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smaxey843
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Container construction for container gardening.

I've heard of a few things that I thought were very interesting. like self watering containers? wha??? I almost break into the thought like a skeptic on an info-mercial, "so whats the catch mr self watering container dude" ... so I'm curious how people have used those and enjoyed them. also I've seen a strange dual bucket construction where the first bucket is usable by itself, and the second bottom bucket has a hole drilled in the side three inches up(approximately the gap created by the spacing built into the bucket for stacking) and aparently if you put a pipe down there and I don't fully understand the concept and I havnt found any good resources on this kind of construction

so has anyone used or built either the self watering container, or this bucket thing? and do you know where I can find directions on building one??


another interesting point is what kinds of plants do these best serve? if the water si welling into the plant from the bottom. they probably don't do well for plants that like to dry out like oregano. just a guess. any thoughts???

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rainbowgardener
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You are easily amazed! :)

Self watering containers like this are readily available:

https://www.gardeners.com/Self-Watering-Raised-Beds/PotsPlanters_SelfWateringPlanters,17403,default,cp.html#

This is the fancy (expensive) version. It has a reservoir that can be filled seperately or water just drains down into it from the pot and it has wicking material to gradually wick the water back into the pot a little at a time. This keeps it from getting too soggy as it would if the pot were sitting in water.

(If you mouse over it that linked page shows a diagram of how it works)

For a lot less, that company also sells a conversion kit by which you can convert any appropriately sized container to self watering:

https://www.gardeners.com/Adjustable-Reservoir/PotsPlanters_SelfWateringPlanters,34-507RS,default,cp.html

Or you can make your own, with a dual pot system. If you do that, you don't want the inner pot sitting directly in the water, you want it slightly above the water with a wick connecting them, run up through the soil in the inner pot.

If you do it that way, you can grow pretty much anything in them, because it does not get too wet.

I have a couple and they work well.

The old fashioned way of course is just to put a saucer under your container to collect the drained water. In general you don't want your plants sitting in water, but plants that are outdoors when it is 100 degrees and no rain can use all the water they can get. When it is hot like this, I just put saucers under all my (non-self watering) containers. Water the container until the saucer is full and let it sit. By the next day the water will be all absorbed/evaporated, but I don't water again until the top of the soil is drying out and/or the plants are showing a little wilt. That keeps them from being overwatered.

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smaxey843
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Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 5:22 pm
Location: Goose Creek, SC

yeah I get easily fascinated by something new. kinda like a cat with a new sound or a different design on the laserpointer.

I'll look into those container types when I get home seems everyone in my dept is out sick today. Thanks for so much info!

bfeore I was so easily answered I honestly though this would turn into a conversation about container medium and methods which would wind up a sticky. it might be something I'm fascinated with right now that everyone knows, but I figure'd thats why stickies are there. to point out the biggest parts of a subject.

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smaxey843
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Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 5:22 pm
Location: Goose Creek, SC

How do these types of pots do for certain types of plants? like oregano for example I've foudn through this forum, likes to be dried out between waterings. does that effect the wellbeing of the plant if one of these are used?

CharlieBear
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Don't use them for things that like to dry out, rather they are good for things that don't like tomatoes or to go on vaction. Most vegetables do quite well but herbs not so well. There are people you use them almost exclusively. I use them to pot of my excess tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers(because I want them well away from the rest of the squash family), lettuce and so forth. I hate to toss perfectly good plants. It works better than just regular pots, since you don't have to guess at the amount of water they need. I was a couple of these pots short this year and used regular ones and I can really tell the difference.



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