Seed sowing equipment - what do I really need?

[Jenegade]

My grandad gave me his old seed dispenser thing, haven't tried it yet - looks simple so it may actually work!

Sowing the seed with sand though sounds like a good idea!

[Paulottie]

I think a sieve is handy(ideally a couple of different sized screens), I made one with a bit of mesh.

I'd think you would need to buy or make some sort of propagator covers, some of mine are bits of wine box with bubble wrap stapled over.

A hopper ideally wants to have no front edge, three sticks nailed to an old cupboard door would suffice.

A radio and a thermos are nice too!

I'd save anything to do with ice cream tubs lolly sticks etc all useful.

I'd improvize with most things but an automatic window opener would be on my necessity list as it is very irritating to bake off all the seedlings the first sunny day your not on hand.

[Paulottie]

Oh the seed dispenser...found one that the previous owner left in the greenhouse...think its great especially for carrots.

[helly]

just ordered one from this site, hope it helps as I 'm finding sowing seeds difficult to do with out my glasses
eBay.co.uk Shop - Strawberryfield Garden Products: GARDENERS BITS BOBS: EASY SEEDA, SEED SOWING TOOL

[Flummery]

Am I the only mucky beggar that sows seed/pots on in the kitchen?
I do clean the surface well though - you don't want crumbs in your compost.

[pdblake]

I usually use multi-purpose in mushroom trays (from the supermarket), loo rolls for root trainers, lolly sticks for labels, me finger for a dibber, shoestring for a budget

[Alison]

Good grief, there's loads of stuff out there I never use! Never even considered buying a pressing tray or a seed dispenser and although I've got a perfectly good potting bench in the shed I do have a habit of using the work surface in the kitchen like Flum. Much warmer inside when I'm sowing the early stuff! Basically you don't need much but the likes of root trainers are pretty fab. I tend to start most of my stuff off in either trainers or newspaper pots depending on the type of plant. Dont' buy too much the first year and see how you get on, that way you'll avoid spending unnecessarily.

[lynda66]

i did mine in the kitchen last year too, comfy cushion, newspaper for the cats to play with on the floor, bag of compost ..... for the cats to play with next to it, seed trays .... the kitchen looked like cats had been playing in it, but we had lots of fun ...... despite the mess, and the vanishing seed packets

[lynda66]

husband ?
.

always found them a bit lumpy and they tend to fart too much when you kneel on the belly bit

[Demeter]

This year I have fallen in love with rootrainers... But anything with modules beats sowing in trays - I can't stand all the faff of pricking out (lazy, lazy, lazy) so modules all the way.

Other essential things:

• Seeds!
• & Compost.
• I also use a bucket, for mixing if I'm not just using straight compost.
• A nice big plastic box to keep your seeds in.
• A nice big plastic box (I use a biscuit box) to keep your labels, marker pen, dibber and what-have-you in.
  • Labels, marker pen, dibber and what-have-you
• Mini-greenhouse, tied very firmly to the fence!

I've also got a potting tray which I really like using as it stops the compost from being wasted all over the place.

I would like a potting bench, if I can work out where to put it! Currently I do it all kneeling on the ground (squashy thing a bonus) or now that the thingy in the greenhouse is cleared I balance it on top of that (but it's the wrong height and a bit wobbly! )

[smallblueplanet]

What does everyone find indispensable?

Love rootrainers, but the thing I find indispensable is my heated propagator (I'm sure many will disaggree!).

[helly]

plastic potting trays

Got myself a plastic dog basket off freecycle today, my 1st thoughts a perfect tray like this one advertised for �9.99

Buy Potting Tidy Tray : Delivery by Crocus.co.uk

[sewer rat]

I have heaps of stuff - 12 cell modules, 10 cell modules, seed trays, 54 cell modules, 1 litre pots (for leeks), a dibber, a potting tray (salvaged from a skip but worth it's weight (and then some) in saving wastage of compost), a short length of 2" x 1" which I use to level trays, 4" and 6" labels, black marker pens, heated propogator (which will hold 12 standard seed trays), propogating trays ( sed trays and inserts with clear plastic cover), loads of vermiculite, home made scoops (one for compost, the other for vermiculite), a fine riddle to seive rough compost, assorted large barrels / trugs for holding everything in both pre and post mixing of compost etc, a trough for sitting my 1 litre pots in water before sowing the leeks.
However, I could prob live with just the 54 cell trays, seive, heated propogator, labels and marker pen.

[Nicola.P]

I just had to buy from scratch the stuff I will need. I just bought a pack of module trays and seed compost. Need to get some cat litter trays to sit them in though.

Do you really need a propagator if they are going to be in the light?

[smallblueplanet]

...Do you really need a propagator if they are going to be in the light?

Depends what seeds you're germinating and how early you're trying to start them off...there's lots of stuff posted about this previously...

However for me I like to start my aubergines, chillies and tomatoes especially in a heated propogator because of the length of growing season they require.