Question for folks who transplant to cups -

stormymater · March 26, 2009

Do you water from the bottom or the top? I am using 16-18 ounce plastic beverage cups with holes drilled in the bottom. (thank you Costco & DH for drill with thin drill) Since I was bottom watering the 18 & 36 cells in trays, it got me worried about the transplants in the cups - there are far to many for the trays.... suggestions or recs? Thanks in advance, Stormy

geeboss · March 26, 2009

I bottom water:

Fill a tray with 2 inches of water and place cups in tray for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then pour tray water into 1 gal water jugs for use later.

George

stormymater · March 26, 2009

Thanks George - I am going to be short of trays - think I can rotate through my cups? As in, soak them in the trays & then put them back out in the cardboard boxes, perforated trays & anything else I can use to tote the cups around in! I do have some trays with slit bottoms I can apply my BFF, aka duct tape, to seal the slits but I still will be short & hate to buy more plastic (need to buy more Metromix 360 LOL).

**nctomatoman** · March 26, 2009

I top water with no issues at all - dry fill cups or pots with mix, poke a hole, ease in the seedling, water with tepid water. No way I could bottom water the numbers of plants I am dealing with. They go outside - don't forget, rain is watering from the top! Never lost one to damping off issues.

Barbee · March 26, 2009

I top water.
My cups go on cookie sheets after I transplant them from the cell packs. I can get the cookie sheets for a couple of bucks a piece and they all stack inside each other in the off season. Each cookie sheet holds 12-15 large cups, depending on the size you buy.

Polar_Lace · March 26, 2009

stormy,

Find cheap trays at the dollar store called aluminum cooking pans; turkey or lasagna size does well for this.

Also if they have cheap dish washing pans (the kind you'd soak your dishes in,) cheap cat litter trays too.

But I got to tell you that I went to Home Depot and got a $10 "washing machine tray" to hold water for the many plants I have. They're supposed to be used UNDER the washer in case any water leaks from the machine.

HTH

~* Robin

stormymater · March 27, 2009

You folks are the BEST, I tell you, the ever lovin' best! The wonderful advice & guides (with the pics) have gotten me to 5 full trays (!) of tomato seedlings, 2 full trays of peppers & one full tray of 3 types of basil! Even with giving to friends, neighbors, the mail lady, Freecycle aquaintances... awash in little tiny tomatoes putting out their first leaves. I am just about busting with pride over them (showing them off to everyone) LOL!
Thanks to you folks here!
BTW - DH's electric drill with a little tiny bit I borrowed drilled 3 cups at a time - I was able to do the first 240 (that's how many come in a Costco sleeve) in about 30 minutes. I have 2 more sleeves & think I'll be making use of them

Thank you all again!

newatthiskat · March 27, 2009

I top water with a water hose turned on a small amount. Have had no problems doing it this way. It has also rained past week. Plants are really loving it. I can't help wondering how the "Native American's" did their cultivation. I bet they top watered as well

Kat

ContainerTed · March 27, 2009

I try to do bottom watering while the seedlings are in the "Pre-Outside" stage.

If you buy ground beef at the stores in larger quantities (5.5 lbs), the plastic tray they come in holds 11 nine ounce cups, and is strong enough to carry easily..

The smaller 2.1 lb trays are good for larger seed germination experiments. Three of them with holes drilled in the bottoms fit nicely into a standard 1020 tray, with a small slot to facilitate watering.

Best of all, they are essentially free and using them for another purpose is eco-friendly.

"Trying to recycle" Ted

TZ-OH6 · March 27, 2009

I bottom water because it is easier for me. Cups/pots are in large-ish sweater boxes anyway so that I can move them around.

A soldering iron works much better than a drill for making drain holes in plastic. Just make certain you have good ventilation.

salix · March 27, 2009

My goodness, I feel so low-tech...

When I made drainage holes in Costco salad containers, I used an old fork heated up in the flame of my gas stove!

stormymater · March 27, 2009

I love you guys!

dew · March 29, 2009

I use a lot of bakery and produce containers...some of them are in two parts, which make a tray (with lid for late freezes,) and others are clear with hinged lids, great for seed starting. Those big ones that relish veggie and fruits come in - they work very well.

cottonpicker · March 29, 2009

I save my morning styrofoam coffee cups & use the 12 oz. or 16 oz. cups with drainage holes punched in the bottoms for seedlings. They are set in plastic trays and I carefully water from the top. Have had no problems.

Ruth_10 · March 29, 2009

I do some of both. Put the 16 ounce cups in trays and add a couple of inches of water. Let them stand as long as my patience holds out, which is not all that long, then add water from the top.

When I add water to the top, I use a turkey baster, you know, the kind with the big plastic bulb. I suck water up from the tray and each cup gets one squirt of water. It's faster than you'd think and I don't have to get the foliage wet.

