Capillary Matting Watering System

Using capillary matting in watering systems is the effective way to provide large numbers of plants in pots or seed trays with water on benching or shelving in greenhouses and polytunnels.

Capillary matting watering system.

This will act as your wick sucking water up from the reservoir in to your tray. Without a steady supply of water the results can be disastrous. Setting up your automatic watering system 1. Prepare the capillary matting.

The mat is soaked with water for the benefit of. Capillary matting greenhouse watering system how does a capillary mat work. The capillary action of the matting can pull water up a slight gradient which has the effect of dispersing it evenly across the whole surface of the bench or floor space. Place the pots on the mat.

Soil will absorb the water by osmosis and deliver it to the plant roots. First you need to place a polythene sheeting on the bench. Then put a capillary mat on top of it. Capillary matting acts as a reservoir by holding irrigation water and rain where it s required.

It is an improved version of the sand bench method. Set up a flat tray over a container of water and cover with capillary matting. Often called a capillary mat this item is a common sight in large greenhouses where automatic watering is a necessity. Hose pipes soaker hoses.

Add a piece of matting which will function as a wick drawing up water from the reservoir below. A variety of watering systems are available to greenhouse operators large and small but one of the most simple and inexpensive is a capillary mat. Capillary watering systems take advantage of the natural capillary action of compost to draw water up from capillary matting to ensure your plants are kept supplied with the correct amount of water. Give your pots too much or too little water and seeds can fail to germinate plants can die or they can fail to reach their full potential.

Cut a second long thin strip of capillary matting say 15 cm wide and twice the width of your gravel tray long. Just set your pots on top and the mat will absorb water from a container or sink to water plants through the drainage holes from the bottom up. It uses the principle of osmosis. Constant root growth is encouraged as plants are never over or under watered.