The Huw Richards tray, Charles Dowding tray so there must be a Steve Richards tray coming soon😁.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I don't think so, but if I were to do a tray, it would have to compete with the 6 cell trays that I currently use extensively, but adding a little depth and the root training features : All the best - Steve

@ibrstellar1080

11 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards I was going to buy these cell trays but after watching your video I don't think they suit me due to the small volume of seedlings I grow. I think having a seed tray that stacks neat and tidy is a must As storage space is tight for most gardener's but they should make theses trays like lego were you just add trays together were you add them in 10,20 or 30 sized trays. Another very interesting video Steve. All the best Steve.

@Sheila_74

10 ай бұрын

⁠​⁠@@ibrstellar1080 Me too, I’m so glad I have watched this before spending so much money. Thanks Steve 😊

Thanks Steve, well thought out critiques & useful reviews. They're very much appreciated 👍👍

Ah! Yes the difference between advice for a hobby beekeeper and advice for a bee farmer - the scale of the enterprise makes a lot of difference. I like that six cell tray too and re-use them a lot but it would be nice to have some re-worked in slightly stronger plastic with root training and a bigger hole at the bottom - I think there is a need for a 'Steve's range'! I hope the right people see this video - 'Steve's range in Wilco? Excellent overview.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Yes, I do think Charles tries hard to translate from what he does as a market gardener to what a home gardener does, but inevitably there are lots of differences between growing a few things to sell in a shop and growing the wide range of fruit and veg that most home gardeners want : all the best - Steve

It was wonderful seeing you on Gardeners World. It was like bumping into an old friend! Brilliant episode altogether ❤.

@SteveRichards

10 ай бұрын

Thanks, it was a nice day filming and I liked the result, taking the broader look at allotment life, rather than just the gardening : All the best - Steve

What a thorough review comparing trays and why they all have a purpose depending on requirements. I've been wondering about the Containerwise ones and your review has definitely helped. Thank you.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful! : all the best - Steve

@juxtaposed1358

9 ай бұрын

Totally second this!! I get so confused!! This clears it all up!!

I find the 60 cell tray excellent as I start sowing just half a dozen of each variety of brassica each month,, that way I don't get a glut of any vegetables at one time,, for example I will start 6 kale, 6 spinach, 6 cauliflower etc then pot up into the 40 cell trays,, I have 2 60 cell trays and 3 40 cell trays (or multiples of that ratio)

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

So you sow into the 60 cell, rather than pricking out straight into the 40 cell like I do

@phirst55

11 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards yes, I try to get 2 seeds in each cell and if they all germinate I remove any extra to leave 1 per cell,, then transplant when large enough into the 40 cell trays,, bottom water in those Wilkinson drip trays (the ones I have hold 2 standard trays) that way I don't have to water every day,, even in the hight of summer I only have to water every other day

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Yeah, the 40 cell trays don’t dry out very quickly and you don’t need to saturate the compost to achieve that either. I’ve grown to appreciate pricking out direct myself but I love that there are so many different ways to succeed in gardening : all the best - Steve

@cannymoose

11 ай бұрын

​@SteveRichards yes i sow directly into the cd60, no pricking out required, and then straight into the ground. I stand mine in drip trays or have plastic cover over so they never dry out. I also grow either 2 short rows or one long row depending on how many I want of whatever I'm planting. Because they all go out so quickly its not an issue for me. I also start my peas in them. Then I do a full couple of trays rather than a drainpipe or direct.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

It sounds like you’ve found some work around, which is great. I’m pretty sure I’d get damping off if I kept lids on my trays or had them constantly standing in water, but if it works for you that’s great. It’s interesting that CD doesn’t use them that way though : all the best - Steve

Very helpful and informative as always. Thanks Steve,

As Steve says, my experience is also that Containerwise original 40 cell and the 10 cell are all you really need. 6 or 9 cell bigger ones from other manufacturers , off Amazon, are also useful.

Hank you Steve, an exceptionally detailed and logical video!

Thanks for sharing your experience, my growing conditions are similar so find the advice very useful 💚

Exceptionally useful video, thanks you for the effort that went into this!

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback, it took a while to organise : All the best - Steve

Thanks, very useful information.

