Customer Reviews

Burpee Ultimate Seed Starting System

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Used this seed starter this year and got nearly 100% germination rates. The self watering system is really nice and makes it easy to avoid the seedlings drying out.
Update 2010 --
I now have two of these. The self watering mats are holding up great. The design keeps seeds watered for up to a week (great for spring vacation).
The only con is that the enclosed plastic dome is not very high. A couple of day old tomato pushes up against the top. I have used it to start countless vegetables and flowers all with really good germination rates (Burpee, Park, Diane's, and of course home collected seeds).

I keep them in inexpensive plastic storage containers (since the enclosed plastic tub is pretty flimsy) makes them easy to take in and out. I have also switched to standard Miracle Gro seed starting mix. The mix is much cheaper and easier to get than the grow cubes and germination rates and times have not changed.

I was so excited when i brought this home and was in love until it was time to take the first plant out.
The germination rates were great, the watering system worked flawlessly...
but the plants are nearly IMPOSSIBLE to remove without making a gigantic mess and killing most of them.
On the off chance that i could get the entire ball out pushing from the bottom, the 'dirt' completely crumbles away from the roots and leaves a very sad little plant behind - all of which, even with very careful planting, died promptly.
After pulling them out, it didn't seem as though the root system was well established at all (compared to vermiculite rooting).
I gave this product a 2 because the self watering is wonderful, and I'm trying to set up a home system to water larger trays of vermiculite starters.

All my seeds sprouted and I have successfully transplanted all of them to larger peat pots. I noticed that plants are easiest to remove from this system if the soil is nice and moist (helps keep the soil together). I used the flat side of a pen to pop the little plants out from the bottom opening and used a spoon to help move them into the larger peat pots. Out of the 72 plants 71 look perfect; I did end up accidentally bending one little plant but I still have hope for it. Good luck and happy gardening!

PS: I really like the low maintenance watering system.

At first, the quality threw me off. Once I set it up, I realized that it doesn't matter that some of the materials are cheap. This system works well and even comes with the dirt in each section. All you do is set it up and add water, then the soil pellets turn to soil in seconds. No need to water anything by hand- you just add water once.

I'm surprised at how negative some of the reviews below are on this product. I used it for the 2009 growing season, and found it to be easy and successful. I started 144 plants in two of these, and over 90 % of them germinated and were eventually transplanted into 3" pots. As a result, I'm using this system again for all my plants in the 2010 season.

The materials are not high-quality, so it's best viewed as a one-season, disposable tool, though in theory you might be able to squeeze a second season out of it. The flimsiness of the materials is actually an advantage, in making the plants easy to pop out when you're ready to move them up to 3" or 4" pots. One nice feature of this system is the growing medium - the little pellets onto which you pour water; they expand to fill each of the 72 cells. This medium is inert and will greatly minimize the odds of the seedlings getting viruses and rot and such, compared to using potting soil or other organic medium.

I use the Burpee system with a heating mat and a lamp, and the results have been very satisfactory. However, it's important to point out that you cannot use their "automatic watering" system and a heating mat at the same time. Their "system" elevates the cells around 3" above the tray. What you really want is the cells sitting right on top of the heating mat, if you're using one. No big deal - the dome keeps the humidity level very high and it was weeks before I needed to add any water at all.

Bought two of these systems for a large garden project. Quality of product is NOT cheap - the plastic growing cells are meant to be "flimsy" - so that young plants are easily removed for planting. Entire unit is reuseable, but you will need to buy the soil pellets again. Plants just slide right out without root damage or special/careful effort. The dome is excellent, allowing for humidity control and air circulation at the same time (because the dome does not have a tight fit over the seedling tray; a good design). Keep an eye on the water levels in the tray as the weather warms, and be sure to plant seeds with the same germination rate in the same dome. Also, if you move the trays outdoors while still under the dome, place a couple of rubber bands over the domes to keep the wind and/or rain from removing them. Compared to plants grown the "old fashioned" way (in recycled plastic containers), plants grown in this system truly are ultimate - they are larger, stronger, and healthier, and suffered no apparent transplant shock.

