Self-contained, Closed System Vivariums
Rainbird_WI
21 years ago
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Rainbird_WI
21 years agolast modified: 9 years agoooojen
21 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
mulch for self watering containers
Comments (9)Good input from both of you. I know what you mean about the local critters, as my chickens are free range and love to scratch in the garden. I'm counting on tomato cages in the boxes to help keep the chickies out. The dogs liked to dig in my raised beds as well, so I ended up having to put a cattle panel over the top to discourage two and four legged critters. Chickens love to eat tomatoes also, so I have had to make the lower ends of the cages chicken proof as well. Rick, Thank you for explaning the plastic cover better and that mulch can be used instead without damaging the wicking properties of the bed. You make good points about aeration. The raised beds will have drain holes at a height half inch below the ag drain pipes. The water should not get higher than that, so some aeration would still be present over at least half the bed or more. While the bed will not be 'drainable', the Australians call them 'wicking worm beds', and there are good online references of doing beds this way. They also intentionally let the beds go dry a couple of times each year as a control of misquito and other types of undesirables. For me, this setup would be designed to store water between rains, making it less frequent to actually have to add water myself (I have to haul water in a tank to the garden). I would also hope that it would help maintain a constant water supply to reduce 'spliting' of tomatoes from a heavy rain. Can you tell that I have tomatoes on the brain? Carol...See MoreSelf-watering Containers... Earthbox, etc ??
Comments (8)but has anyone used or can compare Wal-Mart's self-watering planters with other sw designs in the market place? The WM sw designs are available in the traditional window box-, hanging-, and tub-size planters. An easily removable bottom screen also fits on top a water reservoir. Wal-Mart changes who they buy from frequently and regionally so it is impossible to say if I know of the specific containers you are familiar with. Having said that the primary difference between the Wal-Mart SW containers and the Earth Box, Gardener Supply and others is the size of the water reservoir. An Earthbox has a 2 gallon water reservoir and the Gardener Supply box has a 4 gallon water reservoir. The Wal-Mart units usually have a water reservoir measured in quarts, not gallons. This is the first critical difference. To my way of thinking the only reason to use a SW container is to extend watering intervals. I have a Wal-Mart self watering trough that is 30" long by 6 inches wide by 6" deep and another trough of the same interior dimensions that isn't self watering. The Wal-Mart self watering unit needs to be watered more often then the non self watering. Sounds backwards, but it's true. The bottom aeration means faster drying out. Not bad for plant health, but bad for those looking to extend watering intervals. I tend to skip any SW design that has a reservoir measured in any increment less than gallons. The three differences in designs between the WM's sw planters and the EB units are (on the wal-mart unit): no fertilizer stips used Earth Boxes are unique not so much in terms of design, but methodology. They are intended to be covered so no rain top waters and a fertilizer strip consisting of granular, non water soluble fertilizer is placed on top once and that's it for the whole season. Any self watering container can be adapted to the same methodology and it works quite well. It is the ultimate in convenience for those who do not wish to guess over fertilizing how much and how often. no upright watering pipe (buttom/side watering spout), and an open system (not covered like EB). WM's sw open models are probably easier to use (watering through a wider buttom watering spout instead of into a narrow upright pipe... unless the planters are positioned low on the ground) and cheaper if the design works well. There are significant differences between the Wal-Mart, EB and Gardener Supply Units. With Gardener Supply they have several choices and I refer only to their rectangular self watering unit also sold as a bundle under the name 'Tomato Success Kit'. The EB has a vertical tube to add water and an overflow hole in the side making overwatering impossible. The Gardener Supply unit is initially a bit trickier and those who do not read instructions will have problems. The aeration screen is supported by 4 pyramidal supports. For indoor use all is well, there is no overflow hole. For outdoor use those 4 pyramidal supports are designed to have a pliers taken to them and the top twisted/pulled off to make openings. This makes overflow holes. This is clearly explained in the included instructions, but many do not read instructions and experience failure due to swamped plants. Sad, but true. The GS boxes have water