Hi all,
Would some of you be so kind as to share some tips or pictures on how you do this...pretty please LOL ??
I have read all the posts,but I'm still really curious about what works best,how wet to keep the material,how often to wash it,etc.I know it's in books and on the web,but I think your personal opinions are worth a lot more!!
Thanks,Lynn ^_^
Capillary Watering
OK,would somebody chime in here,pleeese?? I am having Texas company and need to do something fast,so I can spend more time with them.
Lynn
Lynn - I can honestly say the capillary matting is easy. You keep the matting wet - one end at least is always submerged in water. Kind of like a giant flat wick. Then the plants you put on it - make sure the pots are flat on the mat, so that the soil can soak up the moisture from the mat. Some people use their wicked plants on capillary matting, so that the wick gets the moisture from the matting instead of directly from the water.
Here is an article critter wrote on watering methods last hear: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/907/
Good morning. I do use matting for some things and in some circumstances/ I buy the real cheap synthetic stiff type blankets at discounts stores or synthetic felt material at fabric stores. No need to buy expensive capillary matting unless you want to. I put wicks in everything I pot. Moisten your matting till it 'glistens'. I do want to stress your soiless mix needs to be light. If your pots have a perlite layer in the bottom, plants can even sit in a little water, repeat...a 'little' water. The plants benefit from the extra humidity as it simulates moist ground which would be natural.
As far as how often to wash.. it would be as necessary. You'll know when it needs it. I do pre-wash the matting before I use it to eliminate any chemicals that may be present from the manufacturer.
Thanks Nicole!! The article was helpful. I wasn't sure if the trays had to have grids or not.
GL,
Thank you for going into detail a little more.That helps a lot!! My mix is very light and for Streps. I would say extremely light,2 parts perlite,1 part soiless mix. Is it okay to put fertilizer in the water?
Lynn
Yes, it is. Maybe start off with 1/8 t. if adding all the time. Plain water is okay to alternate. You'll see. I always advise caution as we can always add more fertilizer.
Thanks, I always use dilute fertilizer,but every now and then AV crowns look a little tight or baby Strep. leaves look a little burned and I just use plain water for a while.
Lynn
Yes indeed, the baby streps can be very touchy.
When I use capillary matting I put my plants down in a permanest tray on top of the matting..............unlike Nichole who has her capillary matting wrapped over a grid I think...............
I've only been growing streps for maybe 8 months or so, but I've had mixed results with capillary matting, so maybe I'm doing something wrong. I have some babies in pots with wicks and they are in a permanest tray on top of the matting and they are doing well. I had adults on matting on top of a grid and the leaves started to get mushy. Then I removed the matting and let the wicks hang through the grid to the water below, and they plants are getting worst. I was trying to save myself some time on watering by using the capillary matting and the grid, and provide more constant moisture to the plants. But it seems at least for the adults, that I did better when each plant had its own reservoir of water.
Any more experienced growers have any thoughts on what's going wrong here?
Thanks.
As the saying goes . . . "there is more than one way to skin a cat!" ^_^
I totally quit wicking all streps when David Thompson (our best US hybridizer of streps) said to never ever wick streps. Mine are doing so much better being watered from the bottom in a permanest tray when I try to keep the same size pots in a tray. He says to never leave them in water more than an hour .....then I get my turkey baster and pull out all excess water.
I used to wick everything........but no more..............except for african violets...........I don't wick episcias as they like to get dry before watering I have found. Sinnngias are the same way.........Kohlerias are the only gessies I have found that are happy being moist all the time.........
Everyone just has to play around and figure what works for them depending on the environment they are growing in............
Sarah,
I am not that experienced compared to others here,but it sounds as if your mix is a little too heavy.Just my HO.
Lynn
lowellsf...I only put baby streps on the matting, not the more mature streps. Violets can do well on matting and have grown some that way. Turtlechi I hope will add to this discussion because she used to wick water her streps and I think, not sure, she is converting to mat watering.
Gail,
I agree with DT in theory.Plants do need to dry out sometimes to get sufficent air to the roots.In practice,though,it is difficult to hand water many plants every day.If they are all in the same soil mix,same size pots,etc,you could probably pour water in the tray and then suction up the excess.In my case,I use three different soiless mixtures and many different types of pots,and they don't all dry out at the same time.I have some of my plants on wicks and I sometimes let the reservoir dry up for a few days.Even my mini Sinns. seem to like to dry out a little.
On the matting topic,if you put the blanket or whatever in the bottom of the tray,with no grid,do you use more than one thickness?? I am asking everybody.
Pardon my spelling skills please!!
Lynn
Thanks, Lynn. I don't think I've potted anything myself yet, since I don't know much about custominzing media. I'm going to get off the grid and get back to the individual watering. I think the difference is that now they get constant --read that to mean too much-- water. I switched them because they used to dry out when I didn't have time to refill the reservoir as soon as it became empty. Guess I was unconsciously doing the right thing, from what I'm gathering here. I'm glad you asked the question Lynn. This will help me save my plants.
Sarah
I was probably the one who told you to wick, Sarah..........I used to wick all of them but no more..........sorry about that.......hope they do well now.
I used to have so many mixes.........now I am down to Volkmann's wicking mix for everything except to start av leaves.
I have african violets and streps, some wicked on grids, and some on matting. I'm happier with the ones on the matting. I use 3 layers of mat in each tray. I purchased a couple of yards of poly felt at walmart, rinsed it out good and then layered it in the trays. They are all wicked with mason twine. I use the one that Gail uses. I get it at Ace hardware. I let the mats get almost dry before I add more water. I read somewhere, either here or on another forum, that it takes about 2 1/2 cups of water per tray. It seems to be that way. At first I measured but I don't anymore, but just pour water in from a gallon jug until I see just a tiny bit on top of matting. The plants are a little dry, so they soak it up fast.
I'm always picking up the pots to see how the plants are doing, and checking for buds, and I'm always knocking over one or another when putting them back the on the grids. Then I have to empty the tray and wash out the potting mix that spilled. What a chore!!!
Ibrabec, I hope this helps you a little. I think everyone has to find the way that's best for them. Right now, I just may go back to all mats, but I noticed that some of the little violet plantlets that I have growing, are sending roots into the mat. I guess their telling me it's time for them to move out of the 3oz solos and into a bigger pot. LOL
Eileen,
Yes,that does help a lot!! Truth be told,I do not like any type of automatic watering,but at the present,I simply don't have time to hand water everything.One of my greatest joys, when I used to grow so many,was to look at every single plant I had every single day,groom,inspect,enjoy,talk to them a little, maybe cross pollinate a few....It's very different for me now.I love each and every plant and tiny little leaf,but I have grown much older and many things have changed....that's life ^_^.
Lynn