My skepticism about capillary mats for seedlings finally gave way after three wet winters

I always thought those gray capillary mats you see in greenhouse supply catalogs were just a gimmick. For years I bottom watered my trays by hand, which meant checking every single one every morning before work. Last January I had a batch of 72 tomato seedlings that I forgot to water for two days straight. They all wilted badly and only about 40 recovered. I finally bought a 4x8 foot mat from a place in Portland for about 35 bucks. Set it up on a metal table with a reservoir of water underneath. Honestly I was sure the water would just pool on top and rot everything. But the mat wicks just enough that the soil stayed damp without being soaked. I didn't lose a single seedling during the 8 weeks they sat on that mat. Has anyone else had issues with mats growing algae or getting moldy after a few months of use?

3 comments

3 Comments

laura_allen19d ago

Algae will show up if you let the water sit stagnant too long, just flush the mat with a dilute hydrogen peroxide mix every few weeks and you're golden.

johnson.paul19d ago

Isn't it funny how the same principle applies to so many things? Let stuff sit still too long and it always gets funky. My rain barrel starts to smell like a swamp if I don't use the water fast enough. A little splash of peroxide keeps it fresh just like you said.

robinson.hannah19d ago

Well shoot, I used to think that was just snake oil. I had this bucket I use for rinsing off garden tools and I'd just let it sit and get nasty, then dump it out and start over. Figured that was just how water works when it's not moving. Never occurred to me that a little peroxide could keep the funk away without having to replace the whole thing every week. I guess I always assumed if water went bad you just had to toss it and get fresh. This might actually save me some hassle with my watering can too, now that I think about it.