Fantastic info. Ive been trying to figure out the differences between the cd and hw trays. I think ill get some of each. 👍

I bought some containerwise drip trays for the cd60s and now they work much better on windowsills. After deep soaking I partially drain the drip tray to the fins so the cells sit over water. It keeps them going for 2-3 days. I’m sowing for a multiple salad and herb bed for 2 humans and 2 rabbits following Charles Dowding’s continual leaf picking method. Just holding off for a week before planting due to heavy rain. Without the drip trays the modules did dry out too fast.

Very interesting Steve. I do have a few each of the trays you have shown and ihave had similar problems. Very good watch and well presented and fair.

@SteveRichards

Ай бұрын

Thanks, I do try to always be completely honest, which is why I don't take any sponsorships : All the best - Steve

Your summary is exactly what I've found Steve .Never used the 60 cell Charles ones that I was bought yet. I like the Huw Richards small ones .

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

They are useful for sure : All the best - Steve

Great video! I agree with you that the larger cells give you more time. For the home gardener I think they are perfect. I also like to plant in small pots for things like tomatoes.

This is great content. I was going to buy one of all latter on in the year but this saves me from experimenting and just going for the 40 tray and the hugh tray. Thank you for your helpful video. I normally lurk at your videos .

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback Andy and I think if you are only going to invest in one tray, those are the best options : All the best - Steve

@brianpearce661

11 ай бұрын

​@@SteveRichardsthanks for this comparison which was much needed as these are for life unlike the flimsy versions.

Well thought out advice Steve, I'm a big fan of these trays. I like the deep ones for beans, leeks and sweetcorn and they're handy for some of the more unusual climbers like achocha and earthnut pea, that seem to throw out masses of roots before the tops really get going. If I want to take full advantage of the air pruning, I put some old plastic biscuit cutters under them in one of the Wilko gravel trays 😊

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Sounds like we came to the same conclusion : All the best - Steve

O this is container gold!!! ❤

Thank you for such a helpful video

I had a clear out of some of my trusty old containers, last year, as the plastic has degraded (donated them to someone who needed loads and didn’t mind the quality🤔). Can’t complain I’ve had them years and years. I’m now off to buy the ones you recommend. Thank you very much Steve, you’ve saved me masses of “ummms,, eeers and sighs” and a lot of head scratching, as there are loads out there. It’s interesting about the ribs, as you can’t actually see them so I would have of missed them! All the best….

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

The ribs are small, but they really do seem to work well : All the best - Steve

Those trays look fantastic and if I had a bigger garden I'd buy them in all sizes. I'm a sucker for good pots and trays. e.g. by accident I've ended up with 400 x 2l square soparco pots, which forces me to take tons of cuttings. I enjoy growing a bunch of seeds in old B.E.F grower's long toms and just splitting when I'm planting out.

I have used the 40 cells for some years now and love them for all the reasons pointed out in your video. Would be very interested in the six cell variation for seed sowing ..

Very informative thanks, I use the Charles Dowding 60 30 and 15 cells they do all stack inside each other. I think from what you say it depends on what your gardening style is, your priorities and space available x

@SteveRichards

3 ай бұрын

It does Lucy, there are a few people who've managed to make the CD trays work for them, you are one of the fortunate ones. : all the best - Steve

I tend to use the 35 cell trays for the bigger bean seeds. It means the beans don't pop out of the soil as they germinate but I am with you on the 40 cell trays all the way. The best ratio of compost/space/time in the module.

Hello Steve, I have a few types of these trays and I find they are the best available. The HR20 trays as you said, are the odd ones due to the space between the two groups of modules.(just cut down the plain section and create 2x 10 modules and they are stackable again) I think they ‘borrowed’ the ejection plate from the Haxnick Root Trainer system. These are well worth a look at especially for starting the smaller seeds eg onions and lettuce. The advantage for me with the large capacity CD trays is that I sow multi varieties in the single tray, benefit being when putting in the Vitopods. It does prevent having to play Tetris with multiple cell trays Cheers. Nigel

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

The guy who designed the ejection plate came to visit me for a few hours and we had a lovely morning. He's going to modify the design on the 40 cell plate. I see your point about the CD tray, I made the same observation at the end, if you need to cram a lot of seedlings into a small space - eg under a grow light - it might be worth the downsides, but I can't bring myself to recommend them for general use. I really don't understand the space between the two strips of 10, or two strips of 15 in the smaller trays. I've seen you and Steve use the Haxnick trays, they look nice, but I tend to sown in larger volumes, so they are not ideal for me, so I can't justify the investment, I will have to wait until they send me some to review : All the best - Steve

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I did try cutting a 40 cell in half and it worked pretty well, one of the new 20 cell trays was perfect, the other lost the top 1/3 of one row of cells, this was fixed in a couple of minutes with duct tape and both 20 cell trays were then nice and sturdy and stacked perfectly as well as fitting in a standard gravel tray : All the best - Steve

Thank you, that was very helpful. Interested to know more about the 'rubber beans' 😁

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

lol, the delights of autocorrect! : All the best - Steve

@AJWGBFX

11 ай бұрын

Bloidy productif tuxt!

