Is the answer to a busy life self watering pots. If you lead a busy life, not always at home every day, then watering your pots can be something you forget to do yourself. So the answer might be yes, self watering pots are great for busy people..
Designed to save you time and make sure that plants get enough moisture they work allowing water to wick back up to the roots of the plants from a reservoir below.
The roots of the plants do not sit in the water, they sit above it, and this is the key factor.
With a number of different types of self watering pots for vegetables and flowering plants available they all work in a number of ways, the most common is by using a wicking action.
How Self Watering Pots Work
Water is stored in the lower levels of the pot and a wick, sometimes an actual wick but usually the potting mix or soil itself acts as a wick to draw the water up to the roots of the plants.
Watering is carried out by filling the reservoir at the bottom of the ‘self watering’ pot. Most self watering pots have an overflow located just above the reservoir to prevent plants from becoming waterlogged.
Designed to save water and time, these pots are increasingly effective and allow watering to be carried out with a minimal effort. Water can be added either directly to the ‘well’ or ‘reservoir’ or collected as run off from rain.
What to use them for.
Self watering pots are ideal for vegetables herbs and tomato plants that grow well in a moist soil.
Larger pots are suitable for tomato plants while smaller pots are great for salad vegetables and herbs such as basil.
Maintenance and Watering
Self watering, does not mean no watering. In dry periods you will need to water, how often is the question.
Monitor soil moisture carefully until you know how long is needed between filling with water. By doing this for a few days or weeks before going away, you know if and how much watering will be required. Remember that rain will also help fill the reservoir.
By mulching around plants in self watering pots the watering period can be extended.
When growing tall plants in self watering pots staking can be difficult. A wire tomato frame works well. We tend to plant taller growing tomatoes in the garden where we can use conventional staking methods and shorter growing types in self watering pots.
Remember to use a good quality potting mix formulated for pots. Garden soil is not suitable for use in pots and containers.
Other Factors
Remember that when filled with potting mix, even lightweight self watering pots and planters will become fairly heavy. We suggest placing the pot in place before filling with potting mix and water. Or use a pot stand on wheels.
We would still suggest moving potted plants into semi shade if you are going on a long break.
One of the self watering pots is the Moss Self Watering Tomato Tower, its available from Masters stores and has a built in staking system. Brilliant for small tomato plants, however in our mind to small for the larger growing varieties.
How to use Self Watering Pots
We have trialled self watering pots and found them to effective. Here is how we went about it.
We have planted this self watering pot out with a ‘Swift’ tomato seedling (pictured left). We chose the Swift because it is low growing (1.2m) and self supporting. Swift is also one of the earliest tomatoes to fruit. An Heirloom Tomato. Planted early November
We mulch around the tomato plant using a fine pine bark mulch once it has settled in, and also plant some basil around the outside of the pot.
pots.
Remember to use a good quality potting mix formulated for pots. Garden soil is not suitable for use in pots and containers.
What to look for in a self watering pot
- Solid construction – UV resistent.
- Water level indicator.
- Mosquito proof water reservoir.
Benefits
- Saves water by collecting water during rain periods for later use.
- Using an organic potting mix you can ‘Grow Organic’.
- Free from weeds initially.
- No digging.
- Quick, easy and time saving.
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