Living in California, my seed-planting MO has largely been sow-and-grow. Sure, not everything germinates, but our gardening tends to focus on keeping the exuberant plants in check rather than on nurturing little green shoots.

This year, I decided to venture outside my comfort zone and try out some trickier seeds. Seeds that needed a little extra encouragement to come into the world. Seeds that might be too delicate for the raised beds (still overflowing with last summer's greens).

Looking through the seed starter kits on Amazon, I saw lots of relatively more affordable options, but the reviews sounded grim. Bootstrap's product seemed sturdier -- I didn't want something that fell apart in my hands -- and I also liked their philosophy and emphasis on sustainability.

The kit arrived quickly and I planted the first set of seeds. I'm still in the waiting phase, and since some of the seeds are supposed to take up to nine months to germinate (if they decide to go ahead and germinate) the kit is going to be a fixture in my life for a while. But right now, it's a little garden ecosystem tucked away in a corner of a room, and I expect it will continue to support my explorations in gardening for the foreseeable future.

Very nicely made, heavy duty, didn't flex much even when full. And the roots go out the bottom
to the water below. Nice system. Should be durable and lasting.
Nice company to buy from

Finally! Someone made a durable seed starter! These will not crumble away after 1 use like all the other brands. I was worried that the dome wasn't going to be as strong, since all the good tough descriptions are about the trays, but the domes are much sturdier too! The water tray, the seedling tray, and the dome are all of higher strength. Excellent quality, they have a fan for life.

Loved this set! Easy to plant seeds and watch them germinate. The lid has vent that you can open or close in case it gets too hot, which I found very helpful. Out of 72 seedlings 58 germinated and were viable. That is a pretty high number especially since some of my seed packets were old. I will be able to use this for years as it is very sturdy. If I had room enough in my greenhouse I would buy another set.

Adding that I've now used the new, deeper cells. They are terrific! Would buy again if I needed more. So much tougher and more durable than the crap ones I've used before. Could not recommend more.

Below is my original review, in which I liked the sturdiness but couldn't use the trays. Bootstrap Farmer shipped me new ones, and said they had changed how them make them. The new ones are perfect. Very heavy, very deep, look super tough and I think they will last forever. They are so much thicker than and others I've tried. Can't wait to use them!

Original review for replaced product
"These are indeed heavy duty, but the cells in them are very, very short. They are about 1/2 as deep as any other similar seed starting tray I've owned, and I've used several kinds over two decades. They will probably last forever- mostly because I can't see myself using them again in 2018 when I start seeds. I will be going back to the cheaper, deeper trays."