If you’ve ever tried growing plants from seeds and ended up with weak, leggy sprouts or patchy germination, a seedling tray might just be your new best friend.
Whether you’re starting a small balcony garden or planning a full-fledged vegetable patch, seedling trays make the whole process cleaner, more efficient, and a lot more successful.
🌿 What is a Seedling Tray?
A seedling tray is a shallow tray with multiple small cells or pockets designed to hold soil and one or two seeds. It serves as a nursery for future plants, providing a controlled environment for a strong start before transplanting them to pots or the garden. Seedling trays offer several benefits, including better germination rates, easy transplanting, saving space and soil, being cleaner and more organized, and being suitable for all types of seeds.
🌞 Benefits of Using Seedling Trays !
To use a seedling tray, fill each cell with good-quality seed-starting mix or cocopeat, plant seeds according to their depth instructions, water gently, keep the tray in partial sunlight or a bright, well-ventilated spot, watch for germination within a few days to a week, and transplant when ready, typically when 2–4 true leaves appear.
🛠️ How to Use a Seedling Tray (Step-by-Step)
- Fill each cell with good-quality seed-starting mix or cocopeat.
- Plant seeds as per their depth instructions—usually 1–2 cm deep.
- Water gently using a spray bottle or watering can.
- Keep the tray in partial sunlight or a bright, well-ventilated spot.
- Watch for germination within a few days to a week.
- Transplant when ready – typically when 2–4 true leaves appear.
Hinata Nursery recommends seedling trays for all its seasonal vegetable seed kits and combos, as they are one of the small tools that make a big difference in your gardening journey.