gauges that no others have indicating when the reservoir is full. The Wal-Mart containers are simply filled from the mid or bottom section until the reservoir is full, but again their volume capacity is much smaller than the others making the self watering feature of limited use. All self watering containers can have a cover and fertilizer strip patterned after the EB instructions to make fertilizing a non issue. All can skip the cover and fertilizer strip. All can have either a covered (to reduce water loss to evaporation) or uncovered application. The primary difference is price, potting mix volume and water reservoir capacity. In my years of using SW containers my opinion is that the Gardener Supply units are the best value. Earth Box units are close second place (they are different dimensions but hold the same volume potting mix, but the GS box holds 2x the water). The Wal-Mart units, like most Wal-Mart products are cheaper and you get what you pay for. The limited water reservoir size makes them not much use as self waterers. There is another option and it is the Grow Box by Garden Patch. It is roughly the same as the Earth Box, but less money. Unlike GS and EB there is no option for wheels or trellis system and the plastic used isn't as durable under sunlight so they deteriorate faster. Skip them is my advise, again you get what you pay for. Finally, the last difference I consider worth noting is that the Earth Box is slightly more expensive than the Gardener Supply Box both of which are more pricey than the Wal-Mart crap (and it is crap). So forget the Wal-Mart crap and between the EB and GS boxes which should you buy? Here is how I decide. The GS box has a 4 gallon water reservoir and the EB a 2 allon reservoir. Both hold the same volume potting mix while exact dimensions vary a bit. I use the GS boxes for tomatos, cucumbers, pumpkins and other water pigs. I use EB for peppers, herbs, beans and annual flowers. Simply put, the more water a plant uses per day the more likely I am to use a GS box over an EB. The higher the nutrient requirement of the plants the more likely I am to use a GS box over an EB since I can top feed with the GS box. However, there is only one self watering container system that is fully supported online and that is the Earth Box. They have their own forum with members and employees providing feedback which is of immense value to those new to SW container gardening. EB also has full planting charts detailing how many to plant per box and how to arrange them. Simply put EB goes the extra mile to make one's initial foray into professional SW containers a success. My advice is for newbies to get Earth Boxes. Those more seasoned can get GS boxes or make homemade bootleg versions....See Moredirt/water in self-watering container SMELLS
Comments (5)Im using two sub-irrigation planters from Walmart with my standard 1:1 perlite and peat-based potting mix or pine bark fines with some CR fertilizers and top dressed with a thin layer of compost. Neither the planters nor my potting mixes smell. IÂm, however, not using these self-watering planters as you are or as instructed by Earthbox. The Misco Wal-Mart self-watering planters IÂm using have exposed and removable bottom water reservoirs. Since I am gardening under semi-protective shelter on a balcony and for various unique and horticultural reasons, I opted not to use and cover the potting mix with plastic mulch during this trial period. My potting mixes in these planters are not protected from Texas downpours and humidity. Under recent prolonged rainstorms and not being able to deliver and retain the necessary fertilizers to correct prior nutritional deficiencies, my transplanted gardenias showed emerging water stress - increased yellowing and browning of the leaves; hence, I also chose not top off the water reservoirs after the first week of use. A few days ago, I relocated the pots to let the potting mix dry out between rains to facilitate the movement of oxygen to the roots more efficiently and only filled the reservoirs partially with a weak acid-loving fertilizer solution. Any visible progress was slow. Instead of risking damaging the roots by watering and delivering the needed soluble nitrogen and micronutrients to the potting mix and the roots or further delaying supplementing the needed fertilizers and micro-nutrients until the potting mix moisture is ready, I also made due with a temporary weak concoction of acid-loving fertilizer foliar spray. The temporary foliar spray made a quick visible difference. The two gardenias have stabilized and are both doing well in the Wal-Mart sub-irrigation planters and with empty and partially filled water reservoirs. I project based on my short-term experience of using the Misco sub-irrigation planters so far with my fairly light mix and under my current wet growing conditions, topping off the water reservoirs may only be necessary periodically during vacation or hot and active growth periods in mid-summer growing conditions. Odor invariably has to do with soil moisture