Description
Tired of cheap plastic trays that keep breaking?
Paperpot trays at the answer!
Invest in a tray that will last a lifetime.
Paperpot Germination Trays are rigid yet flexible. They’re practically unbreakable and should last you a lifetime.
These heavy-duty trays are made from recycled, UV-treated, BPA-free #5 – polypropylene.
Great for microgreens!
Paperpot Germination Trays are perfect for growing microgreens and wheatgrass. The bottom holes allow water to drain out, and they are much tougher and long-lasting than typical thin-walled germination trays.
Interested in bottom-watering?
Our Paperpot Solid Bottom Trays (sold separately) pair perfectly with our Paperpot Germination Trays, enabling bottom watering and preventing soil and water from the Germination Trays from dripping onto lower surfaces.
Increase plant growth!
Our Humidity Domes (sold separately) are an optional component of the Paperpot system, fitting perfectly onto our Paperpot Germination Trays to create the optimum environment for seed germination.
Humidity domes create the perfect microclimate for seeds to germinate. Humidity domes and heat mats can be combined to create the benefits of a germination chamber.
If you have plants growing slower due to cold temperatures, then you can use the humidity domes to increase temperature and humidity at the tray surface. This can be a valuable strategy for farms with heated or unheated greenhouses.
Interested in a smaller pack size? Check out our Microgreen Starter Kits.
Please Note: Our Paperpot Germination Trays have a larger footprint than standard 10/20 nursery trays. Check your shelving to ensure the Paperpot Germination Trays will fit as expected.
Specifications:
- Made in the USA
- BPA-free, UV-protected plastic
- Made from recycled materials
- Inside dimensions – 23-1/8” x 11 x 1- 1/4″
- Outside dimensions – 24-1/16″ x 12″ x 1-3/8″
- Weight: 24.5 oz.
- Solid Bottom Trays and Humidity Domes are SOLD SEPARATELY.
WHY PAPERPOT TRAYS?
WHAT SETS PAPERPOT GERMINATION TRAYS APART:
1. QUALITY CONSTRUCTION
Paperpot Germination Trays were designed to never break. Thicker high-quality plastic allows the trays to hold extreme loads without buckling, folding, cracking, or tearing. These trays should last you for a lifetime.
2. MADE IN USA
Unlike a lot of other nursery trays, our Paperpot Germination Trays are made right here in the US. Our plastics domestically produced and sourced. We believe that supporting US manufacturing is vital to our country’s future.
3. EXTREME DURABILITY
Drop them, run them over, step on them, or simply let life happen, and these trays won’t break. Quality materials, design, and manufacturing make our Paperpot Germination Trays extremely durable. If you are going to purchase something made out of plastic, you should only have to do it once.
GROWING MICROGREENS IN PAPERPOT TRAYS
iampnwbelle –
These are great trays for growing microgreens. Durable, high quality. Recommend with enthusiasm.
thomas.witwicki –
These sturdy germination trays are great for large seeded microgreens, especially now that solid bottom trays are available to fit them. I’ve also used them in the seedling house to hold large potted veggies such as tomatoes and eggplant. It’s a perfect fit for eight 6″ pots and the trays are rugged enough to manage the weight of the large pots.
Nathon Hall –
These are very sturdy trays that should last many years. I like the lifting cutout amidships, it helps the handling.
Siok Hong Chen-Sabot –
Love the newer version of Paperpot trays. They are a bit deeper, softer in the material and still looked good after six months. The holes are spaced wider than the previous lot I purchased and it worked just as well. They are manufactured well making stacking them nice. It is worth pay for high quality trays. I have 40 trays. I stack an empty tray in between germination tray allowing roots to dangle and not penetrate the tray below.
Jono Gaza –
Best trays I have used. I was tired of the flimsy 10/20 trays that lasted for a few weeks and then start to crack. These trays are durable and I love the extra space for my micro greens. I haven’t used the paperpot transplanter yet, but am excited to see how much easier life is with that system. Overall, a great product.
Jacobie –
These trays are excellent! Way more sturdy than all the other pots I’ve seen and used. I can wait to buy the bottom trays soon so I can grow even more.
Ryan –
Solid trays, strong and flexible. I like the additional design touches over the standard PP trays. Also feel like they would be less prone to cracking.
Mark DeRespinis –
These trays are extremely strong and allow for much more confident moving of full wet trays. I also love the handles which make the carrying of stacks of trays much easier. I’m building up my stock one big order at a time.
Simon –
You won’t find a tray more sturdy than this. These will last thru your children’s life times.
