I would remove the insert, toss those awful netted pellets, and use regular pots with seed starting mix in the base tray and dome instead.

What kind of plants are you planting to use these for? I can think of few vegetables that this would be good for, especially on the scale of a home garden. Lettuce?

they will be ready to go outside 3 or 4 weeks after germination ... so you better get these things going pretty fast ... especially those with the longer germ period ...

i like the suggestion to just avoid the all peat plugs ... . and i wouldnt use peat pots either ...

dont you have any old trays and cell packs laying around??? .. if you buy a flat of anything this year.. save all that stuff for next year ...

ken

I would second what Ken says. Use small pots, yoghurt containers work well (with holes in the bottoms).

If you are planting out in just a month, newspaper pots would work too - especially for things like squah/zukes/melons that don't like being transplanted. They are SO easy! Just dig a hole and plop them in :).

Linda

If this is the "mini greenhouse" tray with a transparent cover, I would recommend against it. Not only are the mesh pellets an issue (as you have already noted) but the transparent cover causes more problems than it solves. Without air circulation, the whole tray tends to become a mold farm - which can quickly kill seedlings. IMO that mini-greenhouse is one of the most expensive, and most problem-prone products offered for seed starting.

You would be better off buying an empty tray (without holes) and using inserts as needed. For most vegetables commonly started as transplants, there are re-usable plastic inserts available in several sizes. You could also use peat pots or strips (including those made by Jiffy). I use them for some plants, and properly used, they can be effective... but read up on their potential problems first. I add a lot of holes to those peat strips (with an ice pick) for good root penetration.

"...do you think roots will easily grow through and produce a healthy plant?"

Maybe, maybe not. I would guess it depends on the plant.

These are pics I posted years ago. It was a pepper plant that remained small, frail and didn't produce much at all. At season's end, I dug it up and this is what I found. Jiffy #7. I think there is a larger pellet, Jiffy #9, and they don't use the mesh. Not sure about that because I never used them again. ymmv

Thanks! I planted some herbs to try it out. Yikes I knew the mesh confined roots but not THAT much!