From the page: The pallet hides amazing furniture
Idea 7
Seed and seedling tray
Before plastic trays, market gardens and nurseries germinated seeds in thin wooden boxes, called seed beds or "germinators". Wood insulates the substrate's temperature, protecting the seeds from abrupt day-and-night swings — exactly what germination requires.
What you need
- Thin pallet slats (the bottom or back ones are usually lighter)
- Small saw or handsaw
- Thin nails or staples
- Plastic film or a thin bag for lining
- Sifted, light soil (sift through a sieve or an old cloth)
- Vegetable seeds or early seedlings
How to make it
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1
Choose the thinnest, lightest pallet slats, because the tray needs to be easy to carry and move to follow the sun throughout the day.
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2
Cut the bottom and the four sides, assembling a shallow box 6 to 8 cm tall — shallow because the roots of freshly germinated seedlings are short and you'll transplant them soon.
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3
Join the pieces with thin nails or staples, without worrying about fine finishing: this piece will work in the soil, not in the living room.
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4
Make a few holes in the plastic lining or leave gaps in the bottom slats for excess water to escape, avoiding fungus on the seeds.
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5
Fill with sifted, light soil, moisten before sowing and distribute the seeds with at least two fingers of spacing between them, so the seedlings don't compete for light.
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6
Cover lightly with plastic until germination, creating a mini greenhouse that keeps the humidity constant in the first days.
Finishing touches
As soon as the seedlings have two true leaves, transplant them to their final spot and sow again in the tray — it becomes a continuous conveyor of seedlings. If white mold appears on the soil, remove the plastic and water less: fungus loves stagnant moisture.
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