DIY: Easy, Portable Seed Starter Tray

You see that black tray with all my little seedlings in it. It has a lot of space, but it was cumbersome to move (as it would buckle in the middle when lifted from the sides). Sick of this tray, I devised this very simple solution to make seed starter trays that were easy to transport and take care of. Here’s how I did it:

What you need:

• 1 - 16” Plastic Planter Tray (I purchased mine from Home Depot and they have a bevy of colors to choose from)
• 1 - 8” Plastic Planter Tray (I got these from the 99 cents only store)
• Clean, washed river rocks (it’s important that the rocks are relatively flat)

Step 1:

Drill holes in to both of your planter trays. Make sure you drill from both sides to make the holes smooth. This will improve drainage so that there is no standing water leftover in the tray. Standing water will allow mold to grow on your seedlings and once mold grows, the seedlings are trash.

Step 2:

Add the rocks and spread them out, evenly, onto the outer portion of the tray. Leave the inner section open and free from rocks (you won’t need them here. Besides adding a bit of visual interest, the rocks help with drainage and elevate the seedlings from the bottom of the tray, allowing them to dryout. They also help the pods stay in place; just incase you need to transport them.

Step 3:

Place the seedlings into the tray and onto the section with the rocks. Next add the smaller tray to the center and place the remaining seedlings. I added the smaller tray to stabilize the seedlings that are along the outer rim and it also keeps the seedlings in the middle from moving around. You can place the seedlings without it but do what works for you.

And that’s it! A simple solution that will hold 20 seedlings, allow you to display them nicely and transport them easily.

Cheers!

• Posted by
  Simply Jeaneen