Hi all,

I was thinking... wouldn't it be easier to know when to water
seeds/seedlings/plants if the trays/pots were see-through? Do such
things exist?

Cheers,
Nick

They're not particularly pretty, but if you recycle your old clear plastic
food containers and use them as pots or trays, you can see how the roots are
doing without disturbing them. Good for in the greenhouse. I don't think it
would be as much use for checking the watering though. It's much easier to
just stick a finger into the compost. If that's too much trouble, you can
get sticks which play a tune when they dry out...

Martin

Nick Williamson wrote in message ...
I was thinking... wouldn't it be easier to know when to water
seeds/seedlings/plants if the trays/pots were see-through? Do such
things exist?

In article , (Nick Williamson) wrote:

Clear pots would very soon get covered in algae inside, this would make them
as opaque as clay pots, and not as attractive.
The algae would also compete for any plant food you may administer as well as
probably souring the compost.

Charle Drown

Hi all,

I was thinking... wouldn't it be easier to know when to water
seeds/seedlings/plants if the trays/pots were see-through? Do such
things exist?

Cheers,
Nick

"Nick Williamson" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,
I was thinking... wouldn't it be easier to know when to water
seeds/seedlings/plants if the trays/pots were see-through? Do such
things exist?
Cheers,
Nick

A more reliable method is one of those moisture testers they sell in
garden centres :~)
jenny

"JennyC" wrote in message ...
A more reliable method is one of those moisture testers they sell in
garden centres :~)

Absolutely, and I have one. It's just that's it's a whacking great
thing like a drumstick and I'm averse to poking it into a small pot
containing tender seedlings... there isn't much space and it leaves a
deep hole.

Cheers,
Nick

"Nick Williamson" wrote in message
om...
"JennyC" wrote in message
...
A more reliable method is one of those moisture testers they sell
in
garden centres :~)

Absolutely, and I have one. It's just that's it's a whacking great
thing like a drumstick and I'm averse to poking it into a small pot
containing tender seedlings... there isn't much space and it leaves
a
deep hole.
Cheers,
Nick

With practise you can learn the amount of dampness by the weight of a
pot.........:~)
Jenny

With regard to getting your watering right I've found that it's best to have
seed trays sitting in a tray with a little water in the bottom. You have to
adjust the water level depending on the depth of the seed tray, seeds planted,
compost type, etc. However, once you've found your water level, you can set up
an 'automatic' watering system to keep this level constant. All it takes is an
inverted bottle full of water with a nick cut out of the top to allow water
out/air in when the water level in the tray drops below the optimum level.
I've actually gone away for two weeks in mid-summer and left my plants to the
mercy of this system, and it works. I'm sure I'm not alone though.

Dave.