How do I use self-watering seed propagator with jiffy pots?

My insturctions say, after arranging the wick so that it is evenly distributed, to place one inch of potting soil into the bottom of the tray, covering the wick. Moisten the soil to start the wicking process.

I want to use Jiffy Peat Pots. Can I place them on top of this soil base or should I not use the soil base as instructed?

Any comments and or suggestions would be appreciated.

Jiffy pots are difficult to keep at a constant level of moisture.They are either too wet or too dry.They tend to mold and get fungus gnats too.

Most of my failures involve Jiffy pots in some form or another,so I've quit using them.

I'm not familiar with the item that you are using,but there would have to be a better choice.I start thousands of seedlings every year,and from what I've seen,it's easy to get everything too wet.Less moisture has been better for me.

Hope this helps.

Rett, I seldom use the jiffy pots, for all the same reasons mentioned by Melody. When I know a seedling doesn't like its roots disturbed I'll use them simply because I can plant the whole pot, after ripping off the top portion so it doesn't act as a wick to suck the moisture away from the plant.

Thanks gang.

Ok, forget the Jiffy Pots.

Now how do I use the self-watering tray? Would the cell tray inserts work instead of putting an inch of soil over the bottom of the the self-watering tray itself?

I am not sure exactly how that thing is made, but I am thinking maybe vermiculite or pearlite would work?

Here's the sel-watering propagator tray http://store.yahoo.com/gardenshop/moisselseeds.html

I'm not going to be starting lots of the same seed and so I'm trying to figure out a smart way to use the self-watering propagator adapted to my needs.

Would spreading an inch layer of vermiculite or pearlite over the wicks and spraying with an organic fungicide work with small individual peat pots filled with a soiless mixture on
top?

I'm probably making this too difficult but I have difficulty getting projects started, organizing things and making decisions because of my medical condition.

I see no reason the vermiculite/pearlite would not work. It looks like a neat set up. I think either way the roots are going to leave the cells and go into whatever you have beneath. Honestly I think it will be a lot easier to get the roots out of a more gravel like medium than the soil. Been there and done that! LOL I think you are very wise to have a plan and have the tools you need before you start. Nothing is worse than being ready to go and having to stop before you even get going. That will disgust you in a hurry!

Thank you so much for responding Badseed!

I can't afford costly mistakes. What I want, I guess, is sort of an ongoing propagating lab where I can put a couple of seeds in a little peat pot filled with soiless mixture and set it in the tray with whatever else I'm starting. Misting with a fungicide on an ongoing basis should keep diseases down?

I have the self-watering try setting on top of my refrigerator under a growlight. http://store.yahoo.com/gardenshop/fluorgrowlig.html

Thanks again, Badseed, for baby-sitting me! I really need it! lol

The only problem with that is,after seedlings germinate,they need a different environment than seeds.

I always try to start the same kind of seeds together with the same requirements for humidity and temps.Just a few degrees different will mean success or failure.

Even though tomatoes and peppers have about the same requirements,it takes longer for the peppers to germinate.The tomatoes are long past needing the humidity that the other seeds must have to germinate by the time the peppers come up.

Check whatever you are going to try and germinate and make sure that they have close enough needs that you can start them in the same unit.

edited to say that just as soon as you get seedlings sprouting from the medium,that clear top will have to come off.It is not good to leave that thing on more than a day after you start to see stuff coming up.You don't even wait till all the seedlings are up.It has served it's purpose as soon as things start to germinate.That's another reason that you can't start seeds with different requirements in such a unit.

I use something similar that costs much less(5.00)And although they are not self watering,people tend to overwater seedlings anyway.If you put the clear dome on and it gets drops of moisture on it...things are too wet.A very light haze is all it should show.

This type of thing is great when you use them properly and disaster when you aren't quite sure of what you are doing.

This message was edited Oct 10, 2003 12:55 PM

Thanks melody,

You have given me some good info. I probably wouldn't be starting many different things at the same time and now I know to start only things with the same needs together! :)

Now that I have my procdedure decided on; let's see how it well it works? I'll keep you posted here!

