Quick verdict
A one-piece moulded plastic tray, 23 by 16 by 4.3 inches, with raised sides that keep compost, water and spilled seed inside while pots are filled, seeds sown and plants repotted on a kitchen table or a patio. Potting indoors in spring is the messiest job in gardening and a tray with walls is the difference between a quick wipe and a sweep of the floor. It is BPA-free plastic, tough enough to carry a dozen pots and easy to hose off.
Strengths
- Raised sides contain compost, water and seed on a table or patio
- Large 23 by 16 inch working area
- One-piece moulding with no joints to leak
- Carries several pots at once
- BPA-free plastic that rinses clean
Weaknesses
- Takes shelf space; it does not fold
- Four inch sides limit how much compost can be heaped
- Light plastic slides on a smooth table when scooping
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
Walls Around the Mess
Spring sowing happens on the kitchen table because the greenhouse is cold, and the table ends up under a layer of compost. A tidy tray puts walls around the job. The Defemim is a one-piece moulded tray, 23 by 16 inches with sides a little over four inches high, that holds the compost, the pots and the spill while seeds are sown and plants repotted, then rinses clean.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how potting tidy trays are used generally. We have not used this tray ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
Working In It
Tip a few scoops of compost into one end, stand the pots in the other, fill, firm and sow. Compost that misses the pot lands in the tray and goes into the next pot. When the job is done, the leftover tips back into the bag and the tray is wiped or hosed. A table that would have needed sweeping needs nothing.
Beyond Potting
As a drip tray it holds a row of pots on a windowsill and catches the overflow. As a bottom-watering tray it takes a seed tray and an inch of water. On the patio it is a mixing tray for compost, grit and perlite, and in the shed it stores small pots in a stack. A one-piece moulding with no joints leaks nowhere.
Size
Large enough for a standard seed tray and a working heap side by side. The four inch sides contain a sensible amount of compost; heap it higher and it spills, so work in batches. It does not fold, and that is the price of the rigidity.
Material
BPA-free plastic, flexible rather than brittle, which survives being dropped and flexed when emptying. Keep it out of frost when it holds water.
Tips
A rubber mat or a damp cloth under the tray stops it sliding on a smooth table when scooping. Label pots before they go in so the spill does not hide the labels.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone sowing indoors in spring.
- Houseplant owners repotting on a table.
- Balcony gardeners with no potting bench.
Common Owner Complaints
Sliding on the table and limited depth. A mat; batches.
Care
Rinse it the same day so compost does not dry hard in the corners, and stand it on edge to drain. Store it flat or hung on a nail; a stack of pots dropped into it between uses keeps it from warping in a hot shed.
Alternatives to Consider
A folding fabric potting mat for storage space. A deeper tub for large repotting. A proper potting bench for a greenhouse.
Verdict
For indoor sowing and repotting, a tray with walls saves the table and the floor every time, and this one is large, tough and rinses clean. Put a mat under it and work in batches.
Full specifications
Defemim Garden Tidy Tray, One-Piece Potting Tray 23 x 16 Inches for Seeding, Mixing and Repotting FAQs
Put the tray on the table, tip compost into it, set the pots in it and fill them, sow or repot, and the spill stays in the tray. Tip the leftover back into the bag and rinse the tray.
Twenty-three by sixteen inches takes a seed tray and a bag of compost side by side, or half a dozen four inch pots with room to work.
Yes. A row of pots stands in it on a windowsill and the overflow is caught. It also holds a soaking seed tray for bottom watering.
The plastic is tough and flexible rather than brittle. Keep it out of frost when full of water.
