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nebhazard5
Stranger

Registered: 09/23/07
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DIY seed Trays
#24092205 - 02/15/17 07:10 AM (6 years, 11 months ago) |
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Hey there, I'm starting a pretty sizable market garden this coming season and had a question. Seed trays are far more expensive than I had expected. Would it be possible to make seed trays by using foam insulating board and drilling holes through it for plugs? You see similar things for hydroponic setups, but I cant seem to find any DIY teks for these online.
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ellomello
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Registered: 08/11/08
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Loc: babilonUSA
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Hey are you talking about a hydroponic styrofoam raft, kindof like this...
-------------------- PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN get back to the garden
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nebhazard5
Stranger

Registered: 09/23/07
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Yep. Thats the basic idea. I'm doing a lot of spinach and lettuce and just need small little plugs for them. They dont need to float necessarily but i was just thinking styrofoam would be cheap and easy to make holes in.
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demiu5
humans, lol


Registered: 08/18/05
Posts: 43,948
Loc: the popcorn stadium
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Quote:
nebhazard5 said: Hey there, I'm starting a pretty sizable market garden this coming season and had a question. Seed trays are far more expensive than I had expected. Would it be possible to make seed trays by using foam insulating board and drilling holes through it for plugs? You see similar things for hydroponic setups, but I cant seem to find any DIY teks for these online.
there are products that are essentially a 'soil-block press'. take the metal object, place over soil, press, release. what you get is a solid block of soil with a spot in the top to plant the seed into. these pressed are made in all different sizes and at one point were fairly inexpensive
i had a friend that used scrap wood (no lead paint) to build little seed-starting boxes/trays.
-------------------- channel your inner Larry David
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idiotek


Registered: 02/06/04
Posts: 40,728
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Re: DIY seed Trays [Re: demiu5]
#24094438 - 02/16/17 03:40 AM (6 years, 11 months ago) |
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Isn't it just some churched up coir anyway
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demiu5
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Registered: 08/18/05
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Loc: the popcorn stadium
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Re: DIY seed Trays [Re: idiotek]
#24094446 - 02/16/17 03:45 AM (6 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
idiotek said: Isn't it just some churched up coir anyway
depends
could be coir primarily, could be peat, could be a mixture. add in some perlite. good stuff will have a small amount feather meal/fish meal, alfalfa/kelp, and a few other amendments; though for short-term starts, nutrients aren't vital...if more than two weeks of growth after sprouting (like brassicas or nightshades).
hopefully no vermiculite, though it is common in cheap blends
-------------------- channel your inner Larry David
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LunarEclipse
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Registered: 10/31/04
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Re: DIY seed Trays [Re: demiu5]
#24094784 - 02/16/17 08:39 AM (6 years, 11 months ago) |
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For the floating raft hydroponic approach, I would think the pressed plug would tend to dissolve. The cheapest approach and likely best would be to buy some rockwool plugs and drill the holes in the foam slightly smaller. Rapid rooter plugs are another option, kind of foamy vs. the rockwool, probably more expensive. I'd also avoid the peat plugs yucky and bad results. Rockwool does tend to get a lot of algae on the top so maybe the rapid rooter would be the best.
-------------------- Anxiety is what you make it.
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demiu5
humans, lol


Registered: 08/18/05
Posts: 43,948
Loc: the popcorn stadium
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Quote:
LunarEclipse said: For the floating raft hydroponic approach, I would think the pressed plug would tend to dissolve. The cheapest approach and likely best would be to buy some rockwool plugs and drill the holes in the foam slightly smaller. Rapid rooter plugs are another option, kind of foamy vs. the rockwool, probably more expensive. I'd also avoid the peat plugs yucky and bad results. Rockwool does tend to get a lot of algae on the top so maybe the rapid rooter would be the best.
he's not going to leave them in the tray, its just a sprouting/seedling tray for later transplanting.....it sounds like at least
rockwool is an interesting idea, though i've never heard of starting seed in them. nor do i know a place that sells rockwool in small quantities. usually you have to buy brick-sheets
-------------------- channel your inner Larry David
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LunarEclipse
Enlil's Official Story


Registered: 10/31/04
Posts: 21,407
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Re: DIY seed Trays [Re: demiu5] 1
#24094870 - 02/16/17 09:23 AM (6 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
demiu5 said:
Quote:
LunarEclipse said: For the floating raft hydroponic approach, I would think the pressed plug would tend to dissolve. The cheapest approach and likely best would be to buy some rockwool plugs and drill the holes in the foam slightly smaller. Rapid rooter plugs are another option, kind of foamy vs. the rockwool, probably more expensive. I'd also avoid the peat plugs yucky and bad results. Rockwool does tend to get a lot of algae on the top so maybe the rapid rooter would be the best.
he's not going to leave them in the tray, its just a sprouting/seedling tray for later transplanting.....it sounds like at least
rockwool is an interesting idea, though i've never heard of starting seed in them. nor do i know a place that sells rockwool in small quantities. usually you have to buy brick-sheets
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grodan-1-5-A-OK-Starter-Plugs-Cubes-Bulk-Qty-rockwool-hydroponic-grow-media/222172290551?_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150313114020%26meid%3Dc09536eccc32422ea723db97710252f1%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D29%26sd%3D181752459403
-------------------- Anxiety is what you make it.
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demiu5
humans, lol


Registered: 08/18/05
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darn internet 
i've not seen a pack that small around here....though there may be a reason for that
-------------------- channel your inner Larry David
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LogicaL Chaos
Ascension Energy & Alien UFOs




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nebhazard5
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Registered: 09/23/07
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I am indeed just planning on sprouting then putting plants out after 2-4 weeks. The season where I am is pretty short so I'm trying to extend the season as much as possible. I looked into the soil blocks but that just didn't quite compute with me. I wound up just springing for some plug trays online and I'll hope to pick up some free ones from lowes once people start returning their trays.
I'm going to set up some racks in a grow tent I borrowed from a friend tomorrow for starting seeds.
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ichbinschizophren
Strange

Registered: 01/25/17
Posts: 84
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the floating hole rafts are seriously THE easiest way I've ever grown lettuce or basil, a couple tablespoons of worm-soil in a sock, thrown into a tub of water, float the 'trays' on top and lift them to stir it a couple times a day. It'll work for some other water-loving plants, too
-------------------- Some people need to take pills to see things... How odd.
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