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This year I am starting seedlings indoors in soil blocks for the first time. My first attempt is going well, but I can't find a good method for watering.

I have two 10in x 20in trays in a 22in x 22in grow tent. It's cozy in there.

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So far I have tried misting them daily and bottom watering. The misting delays how often I need to fully water, but it hasn't been enough by itself.

My trouble with bottom watering is how awkward the process is. I awkwardly remove the tray from the tent and fill it with water. 20 minutes later, I very awkwardly drain the tray through a combination of gentle tilting/pouring and a few minutes of bailing it out with a shot glass to get the rest. I then awkwardly return the tray to the tent.

There must be a better way.

I would like to water them easily, ideally without removing the trays from the tent. What are the practicable methods for a home gardener to bottom water soil blocks?

MackM
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2 Answers2

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Let me see if I can think though a way to make capiliary matting (which is the default answer to bottom watering a bunch of plants with minimal effort) with the setup up you have.

Find somehting to serve as an elevated bottom in your trays (old cracked trays that leak would work, or something roughly the right size that's water-resistant. Elevate that above the bottom of the water-holding tray by 3/4" or 2cm or so. Cut it a bit narrower than your bottom tray is wide.

Cut capilliary matting as long as, but wider than, your tray, so that it can sit on the elevated bottom and hang down into the water-holding tray on the bottom.

Put your plants on top of the matting. Maintain the water level below the elevated bottom.

If you prefer, you can cut the elevated bottom shorter, rather than narrower, and hang the matting off the end, rather than over the side.

Ecnerwal
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Water wicking or tray dredging may be a way to go. I have done some agricultural greenhouse work with seedlings in a combination of pots and trays, and oftentimes we will layer a shallow tray of seedlings on top of a deeper, empty tray. The shallow trays have drainage slits. We would water once or twice a week, and the seedlings seemed to manage well. I can make and upload a diagram if that would be helpful.

OllieVet
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