Self-Watering Transplant Pots

I'm a terrible over waterer...*sigh* I admit it! I wait until the top is dry, I bottom water, I wait till they wilt..nothing works I always seem to over water my seedlings. At 4 or 5 weeks they look great at 6 or 7 more than half look like I've been beating them daily with the water can. They turn yellow, look sickly etc. Soooo since I obviously can't be trusted to gauge the water needed I've talked the DH into Self-Watering Transplant Pots from Gardener's Supply Company. I hate to have to spend the money, and at 19.95 a pop for (18) I'm going to have to order 3 or 4 trays. Has anyone used these? If so, to what results? I'm open to suggestions if someone else knows of another solution but one must be had.

I've also posted this in the Tomato forum so don't think you are seeing double.

Saint

I used them... they work pretty good... downside is there is not much reserve water... when the seedlings got bigger I had to water every day anyway

and I love these... other than the fact if you use the wrong mix they get very very wet... damp off could be a problem with these

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=10645&cat=2,44713,40757&ap=1

edit-- here is the mix that is supposed to be used.. (I couldn't find milled sphagnum moss locally yet)

3 parts milled sphagnum moss
2 parts perlite
1 part vermiculite

This message was edited Feb 21, 2009 7:55 AM

I was also looking at the pots from Gardeners Supply, but hated to pay that much. I found some that were very similar at our local Menards. There are 30 2.5" pots per tray, and they were only $5.00. 2 trays will fit under a 4" light. I purchased one last year, and just bought 3 more this year to accomodate all of the co-op plugs I purchased (have to take care of those babies LOL). I was pleased with my results using it as a transplant tray last year. I started my seeds in the Gardener's APS system, and transferred to the larger pots. Even growing tomatoes from seed for the first time, they did well. Only drawback is that there is not a large reservoir, so as the plants grew, I had to water every day or every other. But, at least I didn't have to water from the top.

Araness, I have the SAME exact trouble watering seedlings, exactly...

I know, here I go about Bob's Amazing seedling trays again, LOL! but they have prevented that for me now and my coir is always perfectly moist, because they are self watering also. I know that Bob sells the kits WITH shipping and dome for $24.95, but he will sell them to you without the tall dome at all. (you can buy the standard stort humidity domes from him or use what you already have from your old trays (perfect fit) if you need them)

What I do, is I leave one basket in the system empty. I water and fertilize with a Solo cup, right down into the empty cell, until the water reaches a level where it rises up into the cup a little for good wicking. When I see that the water has gotten below the cup, I add some to bring up the level and into the cups.

My plants are absolutely thriving like this. Coir always looks moist but not waterlogged.

I'm sure Bob being a friend he will work easily with you to get his system very cheaply. One of the many reasons I love working with Bob is that he will sell you only what you need from him for what you want to do (custom orders) instead of having to buy entire kits when you don't need everything.

*Edited to add that Bob's net cups are 5" cups so they are plenty big enough to hold large seedlings until they go in ground/container. There are 50 cups to each of his trays, so you could have 50 each instead of 18

This message was edited Feb 21, 2009 12:31 PM

Thanks Karen but can you transplant them in Bob's system...humm I need to go to his website and look, need to DM him about core and the stackable planters..

I don't have a problem water daily as long as it's a control watering so I don't kill them.

Never fear Joy is here, I have them, in the 18 pot one and the huge ones. They are doing pretty good so far, have my eggplants in them and some cukes, the weakened ones I weeded out of the APS starter kit. I used the Gardener's Supply Germinating seed mix with the cukes and the eggplants. I think it would be great to use the coconut coir in them, and yes, you need to keep the wicking pad wet and the reservoir does have a tendency to get dry if you don't put fluid in it like every other day, every day is too much. You need to make sure the mat is soaked then just let it drip a little before putting it in the bottom tray and then make sure one side is pulled up a little, that makes it easier to see if it is wicking water up or not.

