Last year we planted each seed with a chopstick (instead of a glass of water, use a wet sponge to keep the chopstick moist and clean). This was a method I used when I taught horticulture to high school students. With a class of 25 students, we had enough hands to plant a greenhouse full of flower seeds without the need of a vacuum seeder.
The vacuum seeder has a plate with pin sized holes drilled in the same pattern as the plug flat I grow the seedlings in. After the vacuum seeder is filled with seeds, turn it upside down and shut off the vacuum to release the seeds into the flat. A 5 to 10 minute job with chopsticks is a 1 minute job with the seeder.
We start our seedlings in the basement on heat pads. I will move them out to a cold frame or hoophouse after they germinate to make room for the next flat on the heat pads.
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