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Post by daylilydude on Mar 27, 2019 3:15:29 GMT -5
Those that use these, just what kind of tray do you carry them back and forth with, i'm always at a stress trying to carry them in plant trays without them tumbling out onto the ground?
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Mar 27, 2019 7:42:33 GMT -5
I don't use plastic cups, I used foam, but it's same principle. I have several cheap, shallow plastic containers that hold about 20 cups. I got them from Walmart about 6 bucks each. I used them for bottom watering, carry outside to get sun, harden off, etc.
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 27, 2019 9:02:15 GMT -5
It's probably cheaper to use the red solo cuts but I prefer the square pots from the greenhouse. I start my tomatoes in cell packs which are $.99 per sheet but probably everyone does not have access to these. I get them at Rorher's Seed which is local. I buy the trays there too. 20190324_130404 by Brownrexx, on Flickr When they are potted up I use the larger pots which are $.25 each and I re-use these for years. I use a double tray under them because they get heavy and can flex and dump the pots while carrying them. DSC01298 by Brownrexx, on Flickr
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Post by september on Mar 27, 2019 9:37:44 GMT -5
daylilydude , I use a lot of Styrofoam cups, but the problem is the same. I think I've used almost everything imaginable when I pot up my overflow seedlings. I know what you mean by the taller cups getting "floppy" when you carry them in a low walled tray. It can help to put wooden dowels or shims or similar stuff along the rows of bases of the cups to brace them against wiggling. I have a whole bunch of tiny clay pots that I turn upside down and use as spacers when I don't have a full tray, but you could use a normal cup or empty can or two to take up space. The alternative is to get carry containers with higher walls. Check your dollar store for ideas, either dish pans, or they also have colorful "11 x 15" woven plastic storage trays with 4" sides. Nothing say it has to be a square container, sometimes they have flat bottomed large bowls. I've also cut down cardboard boxes and lined them with sheet plastic and duct tape! One thing I have learned, is not to have too deep a box. One year I used one of the under-the-bed clear plastic large storage boxes. My cups were several inches below the rim, and all the seedlings in that box developed weaker and scrawnier stems. The high sides protected them from wind so they didn't get all the air flow at the base of the stems where they needed it, even though I was running a fan.
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Post by spike on Mar 27, 2019 10:25:59 GMT -5
I use solo cups and I use the black starting trays. The biggest problem is the stability of the black trays. I have a couple old cutting boards I place under the trays and have never had an issue.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Mar 27, 2019 11:37:22 GMT -5
I usually have plenty of Amazon boxes to transport cups in.
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Post by pondgardener on Mar 27, 2019 13:20:23 GMT -5
I use these trays I got from DollarTree (aprox 9"x13"), that hold 15 of the 9oz SOLO cups. If you are using the 16oz, maybe 12 would fit. These work fairly well, with the addition of a drain hole in the side, to water groups of seedlings.
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Post by paulf on Mar 27, 2019 14:06:45 GMT -5
Three or four years ago I bought a case of 2"X2"X3" plastic pots really, really cheap and have used them instead of Solo or styrofoam. So far very few have been thrown away and most are reused. At the same time I bought a case of 6-pak starter pots and all have been reused. I have enough pots to last longer than I will be alive. Half a case of each would been sufficient, but for the price I splurged. If memory serves, the cost was 2.5 cents per pot. So far I am out about a buck.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Mar 27, 2019 14:56:36 GMT -5
Those Dollar Tree trays look awesome for use with Solo cups. The plants will still get good ventilation and strong stems because the breeze will reach the plants.
The tipping issue is why I quit using Solo cups. Not just because they are easy to tip over when I am carrying them, but the cups are also really prone to falling over on their sides if there's a breeze when I they are outside hardening them off.
I wonder if my Dollar Tree has those...
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Post by september on Mar 27, 2019 20:05:52 GMT -5
I stocked up on those dollar store trays last summer when I was freezing pints of corn and beans, they are perfect for keeping like packs together and the right size and weight to easily move trays around to find things stacked in the chest freezer.
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