Capillary Mat

Capillary mat does anyone use this in there seed trays is there a cheaper option ie carpet under felt whats your views on it or what do you use looking for the cheapest option (go on call me scrooge miser I can take it but moneys tight at the moment )

 

Hi mick,
Yes is the first answer, i do use the capillery matting,
And as with a lot of gardening products you can buy whats made for the job and you get what you pay for,
Ive had my capillery matting for year's and its still used "a bit thin now "but usable.

But if you want a cheaper product ???? Then you can use the square sponge pads you buy for kitchen use,
Now you'll need a few to go "Under" the larger seed trays "Not as you've said inside the trays,

No wonder your finding it costly if your putting capillery matting inside the seed trays?

The roots will knit into the matting doing it that way:nono::nono: & you'll effect the natural drainage of the seed trays causing root rot.

The idea of the matting is to water the matting and place the seed trays on top of the matting so that the trays have a moist bottom to sit on and the moisure rises into the seed compost,
With rooted pots /seed trays, the roots come into contact with the damp matting and keep moist this way having watered the top of the pot/seed tray and allowing the water to drain through and onto the matting.

Now if you do decide to use these sponge kitchen pads (approx 4inch x 4 inch wide) you'll have to ensure you check them offten to stop them dring out as these do dryout quicker than the correct matting.

But to be honest now you understand how to use the correct matting maybe you'll not think they are so costly???

 

I have some which I bought years ago and it still works, though very grubby and tatty. I use it under the seed trays, like Moonraker says. They all have to stand in a giant waterproof plastic tray on top of the matting.

I have a bad habit of pricking out lots of seedlings then going away for a week at Whitsun so I have to do something to try to keep things watered. I place a length of cap matting running from under the trays into a big bucket of water standing nearby. If you set it up right it acts as a wick, drawing water down towards my seedlings. Sometimes it's so effective that it floods the tray; I think it depends on height of water level, volume of the water container, area of the wick relative to the size of the receiving tray, thirstiness of the seedlings- something like that, I don't care as long my seedlings don't get frazzled up.

 

Not only that, you'll rip half the roots off as you try to prize them off the matting.

 

I had to have a quiet smile. The capillary matting that I see most often is one that I was involved with many years ago. It wasn't really designed for capillary matting. I was involved in developing and selling it as an interlining for men's ties. We used to get about 8p per sq yd as an interlining, but a friend of mine on the marketing side found that he could get 20p per sq yd for the rejected substandard product in a new area called capillary matting. So we changed to selling it for capillary matting. :D

Madmick - you can use any number of things as capilliary matting. The stuff that you buy is not actually the best performer. Its made from needle-punched nylon, and nylon is not very good at wicking. But its great strength is that being nylon it doesn't rot.

Cotton is a much more efficient product at wicking water - but of course it rots. Old cotton towels (perhaps doubled) work very well. In fact any fabric with natural fibres such as cotton, linen, jute etc will work well, as long as you fold it over to make it thick enough. Polyester cotton (ie old bed sheets) will also work well by virtue of the cotton (natural water content 40%). Pure nylon (natural water content 4%) is poor and pure polyester (natural water content 0.4%) is much worse. However all natural fibres will rot in time.

 

Not heard anybody use Whitsun in years Its now the spring bank holiday. I think whitsun was based on Easter so was a moveable date . This was designated by the church so that any holiday fell just before or after a spell of good weather , to curtail any merriment :D

 

I have used capillary matting, both thin / nylon / cheap stuff and some really thick, signification more expensive, material that I bought from a horticultural trade supplier.

Difference was like night and day. The proper stuff got the water to the pots, the cheap stuff dried out on a sunny day and the pots furthest from thee source didn't get enough water.

I'm not sure than, other than for a few pots and/or for "cover" for a weekend away, that substitutes are going to do as good a job.