Going on vacation and hoping to keep new seedlings alive while gone. So I put this together. Cotton cloths line knotted and put through pot. Filled with soil. Used solid tray for water and turned tray with holes upside down into solid tray. Put line into water and within a couple hours soil was wet. It wicked very nicely, but now I'm afraid of to much water. Any advice? ( photo / image / picture from Donna S's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Donna S's Garden )
Hoi Donna...but how long are you going away for? I can imagine that this system will work well for you. Afterall--plants do not need a whole lot of water during the cooler months anyway. I do not know if too much water will be a problem for you actually... I can imagine that if you are gone for a long time, the water in the tray may evaporate. Also something to think about. I suppose that how much water and whether or not you would begin with having the soil moist may determine how you handle this situation. Naturally if the soil is made moist from the beginning (by giving water from the top), then the amount of water wicked from the reservoir below will be less and slower. If I take distance from this and look at it again...I want to chuckle at how so much thought and worry can go into this problem. Having said that Donna, the problem of hydration is truly a serious one during your absence. The little plantlets do need proper hydration during this pivotal period of their development. I am hoping your clever solution will work well for you. I suspect it will if you are not gone from home too long. What a smart system you thought of...you are a "clever cloggs"aren't you. that it will work well for you.
Sjoerd, Only going to be gone a week. So I'm not worried about evaporation from trays. I figure if I lose them I have time to start over. But if it works it will save me a lot of time in the greenhouse watering when I get all my seeds going.
Nice system you made for yourself Donna. I have germinated seeds wrapped up in a saturated paper towel, no problems. Lots of water. Your seedlings should do fine for the week you are gone. Jerry
Donna, I am not sure one way or the other on what the effect will be, it may depend on how much moisture each pot uses each day, but are you doing plants in those pots or seeds? the other option to think about are the "Soil Moist" water crystals. They are like (if not the same as) diaper filler stuff, the meat liners that swell up in the foam trays when you buy chicken...etc. They hold a lot of water and may also do what you want. Are you going to have anyone check on the plants or greenhouse while you are gone?
Your set up look good but once, if it ever happens, they dry completely out then it won't work again. You will have to water them from above and then it will wick again. I once did that with my violets.
Very interesting this wicking stuff. I'm just wondering, if it's just seeds... and not seedlings... wouldn't just setting their pots into a tray of water do the trick?
Even better, cherylad, you can get sheets of felt and lay them very flat in the bottom of a tray and then it will hold a good amount of water and wick very nicely.
That's a good tip too Ware-- That is the technique that the garden centres here use for the multitude of plants that they sell.
Good morning all. I'm getting another wicking system going today. Watch for pictures. Carolyn, I'm wicking plants. I'm going to try a couple cell packs with seeds just to see what happens while I'm away. Cheryl, I can't leave plants setting in water while I'm gone for a week or they will drown. The wicking allows the plants to take only what then need. Barb, Thanks for reminding me. I have a couple felt trays and they work well also. I just have to hunt then down.
I had 3 shelves of 600 African Violets on it. Since they don't like to have water on their leaves, I rigged up a water trickler on the top shelf and a drain down to each shelf and tray and then out to the ground, with felt in the bottom of each tray. So I had water going in and out at a certain level for about a minute every few days. Of course, from Summer and Winter changed timings. I can see why garden centers use this system. It was hard to water that many plant without getting their leaves wet and took allot of time. It worked wonderfully for years for me.
Put all this together yesterday. It worked very well. All pots were damp but not water logged this morning. The first black pot on left is even showing signs of life already. I have 8 more days to make sure it will work while I'm gone. ( photo / image / picture from Donna S's Garden )
Oké Donna. Looks like you have got it all under control there. Hope you have a great hol. We shall all be looking forward to your pics upon your return.
