MY GREENHOUSE this year boasts both recycled pots made from machine drinks cups and a Rolls-Royce of a solution, invented, developed, made and marketed here on the Isle of Wight — and which also makes a big contribution to reducing plastic waste.

My cups originally came from the County Press drinks machine, the staff quickly built up a cup mountain, which I converted into pots by pressing a red-hot nail through the base to create drainage holes.

Some of these now hold my autumn-planted garlic from the Garlic Farm (main image above), which is sprouting nicely — in wait for the soil to dry out in the next few weeks.

Now is a good time to plant spring garlic but not outside unless you want the cloves to rot out.

A good solution is to pop a clove in each pot in a greenhouse or on a windowsill to give them a start before it’s time for the great outdoors.

Next to my pots is a Super Seed Tray — a unique Island product which actually looks much too good to get dirty.

In fact, an alternative use for this aluminium invention could easily be an alternative wall nick-nack holder similar to the case trays which were originally made to hold printers’ characters of many fonts and sizes.

Now, these metal modular trays with their 48 compartments — or 12 for larger plants — are the only design in the UK with a removable base, a bit like a cake tin, with internal interlocking dividers that create individual growing compartments.

The smaller version now holds the contents of a packet of Mr Fothergill’s The Sutton broad bean — and removal of the plants should be a doddle and much less stressful than wrenching them from a conventional seed tray. It also takes up much less space than 48 individual pots. Planting is hugely quicker too.

Isle of Wight County Press: Steve's tray - complete with broad beans.

The Super Seed Tray, planted up with the contents of a packet of broad beans. 

Genesis of the Super Seed Tray is interesting. It was first invented by an Isle of Wight engineer and gardener 30-odd years ago and enthusiastically taken on by Steve Lang-Jones.

He has been using them for many years, thus proving their longevity. He has refined the original design and registered it too.

“After use they are easy to clean, stackable and will last at least 30- plus years to my knowledge,” said Steve. “When I think of the contribution to a non-plastic world they have made — and continue to make — I am amazed.”

All us gardeners know what a waste of resources those brittle plastic modular trays are. Easily re-useable they are not either. Steve’s Super Trays do away with the waste or the alternative palaver of wrenching plants from a communal tray.

By pushing the false bottom up and starting at one end you can remove each plant in a row, then the short divider, and so on. The deep tray can also be used with the shallow divider and with glass or cling-film over the top it doubles as a propagator.

Now, as you probably suspect, this product doesn’t come cheap, although there is a special bulk buy three-tray offer on at the mo at www.superseedtrays.co.uk which makes it a grand present for serious, dedicated gardeners.

Hope to see you one day in the Dragons’ Den, Steve.