Seed sowing equipment - what do I really need?

[Flummery]

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

I've never used one. I put things in pots on the kitchen windowsill (there, you see, I AM a kitchen gardener!) with a small poly bag over until the first seedlings show. Then off with the bag to stop things getting mouldy and stand well back - some things will grow up your trouser leg in minutes. (Or did I dream that?)

[Alison]

I always start my chillies and peppers in a heated propogator but only my earliest toms as I find that they can get leggy very quickly if you don't pull them out as soon as they germinate. A good compromise can be those dead cheap plastic trays (or even clear supermarket punnets) which will warm the soil a bit and give you a good start - that or as Flum says, plastic bags work well.

[BrideXIII]

Out of all my equipment, I'd go for root trainers and a big tray - anything else can be made/bodged/pilfered from around the house but a good big tray of compost and roottrainers gets things off to a fine start. Plus you can take it into the kitchen in the winter and sow your seeds in the warm with a coffee and the radio!

Don't forget I'm starting an Onion Thread just after Christmas, for those who have difficulty with the Allium family or who just want to join in sowing stuff over the festive season - everyone welcome [shameless promotion]

I'm in, I'm going for spring onions and leeks, just to see what happens

I use anything and everything i can bodge together for seedlings, orange boxes from the greengrocers are great, big plastic storage box lids for a tray, and HAVE to have a fork ( kitchen /eating variety) for lifting seedlings, great for the delicate ones as they fit just nice between the tines.

[nilling]

dry food scoop

I bought a dry food scoop from Morrisons for �1.50 that I will use next year to fill my pots. As it's nice and deep I hope it's going to be better than the trowels I have been using.

Going to have to start my loo roll collection soon

[Nicola.P]

When I planted in small pots ages (years) ago I used a kitchen tablespoon to fill up the modules.

[Flummery]

I use spoons, forks, teaspoon handles for pricking out seedlings. I told you - I'm a kitchen gardener!