seeds Deep Root Seed Starting System

[logchief]

Any of you folks ever seen or used this, link below? Looks like it would do the trick for me with bottom watering (using a soil less mix) and ability to maintain for a few days as I travel right now. I'm wanting to set up a seed germination and seedling station in a front bedroom and use either a T12 or T5 4ft. 4 bulb light on a table I'm building. It will also set in a bay window facing west.

With the size of the containers it looks like you could grow them out to potting outside. I only want to try and start no more than 30 or 40 seedlings and see what comes out, so I thought if I use 2 (or maybe 3 if I get froggy) of these that would work for 30+ seedlings (mix of annum and chinese).

My other question is heat, with a bottom watering mat in these would a hot pad work to maintain temp? I don't want to turn on the heat in that front room, it stays about 65 or so and was wondering if the light would provide enough heat. for germination.

Deep Root Seed Starting System
Thanks much in advance for any assistance, I know the best advice is here at THP.

 

[muskymojo]

The link didn't work for me.

 

[mesatrin]

Yeah link was broken but....
I think this is the link he was going for.

 

[POTAWIE]

Looks very simple. Once seeds germinate you won't need the dome, and then it appears you are just left with a tray +resevoir, some pots, and a bit of cheap capillary matting. I'm sure it would be very simple to rig something similar up real cheap.

 

[logchief]

Link fixed.

 

[wordwiz]

Looks more like hype than useful. A rapid rooter tray will hold water for a week and costs a lot less. Or the Smith-Oasis Horticubes are even cheaper. Put a tray of them in water and they will not need any attention for at least a week. I've got 15 of 18 seeds to germinate so far, and I was not real careful about putting them in their little hole!

Not sure how they will do in the long run, but I'm hoping they pass muster.

Mike

 

[RS67Man]

Looks more like hype than useful. A rapid rooter tray will hold water for a week and costs a lot less. Or the Smith-Oasis Horticubes are even cheaper. Put a tray of them in water and they will not need any attention for at least a week. I've got 15 of 18 seeds to germinate so far, and I was not real careful about putting them in their little hole!

Not sure how they will do in the long run, but I'm hoping they pass muster.

Mike

Links, we need links please.........

 

[Jetchuka]

Those seed trays logchief posted are 3 1/2" deep, a little deeper than usual but nothing that uncommon, i'm sure they would work fine though. I wanted to do something similar this year so i picked up some Speedling trays and some Star tree tube trays. The idea behind the Speedling tray is that it's supposed to channel roots downwards till they reach the larger hole at the bottom, where they will naturally air-prune and not spiral into knots, reducing transplant shock. Tobacco farmers have been using them for twenty years with great results supposedly. www.GrowOrganic.com is the only place i know that carries them, type the word "speedling" into their search box to see all the sizes they carry.

Forum member wordwiz has some knowledge and experience with Speedling trays, so maybe he can chime in

Here's a few pictures of the Star Tube Trays, 38 cells per tray and 5 inches deep, up top the holes are a little over 2 inches wide.:

^^^^ The underside, the hole is larger in diameter than the number "5" on that five dollar bill btw.

The Star tree tube trays are just a tiny bit more solid than standard nursery trays, so with some care they should last a few seasons. They may(?) work similarly to the Speedling trays in that they have channels to guide roots downwards to the larger hole at the bottom, where they will hopefully airprune and not spiral around the cell.


And here's the 32 cell speedling tray, check out how the cells are shaped:

If anyone wants me to take more, or better pics, let me know and i'll post them.

 

[Datil Patch]

You can also get Speedling trays direct from the Speedling Company. Plantel Trays are similar to the Speedling trays except made of very heavy duty polypropylene, the are also available from Grow Organic. The downside to the Speedling tray and the Plantel trays are getting a flat that fits them that doesn't cost 2x what the tray costs.

 

[Jetchuka]

You can also get Speedling trays direct from the Speedling Company. Plantel Trays are similar to the Speedling trays except made of very heavy duty polypropylene, the are also available from Grow Organic. The downside to the Speedling tray and the Plantel trays are getting a flat that fits them that doesn't cost 2x what the tray costs.

Hey DP, I checked out the Plantel trays at the company website. They do look rugged, and come in many sizes, one thing i notice is that they don't have a version with fewer/larger cells. This would mean that one must plant up quicker, which isn't a good thing for the lazy planter such as myself .

The 192 cell tray has decent depth though, 2.5 inches deep for a 1" cell isn't bad at all imho.

 

[wordwiz]

I'm not enamored with the Speedling trays, at least starting from seeds. I've tried a huge number of toms and peppers and they all seem to get extremely leggy, at least in my environment. One reason why the work great for tobacco farmers is that the mechanical transplanters can easily make a furrow at least 8" deep, sometimes 10". That means they can transplant a 14-16" plant without any effort - simply stick the "heart" of the plant in the correct spot in the fingers that come around.

Don't get me wrong - they are great if somewhat leggy plants are not a concern. But if I was going (and I am!) start 500-2000 seedlings, I would use the horticubes. A bit more expensive but the strength of the transplant is super.

OTOH, I've had great success with sowing peas in a 200-cell plastic nursery tray. In one experiment, I had 65 percent germination (using crappy potting mix), let them grow for three weeks and transplanted 68 of the 84 plants, directly into soil. Not a single one died or even wilted, even though temps in the GH got above 100 for a while.

I have a few trays of these coming this week and if I can find time to pick up some good potting mix, I may try a tray of them with some maters. They are only like a buck a piece - much cheaper that the horticubes.

Mike

 

[Jetchuka]

Don't get me wrong - they are great if somewhat leggy plants are not a concern. But if I was going (and I am!) start 500-2000 seedlings, I would use the horticubes. A bit more expensive but the strength of the transplant is super.

Hey Mike, thanks for chiming in.

In my own opinion, with pepper seedlings i'd attribute legginess to a combination of factors, one of them being plant density. 120-200 plants sitting closely together are usually going to stretch out. With the Speedling trays i was thinking more of the 32 cell and 72 cell varieties, and ignoring other factors, pepper seedlings can hold out a little longer in them before the need to transplant compared to the 128 cell or 200 cell trays.

But like i said before, there are often other factors at play. The particulars of tobacco seedlings, which i do not know firsthand. Then there's lighting, which may not be sufficient or the right type. You also have heat, and over watering as other possible factors too.

And believe me, i realize i'm preaching to the choir for the most part here . Just offering some food for thought.


- Steve

 

[Jetchuka]

Here's a few fresh pics of my Star tube trays in action:

Sorry about the terrible picture quality, can't find my regular camera at the moment, not to mention it's hard taking pictures in a very tight spot. Those are chocolate habs in the dixie cups btw.

If any of those seedlings look leggy it might be because of heat, +86-88f sometimes in the furnace room, and the earliest ones did not get the greatest light when they first sprouted.