That was excellent. A bit long for me but the content was so useful. I use the 60 module trays for springtime but otherwise they sit on the shelf. I probably would be better with the 40/28 module trays. Thanks again Steve

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Bit long for me too, but I try not to be too obsessed with - or worry about - making the perfect length video : all the best - Steve

Steve I agree with you, containerwise are missing a market for us home growers, we need smaller trays for fewer plants. I love the containerwise trays have used them for a few years now, I like the 28 hole trays and I got my husband to cut them to make them smaller

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback, unfortunately even celebrity gardeners and KZreadrs like me don’t get everything right : all the best - Steve

Interesting run through the options. Much like yourself I didn't see a great deal of use for the 28 cell variants for my purposes. I primarily use the 40s and pot on into the 15s for brassicas, tomato plants, peppers and so on. Plants seem to happily hold in the deeper 15s for weeks. The stiffness and ease of extraction of all the trays has been the biggest gamechanger for me. I can shuffle spares between trays to consolidate space and pop out subsections of mixed trays with little risk of damaging any plants.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

You make a great point, which I hope came through in the video, that the ability to hold plants for a few weeks is very important for some of us : All the best - Steve

This is extremely interesting thank you 🧐 I use an equivalent of the 60 cell tray (one which splits into 5, 12 modules) and find it works very extremely well for chard, beetroot, spinach and cosmos seedlings. But as you say it depends on your situation. For me, buying compost would be a considerable expensive and hassle, (as well as increasing my carbon footprint) and I don't have any propagation space at my allotment. My garden at home is small and shared. I also have to carry my plants up there. So small cells work well for me!

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Thanks, it’s good to hear a positive story : all the best - Steve

Great video, well worth watching all of it as Steve mentions all the pros and cons. I have the Downing CD60s and hack sawed them in to CD20s after a bit of sanding I can get 3 in one drip tray, You lose a bit of strength then but as these are really for window sill / growlight starting it makes moving fewer plants around under the lights easier. The small trays do require lots of care though and Steve's points about the bigger more forgiving trays are really relevant if you are not able to see your plants every day. On a general note the containerwise kit is really durable and so much better than cheap plastic junk from poundshops. If you have ever had a tray of seedlings collapse in transit in a cheap tray you will know the anguish. Getting things out of the trays is also easy as the strong plastic doesn't deform. A tip for the CD60s, I have a big head screw, screwed in to the top of my dibber which easily pops one plant out, is the perfect length and doesn't get lost.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

Love that tip Phil, as a test I sawed the 40 cell tray in half too, slight damage to one row of cells, which is easy to repair , much cheaper than 2 HR20 cells and everything fits and stacks : All the best - Steve

@PhilErringtonSK7

4 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichardsyep I did the chopping so it would fit my drip trays, the actual manufactured ones have a slight overhang for strength, so I think they might not fit when put side by side. The 40 cell ones I have with ribs are a little thinner than the CD60s, so I didn't cut them. A hot knife is better than a hacksaw as well, but most people don't have these or want to breathe the fumes

Hi Steve, great video. I completely agree with you on the CD60s. I bought some when they came out thinking they were going to be amazing, but as you say - I rarely do 60 of anything, the compost dries out so fast, and the nutrients run out quickly. I am going to go for the HR10s if I buy any more from containerwise. Thanks for the video

