Can I use a seed tray outside?

Hi! In an effort to start more seeds to gift to neighbors and friends and for victory garden i would like to use my extra seed and on 2  seed trays. Problem is I cannot have the seed trays inside (My house is surrounded by an overhang that keeps it pretty dark/cool and the shelves/lights i do have are already in use with other plants)

I've seen people up north use cut up milk jugs to start seeds but obviously its much cooler there. Its not so bad now and i could place the trays where they won't get direct sun and would keep a close eye on water levels. So, could it be done? What precautions should i take?

I use seed trays ONLY outside (no plants in my house, no space). (we are in early fall, still a good 85-90 degrees high during the day, Saturday it got down to about 50 in the morning. Winter will stay similar, highs up to mid 80s but down to freezing at night)
I either have them going in the shade or on a table in full sun with a shade cloth that cuts about 50%. Depending on temps/wind/humidity levels I mist them once or twice a day. Luckily in the current circumstances I am not leaving the house and so I can keep a good eye on them....
With some seeds that take longer to germinate, I may throw a board on top of the tray for a time to trap the humidity inside (if they were in the shade, I would have covered them with plastic wrap, but this full-sun-shade-cloth-starter thing is a new thing for me and I'm testing).

Yeah, it will work just fine.  If it's going to get too cold (likely not a problem in Florida this time of year) just bring them inside for the night.

My biggest worry with that is that if you get some rain, the trays can hold water and then your seedlings will be drowning.  So I have some trays just for outside where I've poked a bunch of drainage holes in them.  Then they don't work so good inside since if I overwater it gets on the floor...

Vanessa,

I agree with Tereza.  Go ahead and start them outside.  I strongly suggest not putting a clear lid on the tray as the direct sunlight will produce enough of a greenhouse effect to nuke those little plants into oblivion.

But yes. By all means, use the land available outside.

Eric

Mike Haasl wrote: if you get some rain, the trays can hold water and then your seedlings will be drowning. ..

Oh yeah, definitely. My seed table is only a few meters outside of my covered carport. I am watching the weather report like a hawk, tonight we are supposed to get rain and I will be bringing the table in under the carport. You don't want your little guys washed away!

Oh My goodness! you guys are so much better than google! love you all! thank you for all the responses! Can't wait to get off from work and fill those trays up 😘

Now to post a question on how to can using the instapot. never done it and i need dummy proof instructions 😂