Self-Watering Planters and Bottom Watering Seed Tray Contradiction?

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

I've been doing research on bottom watering, and have looked up many sources for the same kind of info. For self-watering planters, the instructions state to (optionally) drench from the top to fully saturate it and remove air bubbles, and then constantly keep the reservoir filled with water, never dried up.

However, for bottom watering seed trays, they work with a similar system in that you soak the base of the planters with the water in the tray and then let the water soak up the soil from the base.

Herein lies the contradiction: The tutorials for the latter (seed tray) state to always pour away the excess water after soaking up the soil. But that goes against the system for self-watering planters which uses the same kind of method to wick water up, but states to keep the reservoir (which would be equivalent to the base tray) constantly filled with water.

Which exactly is the correct advice?

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Comments (6)

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
2 years ago
Two different applications. I always water my seed trays from the bottom. I have never used a self watering pot as the risk of saturated soil is too great.

tj
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
^^ What he said :-) You are trying to compare apples and oranges. I also avoid self watering containers for the same reason - high perched water table/layer of permanently saturated soil. A completely different application and process than bottom watering seedling trays.
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alexcm [z6a]
2 years ago
I agree with the others, and there's the fact that if you never water from the top you aren't flushing the soil, so the nutrient concentration can easily get to unhealthy levels.

Question though: one point nobody addressed yet is the advice to dump the excess water in the seed tray after it's saturated. Is that a good move? I've never done it, and tbh if I did I probably would struggle to keep up with the watering.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
I dump it. You never want pots - and that includes seed trays or plugs - to sit in water for any length of time.

And by dump I mean recycle the excess water into some other container.
alexcm [z6a]
2 years ago
Yeah that sounds like the best move, I was following instructions that came with my tray and leaving probably an inch of water on the bottom. Most things were perfectly happy with that, but maybe it's the reason I always have trouble starting rosemary seeds...
John S
Original Author
2 years ago
@tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱ @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) @alexcm [z6a]

So do you all suggest the old method of simply saturating from the top? Or is it still safe enough to use the self-watering pot, but don't fill the reservoir fully and maybe only like, halfway up?

There are holes for aeration around the base of the pot, which are located above the reservoir.

Self-Watering Planters and Bottom Watering Seed Tray Contradiction?

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tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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Self-Watering Planters and Bottom Watering Seed Tray Contradiction?

Comments (6)

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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alexcm [z6a]

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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John SOriginal Author

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