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback : all the best - Steve

I bought 5 of the CD60 trays and regretted it instantly. The plants really don't grow much before running out of space and need to be potted on - so they make work rather than reduce it. Interestingly, you don't see Charles using them very much in his own videos. He seems to use the 40 cell size more despite the fact that they use slightly more compost. The root trainers are a great idea so I will probably invest in some of those 40 cell trays but, I think I'd be inclined to transplant into a 4" pot if they needed potting on and couldn't be planted straight out. That way, they can be spaced appropriately so that competition for light isn't such an issue. Ultimately, there comes a point where you can't keep a plant in module trays indefinitely and they do have to be planted out. I think I'd rather use individual pots for this - although the deeper module trays would be ok for onion seedlings (or other plants that don't compete for light as much). I can see that you'd quickly run out of space using them for tomatoes, brassicas, etc I think we probably all sow far more seeds than we need so I don't see the size of the larger trays (40 or 60 cells) as being a problem. I'd rather grow a couple of rows (horizontally or vertically depending on how many of a particular plant I wanted) of each variety I want than have several smaller trays each containing a specific variety. It just seems less messy to me.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

Charles still promotes them like crazy on his videos though, which upsets me a bit each time I see it, but then he promotes a lot of stuff I don't agree with. I agree with your points, although I have enjoyed having the option of the 10 and 20 cell trays, I just wish I'd cut 40 cell trays up instead of buying them that way. I too much prefer potting on into individual pots : All the best - Steve

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I did try cutting a 40 cell in half and it worked pretty well, one of the new 20 cell trays was perfect, the other lost the top 1/3 of one row of cells, this was fixed in a couple of minutes with duct tape and both 20 cell trays were then nice and sturdy and stacked perfectly as well as fitting in a standard gravel tray : All the best - Steve

The deep root trainers are good for sweetcorn but also truly fantastic for multi-sown leeks 👍

@SteveRichards

5 ай бұрын

I think they are good for leeks too, but I prefer to plant my sweetcorn out at 3 weeks after germination, so they don’t need a big module at that age : all the best - Steve

Useful 🤗✅👍

Great timing! I'm a first year garderner, and already annoyed with floppy plastic trays. Just asked these trays for my birthday present. And after listening to your reasoning at the CD60 i realised that it is not the best fit for my usage. 😅 Now going for the 40 holes and the 15 deep holes.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful! : all the best - Steve

I agree so much with all you said, I have a lot of the different sizes of their trays and love how sturdy they are! But, I find the trays with lots of cells are far too heavy and as you said limits your options for variety of plants. I even thought of finding a way to cut them in half, loosing some cells. I found growing my beans or peas in the really tall ones also awkward, you have to tip the whole tray on its side to poke them out and if they dont have lots of roots, they are hard to get out. I use an old dinner knife to slide it in all around the sides to help loosen them first. I like the mid size cells but the ones with fewer cells. The ones with more cells (40 etc) are handy when trying to start things like saved wildflower seeds. I dont have a greenhouse yet and just put my trays right on the soil, they dont need watering as much but you have to loosen the soil under them with a trowel if they've rooted into the ground. But because of the big hole its easy to get the roots through when pulling out of the cell. I find myself going back to using my 3" pots for starting seeds and the 1 litre pots were good for things like pumpkin and squash. Ill be looking to get some of those trays with less cells! Than you Steve!

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I did try cutting a 40 cell in half and it worked pretty well, one of the new 20 cell trays was perfect, the other lost the top 1/3 of one row of cells, this was fixed in a couple of minutes with duct tape and both 20 cell trays were then nice and sturdy and stacked perfectly as well as fitting in a standard gravel tray : All the best - Steve

Thankyou for doing this video, I am now a subscriber, and will look forward to viewing your other video's. How have you found the recent constant rain and not so normal colder weather for this time of the year is it affecting any growth for you?

@SteveRichards

2 ай бұрын

Some of the outdoor sowings are a little slow, but everything under cover is on target : all the best - Steve

Thank you for your review, was about to purchase from Containerwise .Am now rethinking my order from them .Great practical honest review.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

The 40 cell modules are the only ones I can honestly recommend unreservedly

@mikecharles1717

4 ай бұрын

Yes I agree, and like you find CD 60 drys out too quickly. What you save on compost, you would spend on extra fleece in the earlier part of the growing season due to the requirement to plant out or plant on thank you Steve quality review@@SteveRichards

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

In my case I pick out into 2 for £10 multipurpose compost, so it costs me virtually nothing

@mikecharles1717

4 ай бұрын

Yes have gone for the forty cell trays and a few Hue Richard small trays many thanks Steve ,saved from a poor choice. Seeing the trays close up on your channel and informed comments nailed it👌