Patrick mortenson –
crazy durable. i dont see these things ever breaking. quick shipment.
Travis brewer –
Love these trays. Super strong. The holes in the bottom work great with drainage but can be a little bit of a challenge with stacking during germination. They will grow up into the other trays and the roots will grow down into the trays under them. With that being said, it just takes a little practice to time it right to unstack them. They are for sure the best trays out there!
Ed –
Very solid trays. Looking forward to using them now that all my cheap ones are cracked, destroyed and gone
KW –
I’ve been using these trays for a year and a half, and found the quality to be excellent. They are also easy to clean
Ken –
I just started growing microgreens with these highly durable trays (with holes). I initially use another tray on top during germination. These are worth the extra money as I expect they will last for many years of use.
Ryan –
Great product! I initial started with generic 1020 flats which cracked after the first use. Not only is this product super durable and flexible, I have found the bottom watering has helped with my yield and over/under watering. It is easy to gauge when my microgreens are in need of water or not just by simply lifting the tray. This product in conjunction with the bottom tray is a must have in my operation.
L Farkas –
We went through a lot of other trays before we found these. We grow a lot of barley fodder, and these trays really hold up.
Wendy Baroli –
I have spend 1000s of dollars with plastic trays that eventually crack- break- and are flimsy and result in spilled plants and frustration.
Even if you didn’t use the incredible paper pot system ( which is worth it to anyone who grows a min of 25 ft rows ) just as trays to move pots and plants! Worth every cent- in fact you save money because they can be used over and over and over!
Alan Seiler –
Seems to be a good quality tray. It has fewer holes in it then the other paper pot trays I have purchased in the past. I don’t know if that is a good thing or bad thing yet. It seems like it should be an improvement because the roots of the plants grow through the wholes and can make it tricky to get them out. Thus fewer whole maybe fewer chances of roots holding to the bottom of the tray.
Heather Daerr –
LOVE these trays! They are solid, strong, and intelligently designed. Having these trays cuts down on work and mess. Excellent!
Winslow –
Love ’em – super durable, can’t wait to put them to the test this season.
Mike Creedy –
Fabulous product. I follow a system of soil sowing, stacking 6 trays high, destack, spritz, leave in dark, remove to light after bottom watering. Trays have finger size cutouts on all sides in the middle, which allows lifting to check for water. The bottom solid tray is then removed to allow air pruning. We have NEVER had mold using the trays and following a rigid practice. Really stunning.
Harvesting is a joke. We made a stand (like easel) to let the tray stand at about 45° and use a mechanical hedge cutter. (One hand behind the back). About 30 seconds to harvest. Air pruning makes tray cleaning a pleasure.
Try all above using flimsy products. Good luck!
Very durable, strong and a well designed system. Most grateful to you for offering your ideas and experience to the market place. Wishing you the best of luck.
Catherine Revell –
This tray took some adjustments after being use to the 1020 size but I keep finding cool features. They stack like a dream and putting a flat under and over a germination tray will lock it down in the perfect “dome” scenerio. Just be sure that if you’re going to move a loaded tray, do it BEFORE you water or mist because the water in the bottom tray will slop out onto the floor…since the sides are so short. These trays are built to last and are sleek and well designed. I ordered a ton of them so that’s saying something!
Casey Steinberg –
Solid trays with good drainage. These will last us a long time!
Ryan R Porter –
I absolutely love these trays! I grow micro-greens and was looking for a sustainable solution the the other trays on the market. While other trays I would expect to get just a few cycles out of or even quad thick trays which if handled lightly could get up to 20 cycles per tray; these trays I see being around for many years. I can literally bend one in half (not easily as they are strong) and it will pop back to shape like it never even happened. I’m happy to pay $6 per tray for quality that will last rather than quad thicks for $3. Twice the price for 5+ times more life-time-cycles. Also, they present well for vendors.
Joshua Davenport –
These trays are the best! I hate plastic products that quickly deteriorate and I wanted something that could work for both micro-greens and soil blocks. These are perfect for that. Yes, they are priced much higher (mostly if buying just a pack of 10 like I did) and like others have said, the size of them takes adjustment, but it’s so worth it. Their durability and thoughtful design will more than make up for it.
Lissa –
Super solid trays that do the job! Love that these trays are so durable. Great for PPT plus have heard they are good for shoots and micro greens.