What I don't like about the APS starter kit is that it is made of styrofoam, and that isn't easy to clean, but I do love the fact that it is made to be used with the little water gauge that tells you when it needs watering, wish that could be used with the pots you guys are talking about but I can't see where I could stick the water gauge in.

joy

Araness, yes, you can transplant Bob's cups straight into the ground or container. They are 5". I know what you are looking into is a very similar system, I was just thinking Bob could sell you only the parts you need at a much cheaper price since he's our friend and splits up stuff constantly for me. My thought was that although many other products might/can do the same thing, the manufacturers are so big they won't split up stuff for you...

That was my issue, water "control". I just like the fact that I can peek into one empty reservoir, and check the perfect level easily.

darkmoondreamer: Yes; but when you go to transplant them what do you do? My transplants all came out of Boca Bob's starter kit and I put them into solo cups; but now wished I would have put them in the cups I got my eggplants in from Gardener's Supply instead of the solo cups. I think the cups from Gardener's Supply will take coconut coir; but haven't tried it yet.
joy

Pretty much what I'd like...as I've said watering daily isn't a problem but I would like two things..one more control since I seem to have a heavy hand with the water bottle and two more stability in the trays. I'm using a Jiffy seed tray doubled up with a nursery tray and with these heavy cups it's very hard to handle when I turn them every morning. Ohh the day I win the lotto I'm gonna be sittin pretty cause I'm gonna have me allll sorts of gadgets. Course I'd have to play first...

Araness, if you mean can you uppot directly from the seedling tray into a larger pot or directly into the final planting location, the answer is YES, YOU CAN!

In fact, Bob's net pots are designed to keep the seedling in them all the way to maturity. The root system develops in the net pot. When you transplant or uppot, you take not only the seedling, but the NET POT as well. This keeps the root in tact during the transplant/uppotting. As the root system develops it breaks through the net pot when it needs to and continues growing.

You DO have to buy new net pots each sowing season, but the cost is rather negligable compared to what you're planning on spending.

Hope this helped!

Linda

Araness!
"FIST BUMP" on the lottery....

don't make me hurt ya Gymgirl I called it first...all 20 mill is mine...MINE I say...

Gymgirl: I think Araness wanted to know if there were a self watering thingy he could transplant the plants he had planted into Bob's coconut coir and pots into bigger pots, leaving the weaved pot in place of course right Araness. As you have to transplant them into a bigger pot eventually.

Araness: Something I noticed about the Jiffy trays and the Burpee's trays is that they are flimsy and they can't be carried across a room successfully full of plants or fluid, found that out the hard way; but, if you are transporting them or fluid, you might want to use Bob's seed starter tray, as it is much sturdier. I love his seed starter kit myself, it is quality made in that it is not flimsy, it's solid. The dome is huge and I like that also. I just wish we had a tray, with pots that you could transfer the plants grown in his seed starter kit to one that is self watering also. Maybe someone will come up with an idea?
joy

Araness,
Don't you know me by now? I'd give yah 50% if I ever played...

I'd love if they did...my only concern for the SWTP (self watering transplant pots) is the size...I, as a general rule of thumb, take them out of my jiffy pellets put them in 6 oz cups then 16 oz cups the largest they have in this is a 4' pot...I am afraid that won't be large enough for the last and final transplant..

Araness: Got a secret for you bud, here is what I'm going to do, when they outgrow the solo cups they are going into Bob's 5 gallon bags, filled half way up with coconut coir, then I will bury the stem until the coir reaches the top of the bag, I will then transplant that tomatoe into my hanging upside thingies and do it again, I'll be doing it in 5 gallon self watering buckets also of which I will fill the reservoir with Bob's fertilizier and when the coir reaches close to the top of those I will then mix in my lime and then my ring of fertilizer and then cover up some more with coconut coir. The last 7 I put in the grow bags will remain there. I shall have tomato trees, hopefully a little like TPlants if I'm lucky. LOL
joy

Araness, I just had my first belly laugh in weeks. Now I know why I've been so confused, thinking my posts have been lost in Cyberspace, and I'm repeating myself all over to you...I forgot you had 2 threads in different forums on this! ROTF, how stupid am I?

lol I did it to be evil *G*