’t hatch later.
I’ve don’t this and it seems to work. But is there a better way other than to make sure I’m not over watering?
Can you buy them in the UK????
Hey thanks for that video.. question? Whats best way to grow seedling in trays with soil vs bio sponges
can you do a video about what plants you can grow in water?? beyond the obvious peace Lilly... pothos...
I will definitely do a hydroponic or water houseplant vid!
amazing !! really REALLY useful for people who use plants as/instead of aquarium lids... this question comes up all the time on the forums@@epicgardening
I’m wondering if I could just use potting soil to make soil blocks 🤔
Hi there, thanks for sharing this... I'm a novice and just started germinating seeds, having used a soil blocker... Q, does the tray it sits in need holes in it? Many thanks xx
How about the Hoss trays? Has anyone used them?
Is there a rule of thumb to not over water your soil blocks in the closed tray?
Soil blocks are generally bottom-watered so they don't break up.
I'm curious about why to use seed trays at all rather than just sowing straight in the small pot?
To save space would be my guess. I'd rather have a whole tray planted rather than a few pots.
Check price again - $109 for 10 trays.
Great video 💞💞
Thank you
Does the winstrip sit in a tray? Can you still bottom water?
where can you get the windstrips?
Whoa, winstrips are expensive! 10 trays for >$100 + $48 shipping to San Diego. Bummer.
Yeah they're WAY pricey
Blocks
I am pretty new to the topic and have a question: Why all this hassle with different block sizes? Why not just start with the biggest possible block, let's say 4" and after germination go right into the bed? Is that a space usage issue (e.g. greenhouse space) ? For non commercial purposes it would make sense to just use one big block, specially best root growth, correct?
Yeah for home gardeners, just use a 4". That's what I'd do if space is an issue or soil use
You risk more mold growth though.
@@acctsys explain plz!!! Why bigger size = more mold?
Huge soil use in 4 inch, especially if you're buying sterile seedling starter mixes. And huge space usage, particularly if you end up with a low germination rate on something.
i've come across stevens farm and he has such a good chicken coop setup and great use of his space
Cool
Where can I get those?
I added the link to the description
The root structure in the soil block looked a lot different than the winstrip... could someone unpack that for me in the comments please? Was it substantially better?
The roots in a soil block do not show much on the outside of the ball. Because of the air pruning effect, the roots are all in the interior of the block. That's why there is so little transplanting shock. I've been making and using soil blocks for years but will be trying Winstrips this year.
So subbing this channel..
Now only if this worked underwater
TRIM THE EYEBROWS CUZ!!!
What about rubber trays? no more plastic we are gardeners
HAHAHAHHAA...OMG...Guy trim those huge eyebrows...they are hilarious!
How do buy the tray
Link in description
Massive eyebrows
Hot
🏆🏆
Them eyebrows seem familiar. is that the chicken coop guy?
yes that's Steven from Nature's Always Right channel
Dude has gotta trim back those scary eyebrows. Hard to concentrate on video.