My wife has a few 'plastic' pots that she uses for herbs, and places on the deck outside our kitchen. My biggest use of them is in starting the seeds each year. I used peat pots for many years, and was always annoyed at the amount of failures, and resulting re-plants. I have found a better way, especially for my tomatoes and peppers. I use these bio-sponges to germinate the seeds, and then when they have about 2 or 3 leaves, I move them into small plastic pots(square) that are almost 4 inches deep, and 3 1/2 inches square. (with potting soil filler) They have consistently done much better than the peat pots ever did. Some suggests that the peat absorbs too much moisture, maybe. When it comes to planting in the garden, they pop out of the plastic pots quite easily, with their roots well developed and holding it all together. This year, I tried using these foam shipping trays for wine bottles. I buy a case of wine, now and then, and when they are shippped, they come in foam formed containers for the bottles. I realized they are not too wide, but nice and deep, so thought I should try them for my seedlings. I lined each cylinder shape with wax paper, then put in the plant which grew in the biosponge, with the soil filler. I'll be putting them in the ground later this week, so will be anxious to see if they pop out easy enough with the wax paper. They also grew very well from the seedling stage. We'll see!

I usually put in 2-3 seeds per cell and once there are few sets of true leaves, I transfer them out to 3 or 4 inch pots. It just depends on the size I have available. I move them outside and right into my mini greenhouse. Luis

edlincoln - they need better light immediately. They are very etiolated. I've never used those peat pellet things but I suggest you cut off the netting and transplant into pots asap. As to what temperatures those plants can take I can't help you with specifics but for growing hardy outdoor plants indoors in the winter you need as much light as possible and temperatures as cool as the species can take, so I'd put them in the patio room if it were me. You might even need plant lights.

The varieties to be sown indoors either aren't suitable for WS (I already WS on suitable sorts). I'm wondering the preference of *other people* on container size - not my discretion for a reason. Some people are completely comfortable with "plug" size and handling the younger plants, others don't feel comfortable with anything under 4 inches. That's why my question on what the preference was for MTPS. I've never traded with anyone who attends MTPS before. I know the preferences of others that I trade with, generally down to the personal preferences. I don't as yet have that info for/from those for MTP swapping. What I start up for myself is one thing - what I start for potential trades is another, and starting time dependent upon other people's preferences. That is also why I am attempting to arrange trades pre-MTPS. I don't generally over-sow by much, only enough to have some back-up for what might die off. I am one to sooner keep a back-up supply of seeds when possible. Over-sowing isn't so unlike over-ordering by places that get in live plants - and don't sell them all and then end up tossing plants. Wasteful. If it weren't for the seeming preference for plants instead of seeds, I'd sooner swap seeds (where possible, not all species possible in that form)... but then again, I'm arranging some of that too, to take place before MTPS since seeds are easier to mail and then people can start their own when befitting for their mesoclimate or microclimate, WS if applicable, indoors or outdoors - whatever works best for them. So, I still need to know other people's preferences...or if there is any running "standard"...