Tray recommendations to catch water

19 years ago

I know I posted this a couple of years back, but with lots of folks starting seeds, I wanted to bring it up again.

I have had water damage so many times from reusing the cheap black trays brought home from the nursery. They just don't hold up. Instead, I heartily recommend the Permanest brand trays. They last nearly forever and they DON'T leak. The standard size is the same as a nursery flat - four of these fit perfectly on a 4 foot by 18 inch wire shelf, and they also come in a few other sizes. They are a little hard to find - you may have to go online, and shop around because prices vary widely (about $5 to $10 per tray last time I looked).

If you have a bigger setup, try the trays from your home store that are sold as a "washing machine drip tray". They are about 26" square and sturdy, around $20. Great for large pots or under HID setups.

For either tray, you can make inexpensive humidity trays by getting "eggcrate" from the home store. It's the plastic grid stuff that is used in dropped ceilings to diffuse the light from the fluorescent fixtures. It's about $7 a sheet, big sheet. You can cut it up with strong scissors or small wirecutters to fit any of your trays. It elevates the plants enough to catch a lot of water runoff, with a bonus of acting like a pebble tray to increase the humidity a little bit. When the trays are dirty, you can pop them in the dishwasher or the bathtub - much easier than washing pebbles!

No, I do not work for the Permanest folks. Just been using their trays for most of my life.

Hope these suggestions help some folks with their setups. Happy growing!

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Comments (9)

rokal
19 years ago
Thanks watergal. Every year I curse the cheap black 1020 flats for leaking, cracking, flopping, etc.

Does anyone have an online source where Permanest trays can be purchased for reasonable prices and shipping? A search on eBay provided no love ;-)
rokal
19 years ago
I see that Park Seeds has them 10 for $49.99 ($5 ea.). That seems like a good price.

Do the Permanest trays come in different weights or qualities? Any difference between the green and tan trays besides the color?
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nygardener
19 years ago
Indoor Gardening Supplies is an excellent source for trays and related paraphernalia. They have them for $5.90 (+ 10% shipping) for a dozen or more. They also have 20" Ã 49" trays for $49.
watergal
Original Author
19 years ago
The Permanest trays all seem to be the same durable, thick stuff, whether they are green or tan. I personally hate the ugly aqua color but it's easier to find than the tan ones.
nygardener
19 years ago
Yes, unless you have Bakelite flatware and an ancient dial phone, it's hard to see why you'd want the green ones.
deweymn
19 years ago
Probably should post this in the Frugal forum but last year I used those rubber trays that you buy in the discount stores to keep the snow run off contained near a door where people put their boots/shoes. Wish I could remember what I did with them last year. They work good for giving better support to the plastic trays and also contain any spills etc. Now, if you catch it right you can find them on the winter clearance tables. Or ask a manager if he/she wants to get rid of his surplus?
watergal
Original Author
19 years ago
I got a boot tray for Xmas, and when we don't have snow I sometimes press it into service for extra plants. I got mine from www.gardeners.com but I'm sure they are cheaper elsewhere. Probably on clearance online now at a bunch of sites. They are nice and big and leakproof, but I find them too floppy to carry easily.
maineman
19 years ago
Watergal,

"The Permanest trays all seem to be the same durable, thick stuff, whether they are green or tan. I personally hate the ugly aqua color but it's easier to find than the tan ones."

I prefer the white Perma-Nest trays. I bought 24 of them to get the $5.35 price.

MM
watergal
Original Author
19 years ago
I didn't know they came in white - reflects lots of light. Very nice.