• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

Holes in Solo Cups

zappa883 said:
Suggestions on the next size up after the solos ? Can't go to the finals after that stage. Again I have apprx 5-6 weeks to go inside and will commence Hardening off pending atmospheric conditions before. Hoping to get some plastic pails but need something before that.
Click to expand...

6" pots are good after solo cups. I'm actually using 40 oz soft drink cups since they have a smaller diameter but good root space. I might need to figure something else out for next year though because I'm worried the crowded vegetation is aiding to problems like edema.

I don't think holes in the sides of solo cups would work like air pots because air pots seem to have a very unique shape. I'm not sure why, I'll have to read up on it, but something tells me if holes alone did the trick we would see a lot of cheaper air pots on the market.
 
I think there is something inherently wrong with the idea of nested party cups.

From what I understand, the idea an inner one with holes in the bottom nested inside another one without holes is to drain off excess water in the case of excessive bottom watering, or even watering in general.

The reason I think this is faulty is because the party cups nest so closely together, there is little opportunity for excess water to drain off no matter how many holes you put in them.

What I am suggesting is a party cup with holes nested in a smaller party cup. They won't completly nest down, and this leaves a void where excess water can actually drain down into.

Just my $0.02.
 
HwyBill makes a good point. If you have a good draining media then the same size cup thing works great. After watering just let water drip for 10 seconds or so and put back into empty cup. Maybe 15-20 drops come out and all that does is help keep mousture up in the bottom so roots find their way down. If your media drains poorly then the larger cup in a smaller cup works great. That way when water continues to drain, probably more like 40-50 drops over a longer period of time, there is more room for it to hang out without keeping the soil saturated.

Both methods work, just depends on your media of choice.
 
HwyBill said:
What I am suggesting is a party cup with holes nested in a smaller party cup. They won't completly nest down, and this leaves a void where excess water can actually drain down into.
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that, as this is what I've been doing since my overwatering episode a few weeks back....great minds think alike apparently! :)
 
Holes in the side walls and "maybe" a spray of Epsom salt tomorrow. The promix HP should have enough breathing room but feel they need more. The ones in clear cups show condensate at the very bottom and as mentioned I think to enhance this stage it should be under better control. If I need to water more, sobeit ?
 
Would just like to mention that the side wall holes so far seem beneficial. More dunking, that's how I water but in the clear cups it's visually improved and 3 or so days.
 
Zappa, any update on your modified cup method? I was just thinking about this topic today after reading some info about earthboxes and smart pots. Thinking of something interesting and new to try.
 
Works for me, thought the roots may come out the side wall holes but that's not happening. I'll be doing a pot up on the weekend so I'll have a better result scenario then
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top