Greetings all, Greg (below) wrote about cheap peat planters. I tried an experiment this year with cheap containers that worked fabulously for me. I used paper egg cartons. (Although after the recent chemical discussions, I'm beginning to wonder what's in them! Fortunately, the ones that I am using aren't dyed ultraviolet colors or anything.) Since they are made of relatively thin paper and will allow excess water to seep out, I didn't cut drainage holes. I dumped in a mixture of soil and--er--organic fertilizer. I then stuck a couple of seeds out of last year's pods in each cell and tossed the lot on top of the refrigerator. I used plastic egg cartons as trays underneath the paper ones to prevent any extra water from eventually forming off-colored icicles in the freezer. At the same time, I used a perforated plastic tray with the same conditions, but with different seeds (thus adeptly eliminating any possibility of a truly scientific experiment). I watered the paper containers once every two days. The plastic held water much better, so I watered only enough to keep the soil moist. Three weeks later...the egg cartons are going gangbusters. One of them is a veritable forest. I set the egg cartons in the windows during the day to let the seedlings take in the sun. In the evening, it is back on top of the fridge--this mornings low was in the high 30s(!) here and it was windy last night. I dug the seeds out of the plastic tray yesterday. They had turned very unhealthy colors despite the fact that I had watered them much less. They looked very dilapidated. I put them into an egg carton yesterday and am hoping for the best. Later when I transplant, the egg cartons look as if they are going to make the job much easier. I'll be able to whack them up into little pieces cell by cell. Next year, I will plant most of my seeds in egg cartons and put them in my cold frame near the middle of February--that is unless my DNA makeup is horribly altered by the chemicals in the paper ;-). At 1:25 PM -0600 99.4.7, Greg Jensen wrote: > All knowing CHs, > A few weeks back I planted a bunch of chiltepin and scotch bonnet seeds in > some of the little peat conatiners most garden centers sell. I scored 2 > dozen of the planters for a dollar so I had to give them a shot. At any > rate, I've gotten nothing to sprout thus far and have had an incredible time > keeping the soil in these things consistently moist. It seems like the peat > pots just drink up the moisture. Has anyone had any luck starting seedlings > in the peat planters or am I just doing something wrong in this case? > > Thanks in advance, > > Greg