If it holds soil you can pretty much grow in it. Personally I have so many seed trays and cellpacks now that I can't imagine ever needing to use anything else. Maybe I need to be more brutal and break them quicker!

Hmm...sorry for suggesting it Shrubs and bulbs. I figured I would save a few people a couple of bucks. Not everyone could afford seed trays. Maybe I should stick with the frugal gardening forum.

If you don't throw away the plastic containers your bedding plants came in you soon accumulate a large pile to reuse for your own seed starting. Is that not being frugal? Al

There are a lot of people on these forums recycling all kinds of plastic to grow seedlings in. There are even threads about their favorite containers!
I did it when I first bought my house and couldn't bring myself to pay $5 for those seed starting trays. I still won't. But like Shrubs n Bulbs and Al, I have accumulated an awful lot of cell paks and containers by now and was glad to be rid of the milk jugs and soda bottles.

But do you have to bleach them? I start so many seeds every year that I always buy new stuff at walmart ($3.50 for 36 peat pellets and trays) I just can't see bleaching out containers for 500 plants...

smiles,

I've seen S&B around the forums and I can say that you may have read the comment wrong. "New" suggestions are always a good thing because there are always new people trying to sow seeds. Just the other day I breaded some chicken and kept the containers (like the pringles) to sow some seeds in. It won't last long but I don't plan on keeping them forever.

I use 2 liter bottles cut in half and I make drainage holes and fit the top half into the bottom half. Makes a neat little green house.

Welcome & stick around no need for you to keep to one forum.

Hey brown thumb...what a cool idea with the soda bottles! I never thought about that, I am for sure going to use that idea! Thanks for sharing!

Julie, the bleach is the cheapest way to go. Our Walmart had a special on Chlorox a few months ago- 2 gal for $3. Since you only need to make up a 5% soln. (1/2 cup/ gal water), one gal. of bleach would go a long way. Two nights ago I made up 10 gal. of dipping soln. and dipped enough cell packs,plastic pots and trays for 1500 plants. It took about an hour.These trays,etc I,ve recycled for 15+/- years. I have enough on reserve for 6000 more plants (auction purchase).

The benefit if the cell packs is the perfect sizing for trays(spacing) which cuts down on light cost. Watering trays of plants by immersion is simplfied. Even transplanting is much easier since you can push into the bottoms of the cell packs to remove the rootball and the identical cell packs stack into eachother well. But the best reason for using them is that THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR PLANTS. The shape, drainage holes and material were researched to give optimum plant growth.

When I read about people using egg cartons, coffee cups and plastic bottles I figure they are making an effort to recycle what would normally be refuse and that is good. But if the time spent to modify these products and then work with them is more costly than the intended product there is no real benefit, especially if the plants grow poorly.

so you just dip them and let them dry? Because that I could do but I was thinking I had to scrub. You guys would probably faint if you new how many planters if discarded over the years...

I use the 2lb margerine containers, or the plastic containers that mushrooms come in for starings seeds as well. I just poke some holes in the bottom for drainage. Another container that may work is the swoops containers. they are similar to the pringles containers.

I ask all the ladies at bridge clubs to save their 6 packs for me and they do. Even then, I can't make myself throw away the broken/cracked ones and then I tape them together. It doesn't take any time at all to dip the little packs in clorox water. This year I swear to use a fan on the little plants the minute they emerge from the ground. I think that is the secret to keep seedlings from dampening off.
Jean

jeannie, I swear by fans. I do all my seed starting, out of necessity right on top of my dining room table. It's a good place because I get so much light there...kind of a hassle if we have company though! I use the ceiling fan over the table when the plants are strong enough and I swear it makes then get sturdier.

Smiles, I hope you keep posting more suggestions. I'm trying your Pringles can suggestion this week!!