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I did try cutting a 40 cell in half and it worked pretty well, one of the new 20 cell trays was perfect, the other lost the top 1/3 of one row of cells, this was fixed in a couple of minutes with duct tape and both 20 cell trays were then nice and sturdy and stacked perfectly as well as fitting in a standard gravel tray : All the best - Steve

good show, cheers Steve; the CD small modules dry out too fast for me too, OK in early spring but a pain in summer, plenty of swearing getting my little finger stuck in them too lol. I use the flimsy 6 cell trays most I got 50 free with a 2nd hand GH but I'm transitioning to the CW 15 cell root trainer version about the same size cell slowly, I also like the 4" individual pots for all the reasons you highlighted, plus I like them for plant spacing when planting out placing the pots and shuffling them about before actually planting.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Sounds like a good solution, the 50 packs of 6 cell trays are hard to beat : All the best - Steve

I made my own dowel tray for the 40 hole using much bigger dowel so it more closely fits the holes, so it works fine. The 60 & 77 hole trays I only really use for bedding (along with some tiny cells for initial pricking out)but I use the 15's & 28's for holding plants for longer & start my broad beans & peas in the deeper trays. I cut the Huw Richards 20 cell trays in half, as that works out a lot cheaper than the 10's...🙃 Without a doubt, I find the standard, 40 cell tray to be THE most used & most versatile of all those I have.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

That's really useful feedback, thanks! From what I've been told, based on a previous video I made, they are changing the design of the 40 hole dowel tray, to use a larger dowel and a deeper indent : All the best - Steve

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I did try cutting a 40 cell in half and it worked pretty well, one of the new 20 cell trays was perfect, the other lost the top 1/3 of one row of cells, this was fixed in a couple of minutes with duct tape and both 20 cell trays were then nice and sturdy and stacked perfectly as well as fitting in a standard gravel tray : All the best - Steve

I think the context with Charles’ tray, is that he doesn’t really keep the seedlings in his tray for too long. Maximum three or four weeks. Since the beginning, he says he prefers small seedlings to go in the ground. I’ve adapted my gardening style to that philosophy, and when you figure that out and make it work, then the size of the trays make sense.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

yes, I also explained exactly that in the video and why it often doesn't make sense to do that. He is in the unusual position to always have someone around to water every day and also he is mainly planting into empty beds in spring, so he can afford to plant small, in my case I am planting into already planted beds, so every week I keep plants in modules is an extra week of harvest. Thanks for pointing this out for anyone who missed it though. I'm not a big believer in changing your gardening style to suit the modules you've bought though, when there is a great flexible alternative that works better : All the best - Steve

I hope containerwise watch this video Steve!!!

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I’m sure they will, they seem to be a good company and quite responsive. They certainly responded well to the feedback I gave in my last video : all the best - Steve

I have some of the Charles Dowding trays and I’ve used them a lot for bunching onions, beets etc. I’ve always used a mini dibber for seed planting or potting on. As long as the root ball is reasonably formed I just turn the tray over and bash it a bit and the plugs pop out. I’ve been meaning to look to bigger trays so I’ll get the Huw Richards ones for that. These types of rigid, reusable trays are the only ones that should be sold. The commercial growers need to invest some money to produce recyclable, single use containers for bedding plants.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I'm not sure about making these the only ones sold, the thin trays (like the 6 cell tray) that I showed are highly reusable, I've got some that have been used at least 14 times and are showing little sign of wearing out and they use a tiny amount of plastic compared to the rigid trays and take up little storage space, while being about 1/20 of the price, I consider that pretty good on all counts, including environmental : All the best - Steve

I’ve been using Containerwise since April 2020, when I ordered 2 of every type to see what I liked. A couple of months later I followed up with another order. So I’ve got four seasons of use out of them. They fit into my outer drip trays perfectly, but I hadn’t seen their own tray with the ridges. I still haven’t found an ideal use for the 15H tray, though I am using the 15L to try and keep things in them for as long as possible eg 🍅 and 🌶️ 🫑 But I like the 28L the most because it doesn’t dry out so quickly, something I still struggle with even years later. I mostly do multiple varieties of a single veggie in each of the 7 columns. I use the 28H deep trays for 🌽 and the 40H for 🫛 I probably have a total of about 50 of the trays now, both deep and shallow, but haven’t yet been tempted by the Richards versions. So this was an interesting discussion. Thanks.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for that, I will cross check your list with what I’ve recommended in my database : all the best - Steve

