Seed trays with holes in them VS seed trays with NO holes in them...

CulpabilityBrown

My Dumb Question Of The Week, No.27:

All seeds need to be grown in pots/trays with holes in the bottom, right? so...

What is the point of those seed trays without holes in them? 

Am I correct in assuming that you would never use them for growing seedlings, as they would not allow water to drain out/air to enter, and therefore make the soil saturated and eventually kill the seedlings?

If so, why do they sell them in the first place? Are they literally just used to help carry little pots inside them, and to help catch the water run-off when watering little pots inside them?

Is there any other purpose for them?

Dovefromabove

Yep ... explanation is that they’re not seed trays ... they’re gravel trays

http://www.allotment-garden.org/store/equipment/greenhouse-equipment-and-accessories/gravel-trays

😊 

CulpabilityBrown

 Dovefromabove said:

Yep ... explanation is that they’re not seed trays ... they’re gravel trays

http://www.allotment-garden.org/store/equipment/greenhouse-equipment-and-accessories/gravel-trays

😊 

Ahaaaaaa!

Thanks Dove! I'll go wring out my seedlings now.

Dovefromabove

🏊‍♂️ 

Fairygirl

CulpabilityBrown said:

Ahaaaaaa!

Thanks Dove! I'll go wring out my seedlings now.

  

They also make good bird baths 

You put water in them, and stick the tray of seeds/seedlings in so that they soak up the water. Gives a better result than trying to water from above until the seedlings are bigger.
Apologies if that link already covers that info. 

fidgetbones

I ordered a stand for the greenhouse that came complete with 15 seed trays. Not one had holes in. They are good for a base for plug trays and roottrainers.

CulpabilityBrown

Fairygirl said:

CulpabilityBrown said:

Ahaaaaaa!

Thanks Dove! I'll go wring out my seedlings now.

  

They also make good bird baths 

You put water in them, and stick the tray of seeds/seedlings in so that they soak up the water. Gives a better result than trying to water from above until the seedlings are bigger.
Apologies if that link already covers that info. 

That's true, it helps prevent splashing all the little seeds off the top.  Cheers!

treehugger80

I use them as watering trays with schools, it means the seeds don't get blasted out of the compost when they water and I also draw a line on the inside with tipex so they don't over fill and turn them into a swimming pool.

nick615

Developing what Fairygirl said, allowing water to be available UNDERNEATH a tray of seed(ling)s encourages their roots to head downwards as they'll need to, once planted out.  Some years back I somehow became the proud owner of a fridge door, the inside of which was heavily insulated, as always, to stop household warmth getting in.

I gradually removed the foam insulation until I got down to the base metal of the door and cleaned it right back until about an inch was left all round the edge.  This stopped water leaking out of the corners and I've since had a sizeable tray that will accommodate several individual trays, all feeding off water I put into it.  This enables the water to be laced with a fertiliser of choice - I prefer chicken manure pellets that quickly disintegrate - but, as above, irrigation and nutrition come from below.  I feel my trays benefit from being left without water for a day.  No reason why, except they don't get waterlogged.  It's not always easy to get the thing level but I think it's worth the effort.

Fairygirl

@nick615 seedlings shouldn't get any food.There's enough nutrition for them in the compost they're growing in, and subsequently, when potted on separately.
Feeding small seedlings just produces excess, leggy growth,which is counterproductive.

owd potter

Oh brilliant!...
I find that I have sowed Rudbeckia seed into one of these trays. 
Never gave it a thought.
That was 10 days ago and they have not yet germinated. 
Anything I can do to give them a chance or have I doomed them and I'd better get some more and retry?