As long as they're at least an inch or two deep, plastic containers make fantastic seed-starters. I use all sorts - milk containers, plastic trays that mushrooms come in, the horribly wasteful plastic tubs you can buy mini muffins in..

Give it a go and see how you do! :)
Melanie

I use plastic milk jugs cut in half, plastic butter, sour cream, dip containers, yogurt cups, water bottles cut in half, roast chicken containers from the deli at the grocery store and cool whip containers. THis spring I scored a whole box of 3 inch starter pots from someone that was moving so I will be using those for seeds too.

Penny

I save all those plastic trays (yes, I know I should do my shopping at proper shops and not buy stupidly over-packaged stuff from the supermarket, but I'm too busy either working or gardening to go to do that). I make holes in the coloured ones and use them as seed-trays, and then I use the clear ones as lids. It's really satisfying when you get a tray and a lid that fit each other perfectly to form an ideal mini-propagator! The deeper trays are useful as well for cuttings and winter-sowing. Aluminium foil take-away containers also make great seed-trays, especially when you've only got a small amount of seed to sow and only need a small tray.

Mohave_Kid; I'm assuming you are a professional grower: your livelihood depends on the implimentation of sanitary protocols in a greenhouse environment, don't they??

I have been saving 2-litter soda bottles, milk jugs, plastic juice bottles, McDonalds salad trays, plastic deli trays, just about anything that will hold soil and allow light to come in. I have discovered that even the 12-16 oz water bottles that I use about 6 of a day are great for starting tree seedlings in...just cut them in half with a hinge and then tape them shut when you are done planting. I use a hot screwdriver to poke drainage holes in the bottom of them. check the winter sowing forum for even more ideas...they save just about everything!

Someone moved into a nearby apartment with a bunch of small kids, perhaps two sets of twins, and they leave a unbelievable number of rectangular plastic boxes in the dumpster. The boxes are some brand of 'baby wipes' and are about the size of a standard 'six pack' seed starter kit. I took a couple for use next spring. The boxes have lids that could be closed until the seed germinates and then open for the plant to grow until time for transplantation.

I refuse to compete with this level of thinking.The original poster ( I assume),is operating under a different set of circumbstances....

Wendy's salad domes are great, Applebee's take-out containers are great (and come in lots of different sizes) but the all time best is Outbacks'container for take-out Blooming Onion. It has holes to let the steam escape on it's hinged top. Flip it over and use it upside down and you have a perfect greenhouse. the others just require the one extra step of poking holes in the bottom for drainage.

I use to do this when we first bought our house to save money but I hate having all those odd containers around. But anyway, you didn't ask that. I think the pie containers are too shallow. They just wouldn't be great for root developement. I opt for something taller right away so I don't have to transplant so soon.

Pickwick, The Mohave Kids's page says he is a landscape manager and bioligist, not a professional grower...?

"Mohave_Kid; I'm assuming you are a professional grower: your livelihood depends on the implimentation of sanitary protocols in a greenhouse environment, don't they?? "

Well ... LOL ... I want to grow a small 4 foot by 4 foot square foot garden for my chicken soup .. LOL .. and about 40 - 50 tomatos for an in my garage low budget experiment.

In my job I work with "big" plants .. that is they are already grown up .. well sort of ..... my job is to plant them and manage them to full adulthood and then old age.

I'm embarrassed to admit my lack of experience growing things from seed !!!! It's just not in my job description. The only seed I grow is grass seed and not the kind you smoke.

I find it funny how some of these items seem to be designed so well for germination on a budget.

Good Day ...

First off, an apology is due.My assumptions were based on forums where I, per chance,find you (per topic of interest), therefore I was astonished to find this inquiry here.Moresoever, I seldom care to check a username's page because my judgement is based upon the merit of what is said per topic.
I operate on a budget as well.But this has not much to do about anything when standards should be employed from the start.I don't use 1020 flats indoors...just new cell packs and I recommend tossing domes into one's recycling bin. There are better alternatives. Furthermore, I have a horticultural grade disenfectant left over from my professional involvement.I haven't used bleach for at least a decade.

Try the Winter Sowing forum--there's lots of FAQs and people who will be delighted to share with you their pictures of their contraptions containters and methods and success stories.

And, of great most importance but not often mentioned, it can also be done for free or pennies.

I would guess that just about any food-containing plastic container, if holes were drilled or punched in it, would be a far better choice than used flat inserts, used 4" pots and what have you, because at least they wouldn't have soil residue in them, and I assume you would at least wash them with the other dishes before use.

I bought a case of flat inserts, a case of 4" pots, and a case of flat trays, so I'm set until hell freezes over or I get tired of starting seeds--whichever comes first.

When hell freezes over the devil will winter sow.

a few adages come to mind...one is a paraphrase from the(online) Introduction to Propagation ( Native Plants Journal): 'propagation is the combination of artistry and science';
Anthony Bradshaw:"...contemplate and analyse what we are doing-not so much WHAT we are trying to do as HOW we are trying to do it."(Pop.Biology of Grasses)

and a thought from my recollection of Peter Thompson's 'Creative Propagation'(Timber Press): If you are successful growing a plant from seed, don't let anyone try to convince you that your approach is incorrect...

The yogurt containers that have the clear plastic dome type lids work great. Just take off the lid when you get sprouts. Also for mini greenhouses, clear bakery cake boxes work great. I like to poke holes in plastic cups by taking a sharp metal object like a knife or skewer and light it with a lighter and then poke it into the plastic. Makes an easy hole without cracking the plastic.
~SJN

My son brough home a nine pack of muffins from BJs. Oh my gosh, I just about went nuts when I saw this container! Nine seperated compartments, each with it's own dome. One stab with a steak knife to the top and bottom of each compartment gets you a very nice mini-greenhouse for no money.