UPDATE: JAN 2012 - Still using my original two systems, still in top working condition. Plastic holds up very well over time. Systems are now used in a small greenhouse frame in the middle of winter to grow broccoli sprouts to add to salads - works great! The trays show little fading from being outside, but plastic has not degraded.

UPDATING a 3rd time to say that I'm buying still another one of these. I've found something that works for me and I'm thrilled with it!

I tried some peat moss pellets that you add water and then they are supposed to expand, etc. I just had a terrible mess.

This was different. It just worked for me.

In fact, I had very close to a 100% sprout rate on the seeds I planted.

I obsessed about sowing the seeds this time, reading and studying on the right way to do it, because it was my first experience growing vegetables from seed.

The smartest thing I did, other than buying the Burpee Ultimate Seed Starting System, was to SOAK THE SEEDS for 24 hours or so, following the instructions if the packets have them.

Then I placed them in the seed tray and made sure they had the proper amount of heat. They don't need extra nutrition at this point.

I have a greenhouse. It's the middle of a very extraordinarily stormy and cold, icy Winter in Oklahoma and my greenhouse is FULL of healthy growing vegetable plants that came from the seeds I planted.

I heartily recommend this product and since I'm here, I'm going to buy another one right now. It just makes growing from seeds so much easier then the SECOND way I tried it, with peat moss things that just didn't work for me.

I was hesitant buying this product because of the bad reviews but it looks so good and I couldn't believe it could be that hard. Well, it's not. People, just take a spoon, slide it down one side, and the whole plug pops right out. The soil has to be moist, not dried out or it might crumble. The only mistake Burpee made was to not include instructions even a moron could understand.

Update:
So, everything was great until I went to plant my vegetables. It is VERY difficult to get the plants out, and the growing media just falls apart. Roots grow through the bottom and you have to cut the sides, and be careful not to damage the roots. I lost just about everything I grew. I don't think it would be the same with plants, or with other vegetables, but if you try to grow watermelon, cantelope, etc., they are vines and delicate. DO NOT try to grow anything "viney" in these. Also, I think you really need to compact the media, but I don't know how it will effect germination/growth.

I have so much to say.......

Let me start by telling you that I have a black thumb. I generally can kill plastic plants within a month. I have two children and they love to plant. Last year I tried to grow watermelon and cantalope. I bought the plants already started, but it was so late in the season by the time I put them in the ground that I couldn't get any ripe fruit (I live in NY, so the season is shorter than if I lived in the south). This year the kids wanted to plan again. I saw this and thought it was worth the gamble. We planted watermelon, (giant) pumpkin, cantalope, and cucumber, and they are ALL growing VERY well!!! It is a no brainer to set up and use. Directions are easy. The plastic is a little flimsy, but this is meant to be a disposable product I think (I am going to try to use potting soil next year....but I am still going to buy 2 more so I can grow more). Because it is flimsy, set it up near a window that gets good sunlight. It's not that it will break, but because of the weight of the water, you will probably have some spillage. The only problem is the cover is too short, and we now have the cover off. Just fill with water and you are set. In about a week you will see your flowers/vegetables growing (some germinate faster than others, so be patient). I still have another few weeks before I can plant them outside, and I suspect they will be pretty big by then. This is really great, and I highly recommend it! My kids love it, and really, you can't beat the price. I just keep the water in the basin pretty full, and I never have to worry about adding too much or too little. No my only concern will be keeping the animals (chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels, etc.) and birds from eating everything. Lastly, I should add that I thought this was going to be a really messy project, but I was happily wrong. And, now that the plants are growing, the kids check them every day.

Wonderful seed starting system. Keep it by a sunny window and you'll have healthy plugs ready for transplant in no time.

The problem is that it's so cheaply manufactured that the corners of the water tray are very thin, making them prone to breaking. This system is worth the price, so wrap the bottom in some duct tape before you start and you'll have a great seed starting system.