They also work as wicks or "capillary matting" when you set small pots or 6-pack cells in a tray. That mat wicks water out of over-watered cells, and provides water to drying-out cells.
Like bottom-watering for clumsy people who don't want mud in the carpet.
I splurged on some cotton flannel, but old toweling would be a heavier, faster wick. I might try one as a way to wick water out of the bottom of a shallow, heavy clay raised bed, but like Linda, I keep using them until all the loops wear off the terrycloth and I can see through the fabric.
I might be part chicken: cheap-cheap! cheap-cheap!
http://garden.org/ideas/view/R...