I have the same containers and share exactly your opinion on them. I regret having spent money on the CharlesDowding 60cell. With Huw’s you can move seedlings from tray to final position unlike the CD60

For me the most useful one is the 40 cell containerwise trays, Im slowly replacing my wilko ones, which have lasted quite well. Ive got 3 28 cell containerwise trays which I like for peas. I use the 6 cell trays from amazon like you do. I have a few root trainer 32 cell. But I use 9cm and 11cm pots a lot for potting on, especially the 11cm, plants, especially brasicas can stay in them for ages. When money allows I'll be getting more 40 cell containerwise trays. 60 cell are too fiddly for me and as you say, dry out too quickly at the allotment. Great video Steve. All the best, John

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback John, sounds like we have arrived at similar conclusions. How many peas do you put in each module? I tend to put 3 per module and hence use a larger size : all the best - Steve

@GardeningWithJohn

11 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards I used to put 3 in that size, but now usually 2.

The Charles Dowding trays I find are great for direct sowing.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I don't generally direct sow now, because I don't have enough space, but I can see how they would work a little better for that than for pricking out, although the 40 cell tray would be just as good : All the best - Steve

@josi7836

11 ай бұрын

I cut down the CD60 into four sections. I learned from CD to direct sow into the modules and only keep seedlings in them for a very short time. This allows me to sow rapid successions, which allows for flexibility when planting. The compost cost is low and If I waste a few seedlings, then I don’t worry. The bottom watering trays sold by Containerwise solve the problem of drying out.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

That sounds like a better solution, it wouldn’t work for my needs though : all the best - Steve

There is so much variety and it makes it so hard to choose. Fed up with my high street cell trays breaking after a couple of years so I came up with buying 7cm and 8cm pots. I fit 15 7cm pots in yo a tray and 8 x 9cm pots in a tray. I sow many of my seeds in a half tray and prick out into the 7 cm pots and If \i don't have space on my plot tp plant out at 4 weeks then I pot on to the 9cm pots. I use Wilko gravel trays too. I put a mesh in the bottom of the tray to stop the pots sitting directly on the bottom :-)

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Seems a few people have interesting solutions to raise their pots up in the Wilko trays, as you say there are so many options, so I like to standardise on a few options, the ones that offer the most flexibility, and accept a few compromises : All the best - Steve

@bewoodford2807

11 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards that's cool and it does work to stick to a few that work together, for sure :-)

Great review. I like the little bit taller one you like and would prefer 6 cell pack. Don’t believe those are available here in US. I have a 72 and only time I like that is starting a flat of petunias and then it doesn’t fit a 1020 tray. Will be trying a 6x6 tray to start older seeds and packs of flowers there aren’t so many seeds and up pot from there to save space and soil. Yes, the really tall packs I think the plants would shade each other out and separate pots would be better. Using 2.5” pots and seem to be fine just wish they were a bit taller. 😂yes, then the tray dilemma. Mine are heavy duty, but have deep channels that now require a tray to hold the 2.5” pots😂. Where does it end?😅. The half inch ridges in the trays can be a bit difficult to clean also.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback, I think containerwise have found this comment thread very useful

Such a great video Steve, I’ve been looking at investing in some better trays but having watched this I now know I’d be wasting some money. I like the HR smaller cells, maybe a 15 cell CW one poss a deep root for runner beans (my cassette ones are now splitting)…decisions 😊

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I've always done my runner beans in those cheap 6 cell trays (the ones I had my seedlings in) about 1/20 of the price and still going string after 7 years : All the best - Steve

I love those £1 black Wilko trays. The price increased to £1.50 before Wilko went bust but I still thought they were good value. I wish I'd bought a load more of them before they closed. What I'm surprised about with Container Wise is why aren't various companies copying them given they've become so popular. I can't think they have any patents that stops companies from duplicating them and I can't believe they are particularly hard to make in terms of plastic moulding. I bet Wilko would have sold similar for a third of the price if they'd remained open and seen the demand.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

Wilko still have them online, I just bought some www.wilko.com/en-uk/heavy-duty-seed-tray---no-drainage-holes/p/8949869?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAzoeuBhDqARIsAMdH14EF7qrr1qM14GjfopKd-5n8VDlLKtKbokpJASb4Kwg_AKsmwYJOwmQaAtGsEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

