Getting More and More PO'ed

[WileyCoyote]

I want to start seeds from scratch, like I always did before, 'way before the local gardening stores decide that it's time. In the past, I would gather the old seed starting trays, year to year, that were discarded in the late spring by the gardening stores. Unfortunately I moved 1700 miles to our new place, and had to leave many of those (admittedly old, well-used, and cracked) trays behind.

Because I have a much bigger garden area here, and plan on planting a lot more, as well as (hopefully) selling off my overstock, I need quite a few trays. I can buy them in bulk from several places I have found on the Internet.

BUT WHY do all of the places that sell seeds and gardening supplies charge EIGHT TIMES what I would pay for the seed starting trays? I can buy the trays online in bulk for $.90 to $1.10 apiece. The popular gardening supply houses sell them for $8.95 apiece!

This really irritates me. What a ripoff! Do they really think that we can't wander around the Internet and find the sizes and amounts we want without paying their overblown and overcharged rates? Or are they just doing it as a courtesy for their not-so-intensive customers, thinking that they're doing them a favor? It does make me wonder if their other prices for their other items are not extremely overpriced as well, and makes me question their overall integrity.

[idrathergarden]

Hello,

I am getting anxious about planning my new garden.

Could you share the best place(s) to get the seed starting trays in bulk? I like to get referrals before ordering products online.

Thank you

[momma_to_seven_chi]

We just start seeds in eggshells set in the egg cartons. I stick a rabbit pellet, some potting soil or even a cotton ball in the empty egg shell, drop some seeds on it, water and it grows. *Would that work for you?

[MooseToo]

i gather used styrofoam coffee cups over the year - start seeds in them and cut the bottom third off when it is time to put them in the garden - don't remove the plant -
results in no transplant shock - easy watering - and built-in cutworm collar - and, at the end of the season, if you till your garden, the cup residue can be tilled right into the soil -

[idrathergarden]

Thanks for the ideas. Always wanted to try the eggshells---I"ll do that with my daughter and the flowers she wants to grow. The cups are a good idea with the collar to guard against cutworms. Should be fairly cheap even new ones in bulk. I was going to try making the newspaper pots. I am going to use the disposable cake pans that come with a plastic lid as my trays. I usually can find them in a package of two for under 2 bucks. I'm going to start hitting thrift stores for kitchen items (old cake pans or even cups/bowls for planters) and the dollar stores too.

My next project, to find a farmer that would be willing to part with manure and find mulching materials.
I have a blank canvas to work with---we built our home on 5 acres that was a soy bean field. Just a few trees, so not many leaves. Hopefully, we will be able to start building a chicken coup this year--so that will help with composting. Oh, plan on starting a worm farm too.

[harvester]

Ha! and my husband thought I was crazy keeping all those plastic food containers he brought home half full of food from his lunch he would get at the supermarkets hot food area. Ya know the little clear plastic fold over ones make a great greenhouse! and I can also do sprouts in them in the kitchen.

[teamhillbilly]

cut the bottom out of milk jugs and two litter drink plastic bottles,use the bottom to start the plants in and save the top to cover your plants in case of a late frost. btw I've got tomatoes on the vine allready:D

[Laura]

BUT WHY do all of the places that sell seeds and gardening supplies charge EIGHT TIMES what I would pay for the seed starting trays? I can buy the trays online in bulk for $.90 to $1.10 apiece. The popular gardening supply houses sell them for $8.95 apiece!

This really irritates me. What a ripoff! Do they really think that we can't wander around the Internet and find the sizes and amounts we want without paying their overblown and overcharged rates? Or are they just doing it as a courtesy for their not-so-intensive customers, thinking that they're doing them a favor? It does make me wonder if their other prices for their other items are not extremely overpriced as well, and makes me question their overall integrity.

The prices are high because people pay it.
People will pay high prices for all kinds of reasons.
They don't want to save things to grow in. They want 'uniform growing'. They are rookies. They don't want to jack around on the net, and they want it NOW..... They are in a hurry.......all kinds of reasons.

You can make your own seed starts out of newspaper, or a host of a gazzilon things saved (butter boxed, milk jugs, 1/2 pans.....)
But for someone one starting out.....this is faster and easier.

I think the 8.95 price says more about us, as humans that crave FAST AND NOW, and the insanity of paying that price to have it this very second. The store is only giving us what we will pay for....and being a capitalist....good for them!!

