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We have used a vacuum seeder for decades, since we tend to do small batches of lots of different varieties. Each plate is hooked up to a vacuum and has a series of pin-holes that correspond to each cell of the plug tray. We move the seed along the plate until each hole is covered by one seed (we hand remove the doubles). Then the plate is turned upside down and placed over the plug flat, the vacuum is shut off so the seeds drop into the cells.
Marigold seed in a plug tray, covered with vermiculite (some seeds germinate in darkness, others need light) and then put in a chamber with high humidity and controlled temps to germinate.
Whenever possible we try to mechanize the process, so many of the plug flats are run through a transplant machine and put into 6-packs. The machine has a series of "fingers" that pick up the seedlings from the plug flats on the right and then put the seedlings in each cell of the corresponding packs. Even then, we still need to follow-up the machine to fill any holes where seed didn't germinate.
For the individual pots, we can fill them mechanically, but then we have to hand transplant the small plants to each pot and insert the tag. Of course the Hanging Baskets and planters are all hand planted, but to give you a timeline the small cuttings arrived around Christmas to be this big.
Parts of the greenhouse will fill up fast as we continue to transplant, but we won't be truly full until the end of April.
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