control and air movement. The wet rag smell is due to poor aeration, which can be caused by many factors such as, waterlogged growing medium, overpotting  little or no water and air movement due to reduced plant respiration and transpiration, emerging bacterial/fungal population, the use of plastic mulch for the wrong plant, climate/zone/season, or on the wrong SW planter, stale, unmoving, under-utilized water in reservoir over prolonged period of time, or any combination of the above. In theory, all passive sub-irrigation planters, small or large, closed or open, and without the use of air and water pumps, work off the same principles. Unless a design violates and neglects some physical laws in a major way, any differences in the effectiveness between planters should not be significant enough that they can't be easily accomplished in another way or managed by proven horticultural practices. Moreover, any advantages over hands-off effectiveness and good designs of one sub-irrigation design over another may be neutralized and less essential as in meeting the diversity of growing conditions and horticultural needs of different plants. In any case, itÂs more economical and effective to increase soil aeration (and/or the effectiveness of capillary action) by modifying the potting mix directly rather than shopping for the best sub-irrigation planter. Even if one has the best passive sub-irrigation planter on the market, the composition of a potting mix is still a leading consideration with respect to the needs of the plant and specific unique growing conditions. Other than the viewable exposed water reservoirs (an advantage or disadvantage depending on perspective) that may compromise the health of roots in extreme micro-climates and temperature fluctuations, or may subject them to attacks from insects (not an issue yet in West-Nile country Texas but the opening can be covered or insulated), I kind of like the simplicity, the functional flexibility, and the prices of WM's welf-watering planters, especially when the same laws of physics apply in all passive sub-irrigation growers. While there has been a lot of intervention on my part with this current semi-open sub-irrigation setup exacerbated by frequent downpours while trying to correct certain nutritional deficiencies in the first few weeks of this trial period, I am satisfied with the progress made by my gardenias in the Misco Self-Watering Planters. There is some appeal in branding a method or a planter as hands-off user-friendly, but my primary interests in using sub-irrigation planters and hydroponic systems in gardening are not for hands-off benefits but to be surrounded by nature, eat clean nutritious foods, grow things well with less efforts and higher yields while conserving resources  water and fertilizers to reduce environmental pollution. There is no buyerÂs remorse so far, but without testing the planters over at least one summer and winter and in other pot sizes, itÂs still too early to reach a verdict about the value of the purchase or future purchases....See Morelet's talk about self-watering systems
Comments (4)Hi - I grow almost all my houseplants on a wick watering system. This works great for my African violets and most plants that enjoy staying evenly moist (most of them). They are cheap and easy to make. The main requirement is that the potting soil has got to be very light and porous to keep plants from being too wet and rotting. I use a 1-1-1 mix of perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss. To this mix, I add about 1 tsp. of dolomite lime per quart of peat moss. Some folks just buy a bag of the lightest commercial mix and mix it half and half with perlite to lighten it further. For wicks, you can use synthetic material - something that is absorbent. I use 1" wide strips of nylon knee-high socks. Some folks use polyester yarn. Thread the wick through the pot so that it hangs out the bottom drainage hole. Pot the plant in the wicked pot using the light potting mix. You are now going to dangle the wick into some kind of reservoir. I use plastic freezer jars or deli containers with snap on lids. These are available from African violet suppliers. I make my own by buying the plastic freezer jars at the supermarket and melting two holes in the lid with an old knife I heat on the stove top. One hole goes in the center of the lid for the wick to pass through, and one hole goes near the edge of the lid -- this is your fill hole to pour water in. Then, you moisten the plant soil, fill the container with water, and thread the wick from the bottom of the pot through the center hole so that it dangles into the water in the container. Stand the pot on top of the closed lid. This will keep the plant watered for two weeks to a month. For years, I have grown the violets, ferns, a ming tree, ivy, fittonia, and arrowhead plant this way. They do great. Many serious AV growers use this method. Try the African violet forum for more info. Best, Barbara...See Morepaul_
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