Seed Starter Kit 72 Cell Extra Strength, 2 Pack - 1020 Tray, Humidity Dome, Plug Tray Starting Trays for Seedling Germination

Updating my review as of September 2017: The owner of this company is very responsive to the design flaws I noted, and sent me two of the new design to work with, which I consider excellent customer support! The depth of the cells has been increased so that not as much water is needed to reach the bottom of them. They also appear wider, (I have not checked them against the originals, not sure I kept them), which will allow for a larger plug, meaning the need to transplant sooner is relieved. Again, I applaud a company that is this responsive to their customers, well done Bootstrap Farmer! ******************************************************************************************************************************************************** These trays are very sturdy, but they have several design flaws that need correction. The first is that the cells are not quite deep enough so when watering from the bottom it takes quite a lot of water to reach the bottom of the cells. That's just wasteful. The second is that the cells are pretty small, and combined with a lack of depth means that seedlings need to be transplanted sooner, which is harder on them. A slightly larger, deeper cell and fewer of them would be much better. Third, the cells are all one piece, which seems nice at first, but makes it more of a pain to bottom water. I wound up cutting two cells out to do so. A better way, in my opinion, would be to make them in sections so you could lift one out to bottom water (which is preferred to avoid splashing soil around which can happen with watering from the top.) Finally, for whatever reason, the top domes don't quite fit on the bottom, so I'm always fiddling with them to get them straight. At any rate, ok to use, but could be better. Editing my review again. The company graciously sent replacements for the bottom trays which are better than the ones I originally got.

I received these a few days ago. I give these an "A" for quality, but only a "C minus" for design. As mentioned in other reviews, there is a flaw in the 72 cell trays that was supposed to be corrected a month ago – these are very shallow cells with the bottom dangling about an inch above the bottom of the tray. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to use bottom heat to germinate given the significant 1" air gap. My options are to either cut off a row of cells in both dimensions (leaving only 55 cells out of the original 72 cell tray) so it can sit on the bottom, or two support it with two humidity grids under the cells and put the heating mat on top of that. I contacted the company immediately but have yet to hear any response. Update: 16 Sept 2017 Brandon (the Bootstrap Farmer himself...), followed up with me directly after I contacted them via their website. They never got my "reviewer feedback" from Amazon apparently, and my order had gotten caught up in the inventory transition from the older trays. They are replacing with the deeper ones at no charge. Personally, I am just beginning gardening again after a long gap. I am convinced that organic is very important. I put in a couple of raised beds two years ago, I started vermicomposting last year (this has gone pretty well...using hungrybin method), and I am going to begin starting my own seedlings this winter. Bootstrapfarmer.com has some good beginning gardener articles on their website with respect to germinating from seed. It's worth checking out.

The sturdy 1020 trays are great! It feels like they are going to last for quite a while. The domes also great and they fits on the 1020 trays perfectly. The cell/plug trays... not so much. Once the cell tray is added to the 1020 tray, the dome no longer fits. The edge of the dome kinda sits on the edge around the side of the cell tray and doesn't create a "seal" like it does sitting only on the 1020 tray. Because of the bad fit, there is always some sort of gap somewhere on the edges and condensation from inside the dome leaks out. I emailed Bootstrap's contact address to explain the issue and, to their credit, they were very quick to respond. They explained that the cell tray is meant to be wider than the 1020 tray so that it doesn't sink into it and become hard to remove. They also explained that the dome should sit on the raised lip rather than around the whole tray, but unfortunately that's not the case with the trays and domes I received. Overall, I would definitely recommend buying the 1020 tray and the dome, but perhaps skip the seed trays and instead get some separate standard six cell inserts that won't interfere with the dome fitting on the 1020 tray. Updated to include that customer service at Bootstrap Farmer is top notch. They were in contact with me quickly after I emailed them and took care of the problem. I'll definitely purchase from these guys again!

Living in California, my seed-planting MO has largely been sow-and-grow. Sure, not everything germinates, but our gardening tends to focus on keeping the exuberant plants in check rather than on nurturing little green shoots. This year, I decided to venture outside my comfort zone and try out some trickier seeds. Seeds that needed a little extra encouragement to come into the world. Seeds that might be too delicate for the raised beds (still overflowing with last summer's greens). Looking through the seed starter kits on Amazon, I saw lots of relatively more affordable options, but the reviews sounded grim. Bootstrap's product seemed sturdier -- I didn't want something that fell apart in my hands -- and I also liked their philosophy and emphasis on sustainability. The kit arrived quickly and I planted the first set of seeds. I'm still in the waiting phase, and since some of the seeds are supposed to take up to nine months to germinate (if they decide to go ahead and germinate) the kit is going to be a fixture in my life for a while. But right now, it's a little garden ecosystem tucked away in a corner of a room, and I expect it will continue to support my explorations in gardening for the foreseeable future.

Trays are sturdy, which is good for repeated use. The dome did not fit well due to the plug tray being a little larger. Another person said they taped it, but it works better to trim the tray corners and short sides (trim as needed - only three corners needed to be trimmed). It does not need much trimming, only about 1/16th to 1/8th from each short side made it fit tight. I do not recommend trimming the long sides as spreading the dome slightly to fit over the long sides results in a perfect fit.

Adding that I've now used the new, deeper cells. They are terrific! Would buy again if I needed more. So much tougher and more durable than the crap ones I've used before. Could not recommend more. Below is my original review, in which I liked the sturdiness but couldn't use the trays. Bootstrap Farmer shipped me new ones, and said they had changed how them make them. The new ones are perfect. Very heavy, very deep, look super tough and I think they will last forever. They are so much thicker than and others I've tried. Can't wait to use them! Original review for replaced product "These are indeed heavy duty, but the cells in them are very, very short. They are about 1/2 as deep as any other similar seed starting tray I've owned, and I've used several kinds over two decades. They will probably last forever- mostly because I can't see myself using them again in 2018 when I start seeds. I will be going back to the cheaper, deeper trays."

I have a collection of other seed starting trays yet this 1020 system is the best one I own. Just add a 10"x20" heat map and you will have seedlings in no time. After watering the newly planted seeds I set the 72 Cell Seedling Starter tray directly on my heat mat to expidite germination. The humidity dome helps the seed starting media to retain moisture and heat. My tomato seeds sprouted within 5-7 days and my pepper seeds sprouted in 10 days. My heat mat keeps the seed cells between 74-82 degrees with an ambient temperature inside the house between 67-70 degrees. I bought both the 32 cell and 72 cell starting sets. After seeing the quality of these sets I bought the Extra Strength 32 Cell Seedling Starter Trays w/Inserts, 5 Pack, for Seed Germination. These are good quality products which should serve me well for many years.

Overall a sturdy product as advertised but I had to use tape to create a half decent seal with the dome. The dome and seed tray do not line up well and I had to tape it down to keep it down (the dome is about an inch off compared to the tray).