That is way too shallow, you need a minimum of 3 inches of depth, 3 1/2 inches is better. It isn't so much the heat, but the roots of the plant start growing long before you see a sprout. These roots get pretty long and need somewhere to go. You'll be amazed at how long those roots get, as soon as you start planting them out!

Last year I bought lasagna and loaf pans from $ store. The lasagna got hard as a rock and soil got moldy definitely not enough soil. The loaf pans were fine though stuck them in big freezer bags.

I was about to buy the lasagna ones tomorrow...thanks for the heads up! Would 4" pots in baggies work?

Playintheyard, if your soil got hard in the lasagna pans, it's a soil or a soil mix problem. Most of us highly recommend not using soil at all, but a Potting MIX. If it got moldy, there wasn't enough drainage.

A few of us DO use lasagna pans quite successfully. I do, I have a couple of them in my cold frame right now.

{{gwi:352122}}

That's my first batch.

Just keep in mind that not all lasagna pans are created equal. Look for the DEEP ones, so you can have enough soil.

Instead of putting them in a plastic bag, why not just make lots of little holes in the plastic lid? I used many of them in my first few years of WSing, and they did work well. Yes, they are shallow, but if you allow that those can be the first seedlings you plant out, it can work. I've stated over and over that allysum is one of my very favorites to WS, and the aluminum pans work well with that particular seeds. Don't forget to make drainage holes on the bottom also. I have an old ice pick that I use to make holes in every container I use, water jugs, salad containers, and aluminum pans. I heat that ice pick on the stove burner, and it melts plastic like butter.

My other suggestion would be to use a deeper kind of container for the things you will not get planted right away. As stated above, most of us consider 3 inches of soil to be the minimum to WS with, but again, I've used less for these babies and its worked out well too. Its fun, and its exciting to see the first ones germinate, so experiment but mostly have fun.

Alberta

Thanks again! The loaf and lasagna pans from the dollar store don't have lids with them. I was considering the root problem and was thinking I will be doing annuals in shallower pans and perennials in deeper pans (I know most perennials send out a tap root and have 'deeper' root systems than annuals).

ok, so 3" is the suggest min...gotcha thanks Alberta! I remember I used to have a neighbour (and really kind old lady) who had a huge birdbath planter with white alyssum and red geraniums...loved it!

If i have a container that is not as deep as i would like,(never really used one that shallow though )i fill it to the very top with soil(mix)i then place straws all around the inside edge,and place a baggie over the whole thing,the straws allow for the baggie to be raised up enough to allow head room for the seelings to grow.
Carol

Walmart has very deep lasanga pans with tall plastic dome lids. Come out to about a buck a piece but I have used mine for 2 years and think I have at least another seson left in most of them.