Thanks again Badseed & Melody for taking the time to help me get started growing from seed.

Rett,(by the way,welcome to DG)You might want to reconsider peat containers in any form.Believe me,they are difficult for even an experienced person.

They do not dissolve when planted either.Especially if you are using containers.I've tilled my outdoor garden at the end of the season and turned over peat pots,still intact.

When used in seed starting,the bottoms stay wet and the tops dry out.Besides,peat isn't a renewable resource.When it's gone,there will be no more.

I use plastic cups and they work well.I get the ones that have flat bottoms,rather than the ones that have a ridge or lip and they work great for bottom watering.There are several sizes available so you can transplant to bigger quarters if you need to.

Here's a pic of a couple of tomato plants in the cups.(it's sort of obvious that I'm a veggie person...heh,heh)Hope this helps.

Thanks Melody!

I really have to chuckle at myself. Before I started doing all of my research I had started saving plastic pudding cups but had thrown them all away after ordering the self-watering propagator. I know to wash them in an amonia/water solution although I don't remember the ratio.

Has anyone tried using the toilet paper cardboard rolls and the ones from paper towels? Depending on what you're growing, you can get 2 or 3 out of the TP ones, and about 5 out of the PT ones.

Then fill them with potting soil or seed starter and set them on a 10 x 20 tray, lined with plastic wrap, or visquene. And they DO dissolve in the ground, and the worms love them, too.

Electric_Bob
I think I could get into that one. With the amount of those items we go through I should be able to fill up a tray pretty fast.
Thanks for the great suggestion.
Alice

Electric Bob's idea looks interesting. What would you seal the bottom of the roll with to keep the soil in? Anybody have any ideas?

For hard to transplant seeds I use paper pots mede out of newspaper. For around 13.00 you can buy a pot maker. I use an old pill bottle such as herbal suplements come in, using a bottle from 13/4 to 2 inches in diameter. I have found that this size works best for me but you could use any size depending on the size pot you want to make. I cut off the bottom so that you basically have a hollow tube. I take a standard size newspaper sheet and cut 4" strips across the papers narrow width. Take the strip and roll ot around the bottle with about 1 1/4" of paper extending past the bottom of the bottle. Fold the newspaper extending bast the bottom over and stuff slightly into the bottom of the bottle. Rap the bottom of the bottle against the table then using your finger or a large marking pen, if your finger is not long enough, insert it into the bottle top and mash the paper inside the bottle bottom flat. Then grasp the paper at the bottom edge and pull your paper pot off the bottle. The paper you use should be long enough to go around the bottle twice. Fill the paper pot with planter mix and plant your seed. 8 of the pots described fit nicely into a 1/2 gallon milk carton cut in half lengthwise. I plant the seed then pour water into the milk carton and the paper and planter mix will wick up the water. Add water a little at a time until the proper moisture is obtained. When the paper begins to dry add a small amount of water. When your plants reach transplant size you just plant pot and all. be sure the paper is buried beneath the soil or tear the paper off atound the top. The plants don't even know they have been transplanted. If the paper is exposed it will wick water away. Roots easily grow through the paper. I usually start 2 large seeds and 2 or 3 of smaller seeds per pot. The extra plants can be clipped off.
George

I also start lots of seeds, and the TP rolls and the paper pots are the best. I just stand them upright, close together an the tray, plant the seeds, and either put the seedlings in bigger pots when time, or right into the garden. Works great and cheep cheep ):. I also make my own seed tapes with flour glue and TP. put drop of glue at desired space, put seed on glue, let dry, roll up, store dry until time to plant, then roll out into prepared furrow at correct depth. It is a great winter project. If you have some of that wick mat, put it in bottom of tray first and water seedlings by just pouring water in tray to keep mat damp. Just my 2 and 1/2 cents. Margie, aka Queen of Dirtland