mila_craig4•2mo agoTop Commenter

I read that old tea tins make the best seed starters

I was looking through a gardening book from the library and it mentioned that vintage tea tins, the kind with a tight lid, are perfect for sprouting seeds. The book said the metal keeps the soil a bit warmer than plastic pots, which helps germination. I tried it with some loose leaf tea tins I had saved and my basil seeds sprouted two days faster than usual. Has anyone else tried using different kinds of old containers for their seedlings?

3 comments

3 Comments

roseb621mo ago

Oh wow, that's a neat trick about the tea tins! I've been using old metal cookie tins myself, the ones that come with those buttery shortbread cookies around the holidays. They're not as tall as tea tins but they're shallow and wide, which works great for starting a big batch of lettuce or spinach seeds at once. I just poke a few holes in the bottom with a nail and they've held up for a couple of seasons now. The warmth from the metal really does help, I noticed my cilantro sprouted about three days earlier than in plastic trays last spring.

evanr792mo ago

That metal warmth trick is a game changer for slow starters like peppers. I've had luck with those shallow foil takeout containers too, they hold heat well. Just poke some holes in the bottom for drainage and you're set.

nathan_barnes2mo ago

Ever try putting those containers on top of a cable box or router for a steady low heat? I found that keeps the soil just warm enough overnight without cooking the seeds.