Tim Fordenbacher –
I bought these to grow microgreens and have not been disappointed. The holes in the bottom of the tray are perfect for air flow and bottom watering. I give this a 5 star for durability and use. The only problem I had with my first batch of growing micogreens is when I tried to stack them (4 High) my radish roots grew through the holes in the bottom and grew into the dirt underneath the tray. Second round went much better with a bottom tray in between each microgreen tray.
Blake Cowling –
We grow microgreens and we just switched to these trays from using 10×20 flats. These trays are FAR superior, I maybe got 2 or 3 uses out of the old flimsy trays before they would start ripping but these trays will last you forever! They stack so nicely and the quality is unmatched. Well worth the price, we love them. PLEASE MAKE BLACKOUT COVERS FOR THESE TRAYS!
Sonya Perrotti –
Trays are super-durable, and a huge improvement for pea and sunflower shoot production over 1020 trays. We use less soil to fill them and a larger yield per tray. I appreciate the reasonable price with shipping included, and quick delivery.
Marie L. Lewis –
If you’re investing in trays, invest in these. They stand up to repeated use, are easy to sterilize/clean, stack beautifully, are a managable size and reasonably priced. Growing microgreens or vegetable starts takes time and attention to detail, I need a tray that will stand up to repeated use so that I’m not wasting time and money frequently replacing them. These trays are a bargain, and to my way of thinking a great investment in my small microgreens growing plans.
Janna Wesselius (The Cornucopia) –
We are new users of the paper pot system and I LOVE these trays. They are durable and have a great “feel” – I don’t ever worry about getting cut like I do on standard 1020’s. Not only will it take less labor to transplant, but the overall system greatly reduces the length of the growing cycle and the amount of space needed per plant, freeing up valuable space in the greenhouse. Not to mention greatly reducing the amount of soil mix used. I will definitely be ordering more!
Mike Perisho –
We have a few styles of paperpot germination trays and these are the sturdiest by far. I like that they flex, too, hoping that they’ll last much longer than the more rigid styles we have that are starting to crack along the sides after only 2 seasons.
Heather –
Excellent Product! Sturdy! Reliable! Invaluable Resource for my gardening needs. Would never go back to another tray. Cannot have enough of these trays!!
Evan Axelbaum –
Great company, good service, and quality products.
Sandy’s Way Microfarm –
Super tough and durable! These things will last forever.
Jacob Crigler –
Excellent trays, excellent quality. We use these for our paperpot system as well as microgreens, and they excel for both uses! Very durable, they seem like they are going to last for MANY seasons, perhaps forever.
Paul T Simoneau –
Best trays on the market!
Todd Wilson –
Nice! Very sturdy—these will last for years to come.
Mad –
Good quality and sturdy. However have to be careful that the paper link doesn’t slip around inside the tray.
Travis –
The new version is the best so far. Slightly larger footprint, slightly taller and a little flexible than the Japanese manufactured ones. Still feel like they’ll last a lifetime. The new version is also much easier to stack which is great.
Mr. David Ogle –
Excellent… These will last a lifetime. Worth the investment!!!
Mark Jones –
In my kitchen I have three trays on the go at any one time with various micro greens. I just switched to the 1st PaperPot tray and aside from the rigidity, which is great, I love the way the system stacks together during the germination phase. The fact that they have a food grade rating gives me peace of mind.
Tim White –
I’m new to microgreens but from all the research I’ve done, these are by far the best trays. You got to love they are also food grade. I only ordered one 10pack to test them out and I already know I’ll be ordering more as I increase production. Can’t go wrong with Paperpot Co.
Arielle Finster –
Excellent quality. Very durable.
chris anderson –
best trays I’ve ever purchased. as mentioned you can use for micro greens as well. so these are super durable and don’t bend even when full. excellent
Clifton Macomber –
These are the best trays on the market. Hands down, whether it be for microgreens, starts or anything else the combination of the solid tray with the germination tray is the best option I’ve identified after significant research. The fact Diago is able to make them in the USA is even better!!
Jeff –
Tough trays – made to last.
Reiden –
These trays are excellent quality. Very durable (as others have stated) and easy to clean. In addition to holding the paper chains, I’ve also used them as tray covers to keep moisture in while germinating. The holes provide better airflow vs the clear plastic covers/domes. They also work great for transporting flimsy plastic trays to the field.
Chad Gard –
Now that I have some significant time in using them under many circumstances, I think the most useful way to review the Paperpot Co germination trays is in comparison to the original Japanese trays. There are some differences that may be important, depending on how you use them.
