Boboro
Well-Known Member
Water from the bottom.
Tell me about float tray systems
- Thread starter Jitterbugdude
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I agree. Water from the bottom, wait until the water has wicked up the soil column before adding seed or plants to the moist soil. Watering from the top can compress the soil and cause spiral root later on. It took three days for my soil to completely moisturize from the bottom to the top. I think it was left over at the store from last year and was dry as a bone to start with.
forumdotabaco
Well-Known Member
hey thank you, ok so I will put the trays on water 3 or 4 days before I move the plants.
Store bought "seedling mix" usually has a wetting agent added to it such as Polysorbate 20. After about a year's time the wetting agent evaporates so what you are left with is a seedling mix that takes days to absorb water instead of a few hours.
Mad Oshea
Taking a break
You can make a wood frame wider than the trays all set inside. Then line it with bisquin with some sand under it to protect the plastic from a hole. Then fold it over and staple it to the wood. A 2x6 will do the trick around it. You can put a stick with water level marks to see when to add water. I have a pond pump I will use next year to keep the water moving.
forumdotabaco
Well-Known Member
I could be wrong but, I believe in float trays for tobacco you don't want a constant water movement, that will lead to more evaporation.
You definately do not want a pump running. The roots extend quite far down through the float tray and into the water. I made my float tray box out of some 2x8's and plywood and coated the inside with beeswax
Mad Oshea
Taking a break
WOW! Thanks Guys, I fig. You had to have movement in the water.Cool- I never used them and figured I would give it a shot next year. I'm going to use the buisquin. I made water tanks like that for temp farm animals and it works great. I can see the roots on the post BigBonner posted. And see what the problem would be.
forumdotabaco
Well-Known Member
as anyone waited more than 6 days to the mix to absorb water? mine is in the 6 day now and I still waiting
I think there is something wrong with your "soil" mix. I used dryed out peat moss this year and it took 2 full days to soak up the water. Is this the soil that is in your float tray, floating in water?
You can mist the soil from the top, until it is thoroughly damp, then it will wick.
Bob
forumdotabaco
Well-Known Member
hi yes 50% peat moss 50% vermiculite
I tried to test it and the vermiculite soaks and sinks the peat moss floats at the top of the water, probably I've been scammed another time , like with almost everything I brought to this experience.
deluxestogie said:
I will do that, I have 3 trays I will let one alone (control) tray number 2 has much more water and the tray is floating, and I will test that in tray number 3, I'm using thin black plastic trays are they supposed to float? because they are, at least for now
I bought some really dry Miracle Gro Seed Starting Mix that I think was leftover from last year. It is 85-90% sifted peat moss, the rest is, damn, not vermiculite but that other one. lol. Anyway it took three days to wick up completely from the bottom.
janetta007
Well-Known Member
Perlite. I have the same stuff, works great for seed starting. But it says it has or derived from urea. I thought that was bad for tobacco? But mine sprouted and grew well.
i seen a jam up. professional system this year....this greenhouse must have been 200' long, and they had many of them,
they had all types of stuff growing in them,, but i did find the tobaccoo crop. when i seen it, it was maybe march,,, the plants had 2 sets of true leaves on them.
and after delivering fertilizer to some tobaccoo farms.and talking to the farmers, i only found one guy who started his seed, all the others purchased thier plants from these seed starting companies.
i have many float trays,,, [ once used it seems the farmers chunk them, and i pick them up ]
i may try to construct a float system for next year... i got the basic design on how to construct it in my head, and plan on getting a '' real '' greenhouse this winter, i'll have to research on which mixture would be best to use as a fertilizer for the water, perhaps something designed for hydrophonics,???
they had all types of stuff growing in them,, but i did find the tobaccoo crop. when i seen it, it was maybe march,,, the plants had 2 sets of true leaves on them.
and after delivering fertilizer to some tobaccoo farms.and talking to the farmers, i only found one guy who started his seed, all the others purchased thier plants from these seed starting companies.
i have many float trays,,, [ once used it seems the farmers chunk them, and i pick them up ]
i may try to construct a float system for next year... i got the basic design on how to construct it in my head, and plan on getting a '' real '' greenhouse this winter, i'll have to research on which mixture would be best to use as a fertilizer for the water, perhaps something designed for hydrophonics,???
forumdotabaco
Well-Known Member
Chicken can you share some brands or companies of fertilizers, to see if I can find them here?
in a few days I will start another experience, growing seedlings in eppendorf tubes
in a few days I will start another experience, growing seedlings in eppendorf tubes
Any 20-10-20 fertilizer without urea will work. As a matter of fact I'll bet ANY fertilizer will work. Don't make it harder than it is.
It's a matter of scale. The greater your capacity to produce starts, the lower the cost per start. For home growers, if you have adequate space and conditions to germinate your own, then it makes sense. Otherwise, ordering starts from BigBonner in March makes a lot of sense. My opinion is that the major advantage of float trays is that it allows a single person to manage a massive production. For just a few hundred plants, I suggest using 1020 flats and inserts.
Bob
forumdotabaco
Well-Known Member
its impossible to find 20-10-20 here the best ones I've found were
[h=1]18-18-18
15-10-15 (2)
16-16-16 (+5)
10-10-20[/h]some companies that sell fertilizers in the US also sell them in EU but under other names and brands.
I'll be any one of those will work, especially the 15-10-15
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