Cup seedler all the way here! I suffer almost every day the "millions" of plastic cups I see people throwing out. Every time I buy an ice cream, soda, whatever that comes in a cup I save it (after empty of course) for home, and mosly for seedlings and whatever small enough to plant on them! have you tried to grow tomato from cuttings? I have a really big tomato and I'm thinking throwing a couple of branches and see through the cup how the roots develop!
I am very surprised by your goal, that is a lot to handle but I see you're keeping everything flowing over there. More than 400 species, I want to be a part of that challenge! I don't think I'll reach 50 anytime soon, but I'm finding my fair share of new seeds and plants as well. I was buying some groceries yesterday and didn't pass the opportunity to buy rosemary and a couple of really big green onions, both with big root system to se what I can do for them here and viceversa! I would love to find new varieties as your yellow onion and other tomatoes (Only grown the pear/apple type I think and the tiny cherry), but it isn't as easy as people don't grow many species around my region. Mostly bananas, papayas, plantains, canteloupes, squash and watermelons. The vegs are brought from far to shops here and there I can find some but no seed bags at all lol, just the vegs to work my magic on!
I'm currently soaking many seeds as well, but because of the warm weather I don't see really much of a difference, maybe larger and stronger roots, but straight in a pot or in the soil I get stronger and larger plants, in less time. What I can say is that with my sunlight and a small piece of land I can grow many things. And I'm not using trays anymore for its spaces are too small and I have to prepare a sort of table to have them in that way. I don't have many windows for that matter either, or at least ones that I can use for starting seeds. I have some tangerine (corn too, but it doesn't matter, there are seeds that grow real fast here, but ones that don't even start because they need a way cooler region, maybe a fridge) seeds soaking right now and I will plant all of them in a single small pot. I'll try to make a decent post for that one. What about citurs fruits? Have you tried or do you have some more than the lemon tree? I have a lot of guavas and grapes, from a technique I'm working on, It mixes runners, cuttings and rhizomes. What I do is I leave the root system of the mother above the soil, or dig enough so I can fool it and runners start sprouting. When they reach a certain development I cut them and plant them in cups, so the roots have less space to grow to, and that way the transplant can be even more succesful. I also aim to grow oranges, but currently I have maybe 12 lemon trees (various types), 10 guavas, 3 grape trees (My goal is the complete vineyard!), passionfruits and oh I forgot about the pineapples! I recently found a red variety, and dind't spend much thinkig into bringing two of them to my house. They are white inside and the peel is like a dark magenta. I also have maybe more than 10 regular (two types) pineapple plants, and only one harvested. 2 1/2 years growing it and I didn't watch the flower bloom for being on a trip! I have one that I think will bloom earlier, or maybe this year, hope it does! Passionfruits and pineapples have beatifully strange flowers.
I'm sorry for all the words lol, but I will say this: maybe you're already feeling happy for all of these babies. but more that a comment I hope you take this as a felicitation, or an applause. It takes a lot of commitment and selflesness to be a part of a plant growing, imagine hundreds (or thousands) of them. I'm really happy for you and for the world. You're making right decisions towards a happy lifestyle and I'm following and learning as much as I can from your experience doing almost the same! It would seem odd but there are many and many more like us, putting water where it really belongs, natuer! Kudos to you, have a great weekend, cheers!
What's funny is I think I refill my water jars almost as often as I have to use the bathroom. The only tropical fruits I have growing are lime, and two types of lemon, all from seed.
Last year I pruned the crown off a tomato, and planted the cutting. It did well and made fruit. Easier than fostering another tomato from seed, and less space used up indoors.