How to water indoor seedlings?

lovesdogs · February 10, 2012

Thanks to all the info here on T'Ville and especially nctomatoman's informative videos, I am starting seeds indoors for the very first time today!! I've got all the gear and excited to start but I suddenly had a thought as I put up the shelves....when I water the seedlings (or mist them) what will the cell packs drain into/onto? I've looked and looked and cannot find this info! I can obviously set them on cookie sheets to catch the drainage and protect my wood floors...but should they sit in the drainage water? Or should I empty the pans? Or should I somehow raise them above the pan (like on bricks or something?) Thanks for any help for this newbie!!

shelleybean · February 10, 2012

I use the regular plastic flats without holes used for seedlings and the little pots have drainage holes in the bottom. I place the flats on a heating mat made just for this purpose. You can buy them at most gardening sites on line. I mist the pots when I seed but after that I just pour a small amount of water into the flat, just enough for each pot to wick the water up from under the pots. When I come back in a couple of hours, the water should be gone from the flat, all in the pots. I don't allow them to sit in standing water for extended periods. You can help keep the seed starting mix from drying out by using plastic domes or plastic wrap over the flat, but as soon as the seeds germinate, you need to move them out from under there so they can breathe. This means you need to check your flats 2-3 times a day during the germination period. I hope this goes well for you. It's so fun to watch your garden emerge inside when it's freezing cold outdoors!

lovesdogs · February 10, 2012

Awesome! Thanks so much, now I know what to do! I have the shelves, the fluorescent shop lights, the 50-cell packs, the heat mat, the seed start mix, the fan...I was all set to go BUT that one question!! I'm really excited, even though it is never freezing here (just frosts at night occasionally), I still need to get my tomatoes going so they can be planted out in mid-April!! (In fact, it was near 70 degrees earlier this week and I am able to do some gardening - I think I'd seriously go crazy if there was snow on the ground!) Thanks again for helping me!
__________________
Royal

FiguredOut · February 10, 2012

I'm big on using rock-wool cubes. You can get a 50 pack for like $20. It makes transplanting amazingly easy and watering is simple. I just dunk them in a cup of water for 3 seconds every morning. Best of all, they are very clean.

ScottinAtlanta · February 11, 2012

I bought several of those big, flat plastic storage containers from Walmart for $5 each. Something like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-...-of-6/10401039. These fit nicely on my light racks

Each one holds about 35-40 16 ounce Dixie cups, which I use to pot up from seedlings. I punch 6 holes on the sides of Dixie cup just above the bottom (using a hot Philips screwdriver). I water simply by pouring water into the container until it reaches about 1/2 inch on the cups. They wick the water up in about 20 minutes, and no water is needed for 5 days or so.

Also, you can carry the trays outside for hardening up very easily.

Easy!
My tomatoes are already about 4 inches high!

rxkeith · February 11, 2012

for trays, i use the shallow flat plastic trays. what also works very well, are the plastic containers that spinach, and lettuce greens come in when you can't fit an entire flat under the lights or you just have a few plants. i water until it comes out the bottom. you do not want much standing water in the tray. don't water again until the soil is dry to the touch. stick you finger in if you need to. you want enough water to keep them alive and steadily growing, and thats it. over water, and you have to deal with damping off, and mold.

keith

February 10, 2012	#1
lovesdogs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: El Sobrante, California Posts: 3	How to water indoor seedlings? Thanks to all the info here on T'Ville and especially nctomatoman's informative videos, I am starting seeds indoors for the very first time today!! I've got all the gear and excited to start but I suddenly had a thought as I put up the shelves....when I water the seedlings (or mist them) what will the cell packs drain into/onto? I've looked and looked and cannot find this info! I can obviously set them on cookie sheets to catch the drainage and protect my wood floors...but should they sit in the drainage water? Or should I empty the pans? Or should I somehow raise them above the pan (like on bricks or something?) Thanks for any help for this newbie!!

February 10, 2012	#2
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I use the regular plastic flats without holes used for seedlings and the little pots have drainage holes in the bottom. I place the flats on a heating mat made just for this purpose. You can buy them at most gardening sites on line. I mist the pots when I seed but after that I just pour a small amount of water into the flat, just enough for each pot to wick the water up from under the pots. When I come back in a couple of hours, the water should be gone from the flat, all in the pots. I don't allow them to sit in standing water for extended periods. You can help keep the seed starting mix from drying out by using plastic domes or plastic wrap over the flat, but as soon as the seeds germinate, you need to move them out from under there so they can breathe. This means you need to check your flats 2-3 times a day during the germination period. I hope this goes well for you. It's so fun to watch your garden emerge inside when it's freezing cold outdoors! __________________ Michele

February 10, 2012	#4
FiguredOut Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NJ Posts: 17	I'm big on using rock-wool cubes. You can get a 50 pack for like $20. It makes transplanting amazingly easy and watering is simple. I just dunk them in a cup of water for 3 seconds every morning. Best of all, they are very clean.

February 11, 2012	#5
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	I bought several of those big, flat plastic storage containers from Walmart for $5 each. Something like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-...-of-6/10401039. These fit nicely on my light racks Each one holds about 35-40 16 ounce Dixie cups, which I use to pot up from seedlings. I punch 6 holes on the sides of Dixie cup just above the bottom (using a hot Philips screwdriver). I water simply by pouring water into the container until it reaches about 1/2 inch on the cups. They wick the water up in about 20 minutes, and no water is needed for 5 days or so. Also, you can carry the trays outside for hardening up very easily. Easy! My tomatoes are already about 4 inches high!

February 11, 2012	#6
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,840	for trays, i use the shallow flat plastic trays. what also works very well, are the plastic containers that spinach, and lettuce greens come in when you can't fit an entire flat under the lights or you just have a few plants. i water until it comes out the bottom. you do not want much standing water in the tray. don't water again until the soil is dry to the touch. stick you finger in if you need to. you want enough water to keep them alive and steadily growing, and thats it. over water, and you have to deal with damping off, and mold. keith