With so many kinds of propagation trays it gets hard to understand what will work best for you. We are not only talking about module trays or seed trays but also soil block makers and nursery pots. I made a blog post about my journey to finding the Containerwise trays. If you want to learn more about why the Containerwise Trays are my personal favorite trays you can read that blog post. My Search For The Best Propagation Tray
Containerwise Module trays
What Containerwise Tray should you get?
Let’s chat about why we use Module trays and which tray you need for what plant. Currently on offer are 7 different varieties of the trays. They all have their own usage and pros and cons.
My personal favorite is the 40 cell shallow module tray. It’s perfect for starting out almost all seeds besides the deep-rooted vegetables like peas and artichokes. I use the 40L for starting beetroot, onions, radishes, cabbages, tomatoes, and brassicas.
But some plant need more time in the tray or just have such a quickly growing root system they rather have a deep tray. Let’s list all the trays on offer with their pros, cons, and specs.
The 15 Cell shallow tray
Cell Size
69mm x 69mm x 90mm
Best Application
Tomatoes, Eggplant, Artichoke, Peppers
Plants per m²
204
Drainage Hole
24mm
PROS
- Big cell size
- Room for plant foliage
- Can hold plants for a long time
CONS
- Few plants per m²
- Need much compost
The 28 Cell shallow tray
Cell Size
49mm x 49mm x 65mm
Best Application
Brassicas, Corn, Zucchini, Pumpkins, Winter Squash, Cucumbers
Plants per m²
372
Drainage Hole
22mm
PROS
- Big cell size
- Can hold plants for a long time
- Good drainage
CONS
- Few plants per m²
The 40 Cell shallow tray
Cell Size
42mm x 42mm x 55mm
Best Application
Beetroot, Onion, Radish
Plants per m²
531
Drainage Hole
20mm
PROS
- Average cell size
- Many plants per m²
- Good drainage
CONS
- Not for deep rooting plants
The 77 Cell shallow tray
Cell Size
30mm x 30mm x 50mm
Best Application
Spinach, Lettuce, Herbs
Plants per m²
1023
Drainage Hole
18mm
PROS
- Many plants per m²
- Good drainage
- Great for small sprouting plants
CONS
- Not for deep rooting plants
- Small cell size
The 60 Cell Charles Dowding shallow tray
Cell Size
29.5mm x 29.5mm x 44mm
Best Application
Spinach, Lettuce, Herbs
Plants per m²
815
Drainage Hole
14mm
PROS
- Many plants per m²
- Good drainage
CONS
- Not for deep rooting plants
- Small cell size
The 28 Cell Deep tray
Cell Size
49mm x 49mm x 120mm
Best Application
Peas, zucchini, Pumpkins and trees like Oaks and walnuts.
Plants per m²
372
Drainage Hole
22mm
PROS
- Many plants per m²
- Space for root growth
- Extreem deep
CONS
- Needs loads loads loads of compost
The 40 Cell Deep tray
Cell Size
42mm x 42mm x 85mm
Best Application
Peas, Artichoke, Eggplants, Pumpkins and Beans
Plants per m²
531
Drainage Hole
20mm
PROS
- Many plants per m²
- Space for root growth
- Extra deep
CONS
- Needs loads of compost
Conclusion
Overall I’m a big fan of the Containerwise trays because of their strong hold, ease of use and good water drainage.
My personal favourite is the 40 cell shallow trays because of its for me perfect size to start out my vegetables and the ease of pushing out the cell because of the big drainage holes.
Hi, Will you be getting the 15 and 28-cell trays back in? I’d definitely buy some! Thanks.
Hi Susan! They are now in stock ?
I was wondering whether all the module trays you sell fit into the propagator. It says they are compatible with the lower module trays, but which ones are considered low?
Hi Jordi,
Great question! The best fit is the Charles Dowding 60 cell. But the 40 and 77 cells also fit nicely.
Deep trays usually have the name DEEP in the title.
hope this helps!
Hey, thanks for your reply. 🙂 I guess I’ll go for the CD60 and the shallow 40 then. I guess the lid of the propagator just doesn’t close nicely if you use the deep 40 cells in the propagator, right? How bad does it fit? Cause I would really like to have a deep one for broadbeans. You are very welcome to send me a picture through email of the deep 40 cells in the propagator, so I can decide whether it’s acceptable for me.
What size tray would you recommend for taking cuttings (stekjes) from all kinds of plants (Lavender and other woody herbs or shrubs)? At the moment I use old 2×2 cm 4 cm high polyurethene (piepschuim) trays but I find them to small for good rootsystems to form before they need to be transplanted. I would like a good compromise between space and volume. And keep them in there until they are good size plants (5 cm wide, 5-10 cm high, with matching rootsystems).
Hi Eveline, Good question! Nicole and I had a chat about it and we think the best fit would be either a 40 cell shallow or deep. Depending on what plants you want to grow more of.
Some like to go further down than others. That way you can grow a lot in a small space but still have enough room for roots and foliage.
Hope this helps!