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On a bit of a whim, I bought two of these units:
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/H...on/GPR-125.htm
(I am not recommending the seller, just the product - they are available from other garden equipment suppliers - and no, I don't work for the company!)
I have used various methods for sowing small amounts of vegetable seed in the past - 3 inch pots, modules, trays etc. - and have always got in a mess. I would either crack the modules trying to get out the seedlings, or one seedling would fall out and get squashed... or I'd break the roots somehow.
Well, I've just potted up my first seedlings sown into one of these compact plug trainers, and it was an absolute doddle. It's a 7x7 square of 49 plugs, with a lid and a base. I sowed 7 rows of lettuce, onion and carrot. Once I'd done this, I thought "what an idiot!" - to get the plugs out you have to push the whole thing down and they pop out all together - but they won't all be ready at the same time!!
It turned out not to be a problem - I wanted to pot up the carrots before the rest (they germinated very quickly) so I just lifted the plug section up off the base (the compost doesn't fall out) and poked the plug from the underneath with my finger. It popped out perfectly.
After doing the same with the onions, I decided that the lettuce needed more room, so I popped them out, and re-plugged them further apart!! It worked fine, and I have just started potting them up a week later - lovely healthy seedling plants. Most satisfying.
The unit is very sturdy - the lid, for example, is notably much thicker than many seed tray covers - and you can use the base as a reservoir for easy watering if necessary.
I was in two minds about buying them, I have to say, as I thought they were a bit pricey and I was worried that the plugs might be too small. At this point, I think I made a good purchase - they will last a good few years (several times longer than my plastic module trays and pots) because they are that bit more sturdy, and the depth of the plugs makes for excellent root growth, apparently.
So, if you grow small quantities of plants from seed, are fed up of losing roots when you pot up, and have some spare pocket money burning a hole, I recommend that you consider this plug unit.
Bear in mind that you might need a particular sized finger to use the method I employed - mine is about 1cm wide, if it helps
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/H...on/GPR-125.htm
(I am not recommending the seller, just the product - they are available from other garden equipment suppliers - and no, I don't work for the company!)
I have used various methods for sowing small amounts of vegetable seed in the past - 3 inch pots, modules, trays etc. - and have always got in a mess. I would either crack the modules trying to get out the seedlings, or one seedling would fall out and get squashed... or I'd break the roots somehow.
Well, I've just potted up my first seedlings sown into one of these compact plug trainers, and it was an absolute doddle. It's a 7x7 square of 49 plugs, with a lid and a base. I sowed 7 rows of lettuce, onion and carrot. Once I'd done this, I thought "what an idiot!" - to get the plugs out you have to push the whole thing down and they pop out all together - but they won't all be ready at the same time!!
It turned out not to be a problem - I wanted to pot up the carrots before the rest (they germinated very quickly) so I just lifted the plug section up off the base (the compost doesn't fall out) and poked the plug from the underneath with my finger. It popped out perfectly.
After doing the same with the onions, I decided that the lettuce needed more room, so I popped them out, and re-plugged them further apart!! It worked fine, and I have just started potting them up a week later - lovely healthy seedling plants. Most satisfying.
The unit is very sturdy - the lid, for example, is notably much thicker than many seed tray covers - and you can use the base as a reservoir for easy watering if necessary.
I was in two minds about buying them, I have to say, as I thought they were a bit pricey and I was worried that the plugs might be too small. At this point, I think I made a good purchase - they will last a good few years (several times longer than my plastic module trays and pots) because they are that bit more sturdy, and the depth of the plugs makes for excellent root growth, apparently.
So, if you grow small quantities of plants from seed, are fed up of losing roots when you pot up, and have some spare pocket money burning a hole, I recommend that you consider this plug unit.
Bear in mind that you might need a particular sized finger to use the method I employed - mine is about 1cm wide, if it helps
). 
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