The Range also sell old Wilko stock on ebay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126024155433?chn=ps&_ul=GB&var=426987983623&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1jZujYHVGSW6NuqDDYZ_uvg54&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=426987983623_126024155433&targetid=1816459696925&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006633&poi=9046526&campaignid=19920005025&mkgroupid=150779402154&rlsatarget=aud-1415330310908:pla-1816459696925&abcId=9311014&merchantid=734180146&gclid=Cj0KCQiAzoeuBhDqARIsAMdH14G80sTTQqwtFwj3ErEiqAdF1j6GzQDLOIGMGJHNeLokKZXoncX8kCkaAjpVEALw_wcB which is probably better, because you can buy in bulk here

@nitelite78

4 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards Yes, I've seen those. They don't look to be quite the same product - different indentation pattern on the plastic. Hopefully they are as sturdy and long lasting.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I tried some of the new Wilko/Range trays, they are nowhere near as good quality as the original Wilko ones unfortunately

@nitelite78

4 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards That's a pity. Thanks for the update.

I see what you mean about the HW20 plastic middle part. The sale point is that the central strip makes them easy to carry but given given the hard, robust nature of the plastic I don't think that strip is really needed. I'm with you on the Huw Richards cell size. Really easy to get the seedlings out. I have pretty small hands so am OK with the Charles Dowding 15/30 cell size for popping out the cells but the Huw Richards ones are definitely slightly easier and as you say don't dry out as fast. I got a couple of the 15 cell deep trays which I plan to use for sweet corn and sweet peas. I was going to say if plants not getting enough light is an issue you could perhaps sow alternate cells although that creates it's own issues in terms of either having to fill cells individually or fill cells that won't be used. When you say you have no need for 60 of anything, you could use cell trays for different veg types no? So some rows with lettuce, some rows with radish, some beetroot, some herbs. Could fill it that way pretty easily although this has downsides too I guess. I will probably buy a few more of the hw 10s. My allotment is only a few minutes walk away and I like that I can pop out a mix of things from multiple trays that I want to plant out all into a single tray and easily carry it to the allotment.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I don't like sowing things that come ready at different times in the same tray. I end up with lots of part filled trays lying around and especially the CD 60's which are the most difficult to look after.

this is really useful, thx. have been 'using up' soft plastic ones and was thinkin about upgrading to the Charles Dowding trays...but after watching think they're not suitable for my needs. the Huw Richards look ideal for quanities (of same thing) that i'll need, but are a lot more expensive than larger 40L trays. might get the 40L and cut it in 2 or 4. great they're sturdy, but wondering if you think they'd be easy to cut through?

@SteveRichards

3 ай бұрын

I've cut mine, you will probably damage the top of one edge of cells, I repaired that edge with duct tape. Use as fine a saw as you can. Cutting in two works fine, cutting into 4 not so good : all the best - Steve

@magspies

3 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichardsah, that's good to know, thx!

Been useing these trays 2+years expensive but very good rigid trays i often use them to multi sow always bottom water they make a72 module deep tray i use for starting mooli radish ..horses for courses

That's a shame you haven't done this video earlier. I bought quite few of Ch.D. trays, and every word you said is entirely true. They nice and sturdy, but, used them just in early spring when did a lot of sawing in one time and had to fit everything indoors. Later in the season quite useless as drying and like you said need to quik transfer to next size

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Sorry about that, so many videos to make, so little time! : all the best - Steve

I have the containerwise root trainer trays. I use for beans. I really dislike the flimsy book opening ones that break so easily. My problem is that with small fingers, I can't always pop them out and resort to a piece of bamboo cane carefully poking the plants. I have the larger deep pots too. I grew my winter squashes in them this year. It was a mistake as I was having to lay the container on its side and gingerly poke out rather large plants. I ended up breaking a few. I confess I may be going back to one pint yoghurt pots next year.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I agree, they’re not easy to recommend for general use : all the best - Steve

@marymcandrew7667

11 ай бұрын

I agree about the root trainer books, I ordered two sets and tried them this year, if the beans are not really full of sturdy roots, they're hard to get out without damaging them!

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I hate those root trainer books with a passion! : all the best - Steve

Wow, surprised you are so critical of everything Dowding. I use trays from recycle bin at the nurseries. they dont last but are free and i can share plants.