[nhlivefreeordie]

I have been buying flats and cell holders from Bic Warehouse, cheap and the shipping is reasonable. I ordered 4" plastic pots from National Gardening for .075 ea. and, they send you 5 or so packs of free seeds with each order. So far I have ordered 700 pots from them.

[Mesquite_Bean]

So many cliches so little time. :D For starters: A fool and his money are soon parted.

Then there's Instant Gratification. (I mean really, who wants to wait three or four days when you can have it right now?).

How about Supply and Demand. (I think a lot of people decide to do a garden on a whim w/o much of a plan and Home Depot's there to "help.")

Me personally, I use anything and everything I can get my hands on that's free or near to free. Sure my shelves look disarrayed and chaotic but it's only temporary and the seedlings don't seem to mind. :sarcastic:

[NCLee]

So many cliches so little time. :D For starters: A fool and his money are soon parted.


That pretty well sums it up, IMHO.

Over the years, I, too, have used just about anything I can get my hands on for these TEMPORARY containers.

Styrofoam coffee cups
Plastic drinking cups (bulk packs from Sam's Club)
Disposable aluminum roasting pans last several years
Cat litter pans from the dollar type stores
Tin cans from food. A side cutter can opener makes these easier to use.
Bottoms from all types of plastic bottles and containers.

Even cardboard cartons will last long enough to get transplants. Just cut down to the size needed. Handle carefully as they'll begin to fall apart eventually.

Watch for used baking pans and other things that can be converted into plant trays at yard sales and flea markets. Plastic food storage containers are a good item to watch for as they usually go for just pennies. Even if you have to buy them new, at discount stores, they'll last for many years.

Lee

[bookwormom]

I had a few of those trays saved,but they br4oke after a while and I had to do something. we have loads of five gallon buckets. I fill them a third full and start all my brassicas in them, from kohlrabi to red cabbige, also the onion seeds. they are standing in the greenhouse, when I want to move them out they are easy moved. tomatoes I start in styrofoam cups, herbs I started in clear food containers with a lid because I had them. the trays look nice and professional of course and no professional would be impressed with my set up. but it works. In the sixties I used to buy my plants at a small farm and nursery and they had their seedlings growing in four inch high wooden boxes and just counted out how many you wanted. No individual pots. I figured if it worked then it will work now and it does.

[annabella1]

I was at the grocery store in the early morning some years back. The produce man was putting bags of grapes in the bin, he had several shallow styrofoam boxes on the floor. I said "what are you going to do with those boxes" he said "throw them out, you want em?" I have used them for starting seeds ever since.

[NCLee]

Annabella, good thinking!

IMHO that's one of the secrets of a self-sufficient homestead.

What's the alternative and economical use for this? (whatever "this" maybe.)

Lee

[mousebandit]

Last year when we were up in the city, I was at a Lowe's and they had stacks and stacks of square trays with an open diamond-pattern bottom and I asked how much they were. He said they were trash and to take all I wanted. I sure did! Line the bottom with a little newspaper to keep the dirt from falling out, and TONS of seed starting trays. Love them. Much thicker plastic than the seed starting trays I had purchased in the past (the kind that come with jiffy pellets in them), so much easier to move around when full of wet soil!

Mouse Bandit

[CountryBertha]

I start all my seeds in coffee cans with holes punched in the bottom -- except for some that I start in the refrigerator in wet paper towels.

This year the geese are big enough for a big pond and the small plastic dog wading pool they were using is what I'm using for some of the rooting. I've got fig trees rooting in there, three grapefruit trees and about 8 pineapples. This time I bought some soil and it seems like that dog wading pool took something like 25 lbs of potting soil. I can't remember exactly.

I've had the devil of a time getting my grapevines going the past few years -- even bought some root stock and still had trouble. This time I've saved seeds from grapes and have the seeds rooting in an old wash basin. Glory be, two days later they were showing little green leaves poking through the soil.

Last year we lost all our tomatoes, the avocado trees, the papaya trees, the coconut tree, all the fruit on the fig trees and the mulberry fruit. Around here seeding and rooting are a continual thing. We've had horrific wind storms, ice storms you name it. We didn't even get but one squash on those vines. We have years like that in Texas -- once every 10 years or so -- and it sure smacks you around with your food storage. I'm having to buy from the Farmers to make up for what I lost.

Tomorrow I have to pick up another 100 lbs of onions. Got them for $15 so I can't complain about that deal.