How to use a plug tray

These healthy young plants have developed strong roots in the plug tray and are ready to be planted outside.

Hot and dry weather can make it difficult to establish new sowings directly in the garden. Small seedlings dry out quickly, especially in sunny beds, and it may be difficult to water them as often as they need.

Starting the plants in a plug tray gives me more control. I can keep the tray in a shady place, water a large number of seedlings at once and move it when necessary. When space becomes available in the garden, I already have young plants ready to put in the ground.

My plug tray is filled with fast-growing brassicas that can be planted in empty spaces for a late-summer or fall harvest.

More about cabbage: Growing cabbage, from sowing to harvest

Using a plug tray

A plug tray is especially useful during dry weather. It allows me to sow many seeds in a small space and keep them together in a sheltered location. I place the tray in the shade, water it from below and cover it with row cover when the seedlings need protection from pests. This tray contains mainly kale, napa cabbage and arugula. If you would like to grow leafy greens in plug trays, SeedsNow’s Lettuce & Leafy Greens Variety Pack includes arugula, kale, spinach and several lettuce varieties. You can find the variety pack here: Lettuce & Leafy Greens Variety Pack

I really like using a plug tray because it is easy to move and usually requires less water than sowing directly in the garden. Another plus is the convenience of just grabbing a few plants from the tray whenever I get an empty spot in my bed.

I fill the tray with regular potting soil. A few weeks after germination, when the seedlings have started growing well, I give them diluted liquid fertilizer.

It really pays off to use a plug tray! I have 150 plants in this one. I'm hoping to get a lot of food from them! I harvest my leaves small and large.

The plants look so beautiful with their perfect little root systems! I decided to put several little seeds in each cell. Now that it's time to put them in the beds outside, I just pushed the entire clump of soil from each cell and planted them without dividing the plants. I might do that later though. My only worry is that I don't want to waste any more plants.

I made a shallow furrow in the loose soil, left some space between each clump and pushed the soil back around them. And then I watered the bed.

Sprouting broccoli

The plants I'm using here are sprouting broccoli, also called Hon Tsai Tai. This is a fast-growing vegetable and you can use both the leaves and the stalks. The stalks are red and resemble a little broccoli. Tastes great pan-fried.

In fall, I try to harvest several fast-growing varieties that I sowed during summer.

Shady spots

I decided to go for a shady spot with this project. It's nice and moist even though the soil is bare. It's very different from how uncovered soil looks in the rest of my garden. The plants are placed in the little ditch in the middle, it's the perfect way to grow now that it's dry outside. The water stays in the little depression in the bed instead of going somewhere it's not needed. I have been writing about this and many other tricks that you can use when it's dry outside:

Read more: Growing vegetables in dry conditions

I just love the way my cabbage plants look, the light purple and green just look so beautiful!

This is what my bed looks like, ridges and little depressions in the soil where I sow and plant. I decided to put my vegetables quite close together to save some space. I fertilize with nettle water or diluted urine.

The plants usually establish quickly after planting, especially when they are watered well and protected from strong sun. My plants are growing quickly, and I hope to get plenty of lovely leaves for salads and stir-fries. But the stalks are my favorite, of course!
/Sara Bäckmo