@nyunixguru

11 ай бұрын

I’m going to break out my violin for CD. I’m sure he’s making plenty of money on YT with his production crew

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

Critical of everything? I don’t like the trays, except in the circumstances I described, but I do kind of follow his no dig methodology, I just don’t talk about it because I don’t think it’s as important as he makes out. I also first heard about multi sowing from him and I use that a lot. I found his books a good place to start too : all the best - Steve

Who knew that there was so much to a seed tray?

Great video, i bought the cd60 as a home gardener before the cd15/30 trays was released. I would have never bought the cd60, But the cd trays are good for starting seedlings to pot onto 9cm pots, much easier to pot up as its small and easier to bury deeper for leggy seedlings. really useful for starting chilli seeds and tomatoes or anything that you will plant out quickly Can i ask, does the huw 10 & 20 fit in a half size gravel tray to water? the containerwise base trays are so expensive for what they are.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

You could always just prick out your seedlings, rather than pot them on, they use up even less space then and it's just as easy, that's how I always do peppers, brassicas and tomatoes. The Huw 10 and 20 fit width wise in a gravel tray, but two 20's won't fit in a full sized gravel tray, but 4 10's might. I actually think it's much better to buy the 40 cell tray and cut it up into 10 and 20 cells, rather than buy the Huw trays, that way everything fits in standard gravel trays and everything stacks properly, plus you save money, for minimal effort : All the best - Steve

@Dindoes

4 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards thanks. I checked the sizes for huw 10/20 and they won’t fit half size tray, which forces us to buy there trays which are so expensive. I was actually thinking of cutting my current ones down but the cells are close to each other means I’ll probably loose one column and then do a lot of sanding down. Just don’t know if I have the time or worth the effort

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I definitely wouldn't buy the containerwise drip trays myself.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I did try cutting a 40 cell in half and it worked pretty well, one of the new 20 cell trays was perfect, the other lost the top 1/3 of one row of cells, this was fixed in a couple of minutes with duct tape and both 20 cell trays were then nice and sturdy and stacked perfectly as well as fitting in a standard gravel tray : All the best - Steve

@Dindoes

4 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards Great man! My father has dropped off a big hacksaw. I will be attempting it. Thanks

I need your advice on growing rubber beans (29.36)!🤣

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

My only advice is turn off autocorrect on your phone ;-)

I would use the deep trays or tomatoes. I plant my tomatoes deep.

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I grow on sand, so planting deep isn't much use for me, they immediately put deep roots down anyway, but planting into nutrient free, dry sand doesn't do me much good : All the best - Steve

You mention compost is a tiny percentage of your cost. Is that cost tiny because you only buy a small amount of bagged compost and the vast majority of your other compost is home-made? And if that's the case do you just buy in compost for seed starting only?

@SteveRichards

4 ай бұрын

I harvest about £6,000 a year and compost costs in total are maybe £200 of that, so about 3% of harvest value. I do make a lot of compost, maybe 2000 litres a year, I buy expensive seed starting compost, but cheap multi-purpose for pricking and potting and mushroom compost/spent potato compost for mulching : All the best - Steve

I sow several types in my larger trays, seldom a full tray of anything.

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I’m not keen on mixing trays myself, I dont have that much space and I don’t like to have lots of part empty trays lying around taking up space

Just wondering why you would have to want 60 of something to use the tray, can't you sow different things in one tray?

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

You can but I don’t like to do that, I end up with trays part full of seedlings all maturing at different times. I’d much rather just use the right size of tray in the first place : all the best - Steve

Waiting for the 6 cell Steve Richards tray 😂

@SteveRichards

11 ай бұрын

I've been in contact with Containerwise since the video went live and they asked me to assess demand for a 6 and 9 cell tray : All the best - Steve

@megaman2016

11 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards Yes! The demand is there for us small home raised bed gardeners. You've got my support on this. Good luck!

@paulinesweetman3770

11 ай бұрын

@@SteveRichards Most definitely there is a demand! I wish you luck in getting these into production with Containerwise.

@julieandrews555

11 ай бұрын

Very thorough job as always Steve and thanks for your efforts.l got some Charles Dowding 60 cell trays before he made the smaller ones and immediately realised it was far too big! Managed to cut them into smaller sizes which works better but also agree they are only really suitable if you have a fast turnover of sowing and planting out and doesn’t really allow for flexibility. I have resorted to some of my old cheaper but more sizeable modules which also, as you say can last several years if you look after them. Great video for new gardeners wanting to avoid the mistakes it’s easy to make with such a wide range of products available