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seeds Going out of town. How so I save seedlings?

Tulsa A. Dawg Esq.

Tulsa A. Dawg Esq.

Question. I built a small foil wrapped amaturish grow house out of an old shelf and a couple t5's. clearly reading this form too much. Germinated all in parks biodome, first time using one, 100 percent germ rate, can't complain. Sure the warmth from the t5s helped too. Anyhow, everything cool peppers and tomatoes all in cups now, devolving true leaves ect. I have been watering once daily with solvable fertilizer because the heat from the t5 s causes moisture loss. Have to go out of town for three days. Should I 1. Water the hell out of the cups and hope for best or 2. Water well and take out of grow house and put in sunny window till I return and hope for best. The thought on 2 is maybe I lose some grow time but at least I don't have pucks when I get back. What would the folks of the hot pepper do. This is important as I have trips two weekends in a row. I'll hang up and listen to your comments

Sorry for poor spelling. I am from us. Writing this on my iPhone
 
You could make a capillary mat.
Take a sheet of plastic, or a large trash bag, and lay it flat. Get some felt from a fabric store. Roll up the edges of the plastic to create a dam, set the felt down and put your seedling trays on the felt. Fill with enough water to just cover the felt. It should last you several days and the water will wick up to your plants.

This method is used in commercial greenhouses where even on really hot days can last 3 days before the felt mat is dry and still another 2 days or so before the media starts to dry out. Keep in mind that your results may be different.
 
a few weeks ago, i went to hawaii for 6 nights/ 7 days, my plants were starting to get some true leaves in 8 oz clear party cups in my windowsill, i watered thoroughly the day i left and when i came back they had grown quite a bit and were just at the point of needing water, but had not yet wilted.
 
If
mikeinsc said:
You could make a capillary mat.
Take a sheet of plastic, or a large trash bag, and lay it flat. Get some felt from a fabric store. Roll up the edges of the plastic to create a dam, set the felt down and put your seedling trays on the felt. Fill with enough water to just cover the felt. It should last you several days and the water will wick up to your plants.

This method is used in commercial greenhouses where even on really hot days can last 3 days before the felt mat is dry and still another 2 days or so before the media starts to dry out. Keep in mind that your results may be different.
Click to expand...

If you want to use a capillary mat you need to have very good sized holes in the bottom of your cups. The window sill method is probably the easiest , That or you could get a pepper sitter.
 
Anyone have a price on a pepper sitter? Lol. I've decided to gamble. Going to water well and hope for best. They are in soil, not Pete pucks so I think they'll be ok to go two days.
 
Three days? Water them before you leave and raise the lights. Don't put them in the window if it gets below 60F outside at night.
 
It's all about the bottom watering.

I find myself in a similar situation often, and all I do is set their containers in a pan of water (make sure there is a hole in the bottom of their container) and sufficient water will leech up into the soil and sustain them.

Other advice I saw that is useful includes removing them from intense light, direct heat, and intense drafts (because these elements help to dessicate the soil), but as long as you are bottom watering, they will take what they need and be fine.

I've done this for up to 10+ days at a time.
 
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