Charles Dowding Module Tray (CD60)
Productinformation
The Containerwise seed tray developed and used by Charles Dowding (CD60)
Start all your small seedlings indoors or in your greenhouse and extend your growing season, increase the germination rate, save on seeds, grow more efficiently with less space and get better results!
Charles Dowding based his growing methods and this plug or module tray on more than 40 years of growing experience. Besides being famous for his no dig gardening approach and composting skills he now also developed the seed tray he would love to use, the CD60.
Almost all vegetables in Charles’ market garden, also known as Homeacres, are first sown in these CD60 seed trays (also known as module trays or plug trays).
The cells in the module tray have big drainage holes to prevent soggy soil and make it really easy to pop out your plants.
Due to the sturdy material you only need one hand to hold the tray so you have one extra hand to plant out your seedlings.
The tray is made out of recycled materials and can be recyclable again. Read our Blog about the trays to learn more!
Why would you use the Charles Dowding module trays?
– Long-lasting with a life expectancy of 15+ years
– Sturdy and easy to hold with one hand
– Large holes to pop out seedlings
– Roots are air pruned to support branching
Gardeners in the UK can order their CD60 seed trays through our partner Containwerwise UK here
If you are interested in Charles Dowding’s gardening method you might be interested in his books.
Specifications
Weight | 300 g |
---|---|
Dimensions | 35 × 21 × 4.4 cm |
Cell count | 60 cells |
Cell Size (mm) | 29,5 x 29,5 x 44 (~1,2" x 1,2" x 1,7″) |
Drainage hole diameter (mm) | 14 (~0,55") |
Cell volume (cm³) | 21 |
Plants per m² | 815 |
Material | Recycled plastic |
Life expectancy | 15 years |
Eco Friendly | Recyclable and long-lasting |
Tray height | Low tray |
Reviews
Super trays!
Hele fijne zaaitrays! Super sterk, makkelijk te vullen en plantjes uit te halen. Na mijn eerste bestelling was ik zo enthousiast dat ik al mijn oude trays vervangen heb voor deze.
De CD60 vind ik het fijnst. Plantjes ontwikkelen er goed in. De CD15 gebruik ik om plantjes uit de CD60 te vervoeren. De CD40 zijn fijn voor grotere zaden. De deep root trays zijn niet perse nodig als je de CD40 hebt.
Best seed tray ever
The CD sowing tray is exactly what I was looking for. The hard plastic makes the trays almost indestructible so they last a very long time. These seed trays are what you want!!!
Fine seed tray from Charles Dowding, well thought out design
I ordered the first module seed trays in December 2021, in several varieties. For my 160 m2 vegetable garden I currently (April 22, 2022) have:
– 4x 60 cell
– 10x 40 cell
– 4x 28 cell
– 4x 15 cell
– 4x 40 cell deep (just yet, review coming later)
– 4x 28 cell deep (just yet, review coming later).
For all variants applies that they feel very sturdy and solid and per size can be stacked neatly together. And of course it is nice that they contribute to a better environment because of the recycled aspect and that they will last for years.
These are my experiences with the 60-cell seed trays:
Meanwhile, they are in full use and I am very satisfied with them. The trays are filled quickly and are easy to handle. The plants come out easily by pushing them up with a finger.
For the 60-cell variant, you need very little soil to fill them, which is nice. I use this module mainly for starting seedlings or transplanting in the greenhouse. For transplanting outdoors, I’m not so sure about this, because of the presence of many slugs and snails. I am afraid they will eat such a small plant, but I have not yet dared to test it…. I prefer to use the 40-cell variety for that (so far).
I am a big fan of Charles Dowding and am familiar with his motivation for this variant. However, I myself do not have the vegetable garden at home, but at an allotment. I have noticed that the 60-cell module dries out a bit faster than the 40-cell module. In itself not a huge problem, but perhaps useful to take into consideration if you also rent a piece of land elsewhere. With this variant you need to water more often. Or when starting seeds consider covering them with for example a piece of cardboard to prevent them from drying out.
I saw feedback somewhere from someone who never sows 60 of the same plants. That’s true for me too, but I just sow several varieties in 1 tray and insert plant plugs. That works fine. And if one species grows faster than the other, then transferring them to a larger module is a piece of cake – or just transplanting them immediately of course. Depending on your preference.
For advice on sizes, be sure to check out the advice on this website. It has helped me a lot when I was looking for “what size do I need for what”. The advice corresponds to my experiences so far with the various vegetables, flowers and herbs.
I also think the service of The Farm Dream is fantastic: the first seed trays I ordered were delivered from backorder and I was kept well informed of developments. Top! The other orders were delivered quickly, which of course is now – in the middle of the sowing season – very nice to keep the progress going :-).