On the positive side, the Paperpot Co trays are more durable than the original ones. The plastic is slightly more flexible, so they are less likely to crack. I (accidentally) ran over a stack of 7 trays with the tractor, 4 of the new ones, and 3 of the originals. You cannot tell which of the new ones I ran over, but 2 of the originals cracked or had pieces chip off. They are still usable, but for how long?
On the “may be negative” depending on your situation side, the outer lip is wider than the original trays. That has 2 impacts that are relevant for us: the spreader frame does not fit over the lip correctly, and there is less space between the edge of the tray and the bottom watering tray.
For the first, the spreader bar frame is about 1/32″ narrower than the new trays. This means that one side sits on top of, rather than straddling, the frame. The result is that the paper chain pots sit at an angle when you’re filling them. So, more soil goes into the frame (probably a good thing). But, if you are a day or two behind on transplanting, there is more root bridging from one cell to the next, meaning sometimes unspooling the chain must be done manually.
For the second, it is slower/more difficult to add significant water to bottom tray. We use the paperpot trays for growing our larger-volume microgreens. They are far more durable, and offer 44% more growing area than than a 1020 tray. We bottom-water the microgreens, and near the end of their grow cycle, some of them use a lot of water. With the original Japanese trays, there is a fair bit of “wiggle room” on the bottom tray. We slide the germ tray to one end, and have a gap of about 3/8″ on one end, into which we an pour water fairly quickly, often up to 4 cups at a time. The new trays fill the bottom watering tray nearly completely, and leave a little “finger notch” that you can pour water in to on each side. But, pouring into this notch is fiddly, and you cannot get as much water into the tray at a time – usually max out at about 2 1/2 cups.
This may or may not be a problem in your system. We are currently trying to keep the two sets separate. The Japanese trays are indoors for microgreens, where we take advantage of their easier watering ability, and their greater fragility is not as much of an issue. The Paperpot Co trays, with their greater durability for outside transplants, which we top water anyway. Alas, we are running about 80 trays fewer than we really need, so until we get more, we often get some mixed between the two…
Christopher Williamson –
Skip the headache of floppy/flimsy 1020 trays. I always prefer to invest the farm whenever possible vs repeated expenses. These trays are obviously a must have for using the paperpot system but they also are lovely when used for microgreens. I recommend figuring out a system for applying weight to the seeds during germination as you cannot simply stack these trays on top of each other to serve that purpose.
karol mocarski –
These are fantastic! Couldn’t be happier with the quality of these trays. My Microgreens grow healthy and evenly. The holes really improve airflow and water absorption into the soils.
Marwan Gedeon –
Had these babies shipped across the other side of the world. I tried a lot of other trays, they are flimsy and won’t last you more than 6 months. I mainly use them indoors for my microgreens. I’m sure they will last years. Overall great investment!
Annie –
These are great trays. They are very sturdy and will last a long time. I am using for growing microgreens. I love that I can stack them. Thanks for great product!
Esli Arroyo –
I recently purchased the Germination Trays, very durable, resistant, heavy duty trays, they are the best Trays for growing Microgreens, you save alot of money on the long run, I totally recommend it!
Jeremy –
Wow strong durable that’s pretty much sums it up. I actually ran one over and you would never know
Adam –
Awesome sturdy trays. Will definitely be ordering more.
Keith Poe –
These are the best seed starting trays I have ever used. I use them for soil blocks and they are awesome. Super strong and seem like they will last forever.
Brian Shannon –
Love these!!! Very durable and the fact that they stack allow for more trays being utilized in a small space. The size is awesome and if cared for should last forever. Also, love that that they are made in the USA!
Donald –
This was my very first set of trays and I counld not have been more pleased with this purchase. Theses trays are very durable and sturdy. And the stacking feature is awesome. I will purchase again…….
Nathan –
Really Really Great Trays. The best. Terrific Just fantastic.
Other trays? Losers. Total disasters. Everyone agrees. Believe me.
Chef Jon Boles –
There are two kinds of trays. There are Paperpot trays and then there are everybody else’s. In the end these trays save a ton of money. There’s absolutely no point in buying the cheap flimsy trays.
Steph Hinkey –
Delivery was faster than ever! Very sturdy, unlike the other models. Unfortunately the dimensions are a little longer so my spreader frame didn’t fit. A friend of mine drilled out the weld and and rewelded my frame lengthening it by 3/16″. Works great!
Madeline –
We love these trays! Super sturdy and larger than expected. Ended up getting the bottom trays as well (though we hesitated at the price). That was a great decision and works for our indoor seed starting area better. I know these trays will last many, many seasons.