Seedling support

DonnaMarieNJ · January 20, 2015

What do you use to support your seedlings when they are in solo cups? Sometimes they get tall before I can plant them in the ground. I thought about buying chopsticks at a dollar store, but I think they would be too short. Do I have to purchase plant stakes or is there something inexpensive I can substitute? I am thinking maybe 15 inch stakes? Is that too tall for the solo cups? I know they are in the solo cups for just a short time, but sometimes the weather is not on my side….

I thought about these, but I worry about splintering: http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Plant-St...item3f23b3bc9c

Any thoughts?

Donna

Worth1 · January 20, 2015

Donna think skewer.
You can get 100 12 inch bamboo skewers for about $2.00 at Chinamart.

Bamboo has a perfect straight grain so shouldn't break

Worth

Salsacharley · January 20, 2015

Wooden skewers are what I've used in the past. But I have learned that if my plants are still in cups when they need support, that means I've waited too long to transplant them, or I let them get too leggy while they were seedlings.

BigVanVader · January 20, 2015

Ditto on the skewers.

noinwi · January 20, 2015

Depending on the size of your solo cups, you can 'pot' them up to larger cups. If they are already in large cups, I read somewhere(may have been here in TV)that one person cuts the bottoms out of additional cups, slits them up the side and sets them into the potted cups and adds more soil, so you get more support and more roots will grow.

DonnaMarieNJ · January 20, 2015

Will bamboo mold in a wet cup?

ddsack · January 20, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by noinwi

Depending on the size of your solo cups, you can 'pot' them up to larger cups. If they are already in large cups, I read somewhere(may have been here in TV)that one person cuts the bottoms out of additional cups, slits them up the side and sets them into the potted cups and adds more soil, so you get more support and more roots will grow.

What a brilliant solution! I'm going to add this to my arsenal.

heirloomtomaguy · January 20, 2015

I use bamboo and it never gets moldy. They work perfect.

DonnaMarieNJ · January 20, 2015

thank you everyone!

kurt · January 20, 2015

I use the bamboo skewers here in S Florida and some do mold(black).I will take the skewers and soak them in Thompsons water seal then dry in sun.They last for at least two or three seasons.Also I will use the plastic bread type ties (twisty).Wrap the skewer not to tight,make a circular loop(at seedling end) so as to move(slide up when they grow).When hardening off I was tired of the torrential rains that would glue them to the ground when left unattended.

ginger2778 · January 21, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurt

I use the bamboo skewers here in S Florida and some do mold(black).I will take the skewers and soak them in Thompsons water seal then dry in sun.They last for at least two or three seasons.Also I will use the plastic bread type ties (twisty).Wrap the skewer not to tight,make a circular loop(at seedling end) so as to move(slide up when they grow).When hardening off I was tired of the torrential rains that would glue them to the ground when left unattended.

That's a great idea with the water seal. Those September rains were the worst I ever saw.

Salsacharley · January 21, 2015

I heard that water sealer is toxic. I don't know if it really is, but I would avoid using it in my roots.

https://olicanoli.wordpress.com/2009...ic-to-animals/

kurt · January 21, 2015

"That's a great idea with the water seal. Those September rains were the worst I ever saw."

The seal keeps water off/out to stop the fungal/bacterial spores and natural degregation of the wood/bamboo.I do this to all my 8ft/7ft/ and under bamboo stakes/poles.The bottom foot of poles are candle dipped in a non leaching asphalt roofing material caus I was tired of the breakoff after each season of the soggy bottoms and the poles would lose one foot/year in length.The tips of poles are dipped to seal the hollow chambers that encourge/harbor growths of crud plus insects.Each years end they all get wiped down with bleach,recoated bundled and ready for the next season.

kurt · January 21, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salsacharley

I heard that water sealer is toxic. I don't know if it really is, but I would avoid using it in my roots.

https://olicanoli.wordpress.com/2009...ic-to-animals/

This is a 2014 data release.Once dried and not burned,sanded, inhaled and or ingested it is not condidered harmful.

http://www.paintdocs.com/docs/webPDF...M&prodno=21802

Worth1 · January 21, 2015

Practically everything that is a hydrocarbon plastic in your house was toxic in its raw state.
You are exposed to like a million times more toxins pumping gas in your car than you are from a properly dried and cured stick.

Worth
.

January 20, 2015	#1
DonnaMarieNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northeast New Jersey Posts: 731	Seedling support What do you use to support your seedlings when they are in solo cups? Sometimes they get tall before I can plant them in the ground. I thought about buying chopsticks at a dollar store, but I think they would be too short. Do I have to purchase plant stakes or is there something inexpensive I can substitute? I am thinking maybe 15 inch stakes? Is that too tall for the solo cups? I know they are in the solo cups for just a short time, but sometimes the weather is not on my side…. I thought about these, but I worry about splintering: http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Plant-St...item3f23b3bc9c Any thoughts? Donna __________________ DonnaMarieNJ I pay the mortgage, but my cats own the house!

January 20, 2015	#6
DonnaMarieNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northeast New Jersey Posts: 731	Will bamboo mold in a wet cup? __________________ DonnaMarieNJ I pay the mortgage, but my cats own the house!

January 20, 2015	#8
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	I use bamboo and it never gets moldy. They work perfect. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

January 20, 2015	#9
DonnaMarieNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northeast New Jersey Posts: 731	thank you everyone! __________________ DonnaMarieNJ I pay the mortgage, but my cats own the house!

January 20, 2015	#10
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,500	I use the bamboo skewers here in S Florida and some do mold(black).I will take the skewers and soak them in Thompsons water seal then dry in sun.They last for at least two or three seasons.Also I will use the plastic bread type ties (twisty).Wrap the skewer not to tight,make a circular loop(at seedling end) so as to move(slide up when they grow).When hardening off I was tired of the torrential rains that would glue them to the ground when left unattended. __________________ KURT

January 20, 2015	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Donna think skewer. You can get 100 12 inch bamboo skewers for about $2.00 at Chinamart. Bamboo has a perfect straight grain so shouldn't break Worth

January 20, 2015	#3
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Wooden skewers are what I've used in the past. But I have learned that if my plants are still in cups when they need support, that means I've waited too long to transplant them, or I let them get too leggy while they were seedlings.

January 20, 2015	#4
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Ditto on the skewers.

January 20, 2015	#5
noinwi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: PNW Posts: 486	Depending on the size of your solo cups, you can 'pot' them up to larger cups. If they are already in large cups, I read somewhere(may have been here in TV)that one person cuts the bottoms out of additional cups, slits them up the side and sets them into the potted cups and adds more soil, so you get more support and more roots will grow.

January 21, 2015	#12
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	I heard that water sealer is toxic. I don't know if it really is, but I would avoid using it in my roots. https://olicanoli.wordpress.com/2009...ic-to-animals/