nervous about wicking mats

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FredBW
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

nervous about wicking mats

Post by FredBW »

I started a thread about my first seedlings a little over a month ago. That bag of seedlings is doing just fine. The problem is the cactus growing bug bit me pretty hard. And the number of bags has grown to 5. A couple are astrophytum,which I understand I need to take them out of the bag probably sooner than others. At any rate I am trying to be prepared for when the time comes.
I figure on buying a capillary mat off of amazon. I am probably over complicating it. But it makes more sense to ask now than after I have a bunch of dead cacti. I guess all I need is a tray(maybe corningware bowl)? to hold moisture,and set the pots on the mat under my growlight? My pots are small pots i have saved from buying box store cactus and they aren't all the same.
I haven't ever seen a wicking mat and maybe it will be self explanatory when I see it. I am just nervous how the water gets from the mat through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Or would I maybe be better off just sitting the pots in shallow standing water in my corningware bowl?
I have read in the archives several times how sprouting is the easy part,and I realize this next step is a big one.
I am not really sure just what to do here and any advice greatly appreciated 8)
Last edited by FredBW on Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
FredBW
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: nervous about wicking mats

Post by FredBW »

Just found an interesting video on you tube. A lady takes grate that you see protecting florescent ceiling lights. (You could cut up an old milk crate bottom) Cuts it to size,and she goes to walmart and buys baby diaper material Cheap for the wicking.
I think I will get some grating and give it a try. All the self watering setups they sell would take up too much space under my grow lights. This way you can get a small baking pan or whatever suits your size. Cut the grate,and make something to shim it off of the bottom. She uses PVC pipe. Which is probably what I will do. Zip tie some pipe to the bottom of grate to enlarge the reservoir. I will probably spring for some mat material. Set it all up with some test cactus soil and used plastic pots to see if it works. I will post some pictures in a few days if I do it.
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greenknight
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Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: nervous about wicking mats

Post by greenknight »

Sounds workable. You don't actually have to use a reservoir (you can just water the mat), but if you do it's important that the reservoir is below the level of the mat. If it's higher, all the water will siphon out and run all over.

To insure the pots take up water, you could poke some material into the drain holes as wicks. In any case, you set the pots on the mat and water them thoroughly once to insure they're moist all the way to the bottom and establish the capillary connection.

Some people just use a mat of newspapers, and compost it at the end of the season.
Spence :mrgreen:
FredBW
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: nervous about wicking mats

Post by FredBW »

My original idea was to just wet the wicking mat as Spence suggested. But after understanding how it works,I figure one of the huge advantages is going days without worrying about it going dry.
Sooooo,It kind of looks like i already had everything I need here at home.
I had a cutting board I inherited years ago,that I "refound" just last week
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I was going to trim the cutting board to fit a casserole dish that is never used. But I grow tomatoes also,and have some seedling trays.
The cutting board fits like a glove,and figure someone is trying to tell me something. I can put it criss cross under the grow light.
If the set up is too big I can always trim the board later to take up less room.
The 4 pieces of PVC pipe hold the cutting board off of the bottom.
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I did order some Capillary mat off of amazon,and it will probably be a week or so before I see that. I could use some news paper as Spence said. But I have a parrot and use that to line the bird cage. Ever since the plague, paper I get in the mail has been cut way down, and I have trouble getting enough paper :? I could use an old towel,but I'll wait.
Too easy!
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FredBW
Posts: 177
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Location: Kansas City

Re: nervous about wicking mats

Post by FredBW »

Success :) The mat showed up. I had enough to cover 2 setups like this for 13 dollars. Reviews on Amazon,people say they wash this stuff and use it over and over. It's fairly thick and spongy. I am not posting a link,because 6 months from now it probably won't be any good. I just picked one where it looked like at least 75% of people were happy with it.
I grabbed a pot like I have my seedlings in and haphazardly dropped some commercial cactus soul in and sat it on the mat. I had my doubts because looking at the holes in the bottom it didn't really look like the soil would make contact with the mat.
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But obviously it did. 24 hours later the soil is damp 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up.
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It's magic :) I will try it several more times with various pots to see if it works 100%of the time before I put my seedlings on it.
I have some wicking cord coming that was only 3 or 4 dollars,and in the future when I grow seedlings I will thread that through the holes.
A lot of these small pots have holes at a 45 degree angle that would let you do this and still have the pot sit level without rocking.
I am reluctant to disturb the seedlings I have already started,if odds are high just setting them on the mat will work. But in the future wicking cord will add peace of mind.
I will definitely be doing this when tomato season comes around!
FredBW
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Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: nervous about wicking mats

Post by FredBW »

Glad i had this setup ready. I tried 4 different pots,2 with a rim on the bottom that i really don't understand how they make contact. But 100% have worked so far.
This morning i opened the bags on all my seedlings to get a better look,which I have been doing on weekends.
The Astrophytum ornatum bag smelled rotten. The seedlings looked about the same. None of the other bags smell this way though. So I figure it's best to take them out of the bag. Live or die. I have had tomato seedling smell rotten before (not in a bag) and they did fine. Whatever it can't be good.
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I had an old plastic container to put over it to maybe keep the humidity up for a while.
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Time will tell :)
FredBW
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Re: nervous about wicking mats

Post by FredBW »

I haven't killed them.. yet.
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I took them out of the bag cold turkey. After the first day. I didn't put them on the wicking mat to let them dry out some.
After they started drying ,out after 3 or 4 days. I have been putting them on the heating mat by day,and the wicking mat at night.
The first couple days they weren't looking so good,and i was reading how astros dont like to be cool. So I started putting on the heat mat again,and they have been looking better. I think they definetly need the warmth.
Iduno. But they made it through the first week out of the bag,and they don't look any worse. So I'll take it.
I'll probably cut down on the wicking mat as I go along.
FredBW
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Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: nervous about wicking mats

Post by FredBW »

The mat has been working very well. It has been the only source of water for these seedlings. I was worried about it taking space under the grow light. But I actually only put them on the mat at night. And in reality I think it's too cool for them to stay healthy 24/7 on the wicking mat.
I put them on a heat mat under light by day. And at the end of the day,if the pot feels light and they are starting to look dry I put them on the cool wicking mat over night. It's working so far :wink:
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greenknight
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Re: nervous about wicking mats

Post by greenknight »

You could put a heat mat under the tray with the wicking mat in it.
Spence :mrgreen:
FredBW
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Location: Kansas City

Re: nervous about wicking mats

Post by FredBW »

greenknight wrote: Mon Oct 31, 2022 1:51 am You could put a heat mat under the tray with the wicking mat in it.
Yea,but I really see no need :) What I am doing seems to be working and imitates the real world. On a heat mat by day (warm sunshine) and cool at night. I have a growlight and heat mat on same timer for germination and growing during the day.
I am probably only putting them on the wicking mat on average 1 out of 3 nights. If I had a "big operation" I might have to do something different :)
I have also set succulents on there that seem to be liking this.
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