March 26, 2009	#1
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	Question for folks who transplant to cups - Do you water from the bottom or the top? I am using 16-18 ounce plastic beverage cups with holes drilled in the bottom. (thank you Costco & DH for drill with thin drill) Since I was bottom watering the 18 & 36 cells in trays, it got me worried about the transplants in the cups - there are far to many for the trays.... suggestions or recs? Thanks in advance, Stormy

March 26, 2009	#3
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	Thanks George - I am going to be short of trays - think I can rotate through my cups? As in, soak them in the trays & then put them back out in the cardboard boxes, perforated trays & anything else I can use to tote the cups around in! I do have some trays with slit bottoms I can apply my BFF, aka duct tape, to seal the slits but I still will be short & hate to buy more plastic (need to buy more Metromix 360 LOL). Last edited by stormymater; March 26, 2009 at 11:29 PM. Reason: attempt to clarify

March 26, 2009	#4
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	I top water with no issues at all - dry fill cups or pots with mix, poke a hole, ease in the seedling, water with tepid water. No way I could bottom water the numbers of plants I am dealing with. They go outside - don't forget, rain is watering from the top! Never lost one to damping off issues. __________________ Craig

March 26, 2009	#5
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	I top water. My cups go on cookie sheets after I transplant them from the cell packs. I can get the cookie sheets for a couple of bucks a piece and they all stack inside each other in the off season. Each cookie sheet holds 12-15 large cups, depending on the size you buy. __________________ *Barbee*

March 26, 2009	#6
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	stormy, Find cheap trays at the dollar store called aluminum cooking pans; turkey or lasagna size does well for this. Also if they have cheap dish washing pans (the kind you'd soak your dishes in,) cheap cat litter trays too. But I got to tell you that I went to Home Depot and got a $10 "washing machine tray" to hold water for the many plants I have. They're supposed to be used UNDER the washer in case any water leaks from the machine. HTH ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

March 26, 2009	#2
geeboss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Fairfax, VA Z7 Posts: 524	I bottom water: Fill a tray with 2 inches of water and place cups in tray for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then pour tray water into 1 gal water jugs for use later. George

March 27, 2009	#7
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	You folks are the BEST, I tell you, the ever lovin' best! The wonderful advice & guides (with the pics) have gotten me to 5 full trays (!) of tomato seedlings, 2 full trays of peppers & one full tray of 3 types of basil! Even with giving to friends, neighbors, the mail lady, Freecycle aquaintances... awash in little tiny tomatoes putting out their first leaves. I am just about busting with pride over them (showing them off to everyone) LOL! Thanks to you folks here! BTW - DH's electric drill with a little tiny bit I borrowed drilled 3 cups at a time - I was able to do the first 240 (that's how many come in a Costco sleeve) in about 30 minutes. I have 2 more sleeves & think I'll be making use of them Thank you all again!

March 27, 2009	#8
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	reply I top water with a water hose turned on a small amount. Have had no problems doing it this way. It has also rained past week. Plants are really loving it. I can't help wondering how the "Native American's" did their cultivation. I bet they top watered as well Kat

March 27, 2009	#9
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	I try to do bottom watering while the seedlings are in the "Pre-Outside" stage. If you buy ground beef at the stores in larger quantities (5.5 lbs), the plastic tray they come in holds 11 nine ounce cups, and is strong enough to carry easily.. The smaller 2.1 lb trays are good for larger seed germination experiments. Three of them with holes drilled in the bottoms fit nicely into a standard 1020 tray, with a small slot to facilitate watering. Best of all, they are essentially free and using them for another purpose is eco-friendly. "Trying to recycle" Ted __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

March 27, 2009	#10
TZ-OH6 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mid-Ohio Posts: 848	I bottom water because it is easier for me. Cups/pots are in large-ish sweater boxes anyway so that I can move them around. A soldering iron works much better than a drill for making drain holes in plastic. Just make certain you have good ventilation.

March 27, 2009	#11
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	My goodness, I feel so low-tech... When I made drainage holes in Costco salad containers, I used an old fork heated up in the flame of my gas stove!

March 29, 2009	#13
dew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 27	I use a lot of bakery and produce containers...some of them are in two parts, which make a tray (with lid for late freezes,) and others are clear with hinged lids, great for seed starting. Those big ones that relish veggie and fruits come in - they work very well.

March 29, 2009	#14
cottonpicker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SE PA..near Valley Forge Posts: 839	I save my morning styrofoam coffee cups & use the 12 oz. or 16 oz. cups with drainage holes punched in the bottoms for seedlings. They are set in plastic trays and I carefully water from the top. Have had no problems. __________________ "Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause". Victor Hugo

March 29, 2009	#15
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	I do some of both. Put the 16 ounce cups in trays and add a couple of inches of water. Let them stand as long as my patience holds out, which is not all that long, then add water from the top. When I add water to the top, I use a turkey baster, you know, the kind with the big plastic bulb. I suck water up from the tray and each cup gets one squirt of water. It's faster than you'd think and I don't have to get the foliage wet. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.