I do not know if this is the appropriate forum to discuss this topic, my apologies if it isn't. I tried to start plants a couple years ago and it did not work out as well as I would have liked. I bought the seeds from Burpee and filled up Solo cups with (what I thought was good compost) and placed them in big turkey aluminum roasting pans. I poked holes in the bottom of the cups so I could put water in the pan and let it wick up into the cup. Theoretically it sounded good to me. Most plants sprouted nicely but my "compost" was full of weed seeds and it looked a mess. My lighting was off and I over watered. I had a lot of small leggy plants. About 1/2 never made it to the garden and 1/2 that did survived and not real big yields on anything.

I know my grandparents and parents always had "hot-beds." They had a couple raised beds with an old storm door or something on top. They planted their seeds outside in the hot-bed and transplanted the plants to the garden. I remember this going on as a kid...but I was never involved in this process, I was strictly in charge of "WEEDS."

How many of you still do the cold frame or hot bed method to start plants? I see a lot of started trays, grow lights and the such online...but very few videos, pictures or information on this method. I pretty sure I can figure it out, but I am so used to pulling plants out of a potting cell it sounds weird to pull a plant out of the soil bare root and all to put in the garden. I did it a thousand time pulling tobacco plants to transplant growing up...

Now that I have a source for fresh horse manure, I am thinking this is the perfect opportunity to try out the 'ole HOT-BED method again. What say you?

Does anyone do this anymore?