Speedling Seedling Barges

I mentioned earlier that I’m experimenting with a couple of 128 cell Speedling transplant trays from Peaceful Valley.

The plants that survived my overzealous aphid eradication effort were established enough to start hardening off a bit outside in preparation for transplanting this week. I had been putting them on the back steps for a few hours now and then; by Sunday they were ready for some decent exposure to sun and wind. The only concern was that it is so dry outside and the open bottom design might dry the soil out too much if I misjudged timing or forgot about them.
Then I remembered reading that these polystyrene trays were used in hydroponic systems as free floating island plant hosts.

I checked a tray out in the old bell that serves as a listing birdbath in the center of the boxwood area of the garden. It floated fine with about 1/4 inch below the surface, possibly enough to wick up all the moisture needed by the seedlings on a sunny windy day.

The second tray wouldn’t fit until I added water then both fit just fine:

(You can tell the rows that got wiped out in the aphid hunt.)

The plants floated all afternoon and the surface of the starting mix remained dark and moist even in the relatively brisk wind.

This is all that is to this post; I just thought it was pretty cool, but then again I’m easily amused sometimes.