Topic: Jiffy 7's

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

All

I read in the 'River cottage handbook - veg patch' that jiffy 7's are really handy for starting seeds indoors.  For those who dont know, they are the things that come as flatish, dry discs and you rehydrate them in water and end up with a little growing medium.  Anyway, having read about them, I picked up some jiffy 7's at the weekend and last night sowed a load of celariac and kale into them.  Pretty fiddly but if they work ok I think they will be really handy for potting on or putting straight out.  Also, they dont take up much space at all. 

Has anyone used them in the past and if so, how successful have they been?  I'm tempted to get some more but don't really want to go ahead if someone has found them to be a fiddle or unproductive.

Thanks

[manicscousers]

I use them for lettuce and chinese leaves out of season and brassicas if I have any left over, put in warm water,the jiffys  'grow' very quickly, never had a problem, I'm sure there are some more on here who use them  :)

[Deb P]

I tried them last year for tomatoes, peppers and chillies to try and make better use of my limited propgator room, but haven't bothered this year... :-\

I found sowing in modules cheaper, less fiddly (particularly trying to keep all the labels in the 'nets'), and even less effort considering the others needed pricking out. I think if you grow a lot of the same thing it might be less fiddly, but didn't work for me.....

[little pud]

hi, i have used them for the first time this year (didnt even know wot they were) and they are brilliant little things, done all my 'green veg' in them and they all came up, good luck using them.  ;D

[grannyjanny]

Can they be reused. A neighbour gave me some with about 3 herb seedlings in each & I think I can take them out without taking to much compost out.
Janet

[Tee Gee]

I'm with Deb on this one mainly on the cost angle.

I use re-usable cell/plug trays which I have had for in excess of ten years and find that these give more or less the same results.

I believe jiffy 7's cost about 5p each whereas an 84 cell tray would cost around £2-50 (roughly 3p per cell)

Then they are free for each succeeding year thereafter.

I guess for someone who only grows a few plants jiffies might be worth considering but for the amount I grow its not on!

[Susiebelle]

At present I do use the Jiffy's but am finding them too expensive for continued use.
Tee Gee sorry I am at it again, Where do you buy the 84 reusable cell/plug trays from? the stuppid things that I use break up when you try to take the plugs out! and do you get some sort of stand to push them down on when releasing the plugs?.

[Tee Gee]

There are any amount of places on the net that do them.

Do a google for plug/cell trays!

Here are a couple I have dealt with in the past;

http://www.twowests.co.uk/TwoWestsSite/product/PT.htm

http://www.kaysdiscountgarden.co.uk/1.html

[grannyjanny]

Susie. I buy the green or black cell trays from Wilkinsons. I can't remember how much they were but not expensive. I have 40 cell & 24. I like them as i can cut them to sow different things & then put then in a black tray which gives them support as they are quite flimsy. I then transfer them to 4" square pots that I bought years ago from Kay's Horticulture & 6 of those fit in a half seed tray.
Janet

[Baccy Man]

The jiffy 7s work but are not that cost effective.

The Agralan Compact Plant Trainers are very good I own a lot of these. They are stackable so you can get a lot of plants growing in a small space, very strong so should last for years & are easily transportable so you can get your seedlings from home to the plot undamaged. They are not cheap at around £15 each, despite the cost I would reccommend them.
http://www.gardening-naturally.com/acatalog/Agralan_Compact_Plant_Trainer.html

When it comes to plug trays I prefer the deep plug trays to the standard ones.
The best ones I own are some 200 cell ones made from expanded polystyrene I was given them about 10 years ago I believe they were already 20 years old then unfortunately I only have a couple & haven't been able to find a UK supplier to purchase more.
There is a detailed description of them here:
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/4689/seed-starting-in-speedling-trays
Kays do 4 sizes of rigid plastic deep plug trays which are strong & work well.
28 cell = 7cm square x 15cm deep
40 cell = 6cmx5.5cm x13cm deep
45 cell = 5.5cm square x 15cm deep
60 cell = 4.5cm square x11cm deep
http://www.kaysdiscountgarden.co.uk/cgi-bin/site-editor.pl/14/-search?eid=572922&pid=71743&q=Deep+Plug+%26+Propagation+Trays+Code

[Bjerreby]

I don't like them. :(

[Susiebelle]

Many thanks for responses.
I do use the Agralan Compact Trainers and think them very good. Will follow up the websites offered .
Once again thank you

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

interesting.  I've got some 25 module module trays but would like to get hold of some with more modules - drawing a blank so far.  Will have to tour the nurseries....

[Larkshall]

I used jiffy 7's some years ago, I wasn't very impressed.

I recently read a posting by a moderator on another website, concerning making pots out of newspaper. I studied the method and as  I don't take newspapers I decided to try making them out of A4 junk mail letters and a load of obsolete A4 pages. I cut them into A5 pages, make a double fold on one long side of approx. 1/2" to reinforce the top edge and if you want to label the pot write on the page margin, roll the page around an aerosol can, stick the top edge together with a small piece of parcel tape, adjust the length of the the pot suitably and fold in the bottom into the recessed base of the can. Slide the pot off the can and fill it with sieved compost. Plant seeds or seedlings and plant out when large enough, the pot will rot away alloying the roots to develope without any hindrance and without transplanting.

It's also a good way to recycle the junk mail.