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Vegetable Gardening

Self-Watering Planters and Veggies

15 years ago

I'm trying to encourage my sister to get into gardening. To ease her into it, I've suggested self-watering planters where she'd try her hand at growing basil and perhaps some peppers. My only experience with self-watering containers is my seed-starting trays, and they do indeed keep the soil moist. But I'm wondering whether these self-watering planters would keep vegetables too moist? Anyone tried a self-watering container with vegetables or herbs?

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Comments (6)

digdirt2
15 years ago
Sure Earthboxes (brand) are very popular and Gardeners Supply sells a similar set up to them. But many make their own out of Rubbermaid bins if handy and you'll find many discussions here on how-to with photos. Linked some of the Earthtainer discussions below.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Earthtainer discussions
leira
15 years ago
I've built my own self-watering containers out of the buckets that kitty litter comes in, and basil and peppers are exactly what I grow in them. They both do amazingly well, and I get overrun.

jmalt31 has written up some excellent documents about building your own self-watering planters, and his designs inspired me in the development of my own.

Here is a link that might be useful: jmalt31's self-watering container instructions
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Mark, the modified mix Al recommends is a good place to start, but are you planning on covering the container and relying upon a strip of fertilizer on the surface to feed the plants? This is critical because if you will use the cover/fert strip you really need a fast wicking potting mix and this means peat and vermiculite. What I often tell people getting started with Earthboxes where a cover and fertilizer strip will be used is that the system was designed with peat based mixes and it works very well with them so give that a try for a year. It will give you a good frame of reference for tinkering in subsequent years. Assuming you do not wish to do this then: I would encourage you to make a mix and set it outside to see if it will keep the surface moist for a couple days before committing. This is if you will use the cover and fertilizer strip. If you won't use either then Al's mix (original or modified) will work fine. Keep in mind my experience is in Wisconsin, somebody in a hotter/drier/windier climate might need to modify a bit. Even with the cover on, the wind gets under it from the holes we must cut for the plants. This wind may not seem like much, but it can quickly dry the surface. You really do need to test though, that's the best approach. Just do it outside. I say this because I made the mistake of evaluating how well various materials wicked *inside* (I was going through an endless winter and wanted a gardening 'project'). How something wicks indoors is waaaay different than how it wicks outside due to temp, wind, humidity etc. Again though, you really only need to modify Al's mix with fast wickers like vermiculite or peat if you want to use the cover and fert strip. One last tip, if you find that the very surface goes and stays dry, but an inch down it's moist you can simply bury the fertilizer strip an inch under the surface. This gives more latitude in compromising between a coarse mix that drains well and one that can wick fast enough to keep that fert strip working. Happy growing.
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I just built 8 SWCs today with friends, assembly line style, with plenty of fun breaks to pass the time. All were 18 gallon but one for my cantaloupe. I grew 2 tomatoes in my Mels mix filled 18 gallon SWC last year with great success. This year I hope to duplicate it with 6 plants in 3 SWCs. I expect great results. Hehe despite my profound respect and admiration of EG, I'm still skeptical over something that has nothing even close to resembling dirt to fill my SWCs. Hehe. Good luck!
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You don't say if the animal was trying to access the water reservoir or somehow attracted to it. If it wasn't interested in that, then it means that a self-watering planter is not important here. It is the animal. If you know what the animal is that was doing that, you can try to discourage it somehow. And in case it was attracted to the chamomile, then if you don't have it this year, you may also be OK.
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These will fit where the coir inserts go in my balcony railing planters making it much easier to access and maintain the planter and switch plants as needed. I am going to use the container mostly outdoors but perhaps also indoors in winter, especially when I am away for a few weeks. The drainage holes aren't there and I am wondering what the best location for them is - in the middle at the bottom (which would not provide much of a water reservoir) or somewhere along the sides below/above the black liner?
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raymondo17
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the input. :)
justaguy2
15 years ago
I use Earth Boxes and Gardener Supply Self watering containers for veggies as well as raised beds. I prefer the SWC because I can locate them near my kitchen door.

For a newbie gardener I think a major advantage of self watering containers is there is no way to over water and fertilization is very simple if one uses the Earth Box methodology with a cover.

Perhaps buying her an Earthbox (get the bare bones kit for around $30) and if she is internet savvy, the URL to the Earthbox site (earthbox.com).

I recommend the EB above all others including homemade for absolute beginners because it has very simple instructions and they also have a forum for people to ask questions. Nobody else offers this. You can even spend a little more and get one earth box kit that has caster wheels if moving it around will be necessary, potting mix and fertilizer all included. There is literally nothing to do besides put in some plants and add water to the reservoir.

In other words, there is just growing, no thinking about what potting mix to use, what fertilizer to use, how often or how much to water, none of that.

Plug and play system.
imstillatwork
15 years ago
I built 18 gallon rubbermaids using the instructions posted in the link above. I planted peas (direct sow) first week of Feb, and have nice rows of pea plants growing 1" tall already. If you do direct sow in SWC, I think placing a plastic bag or sheet over the top is vital to avoid drying out the topmost layer.

Not having to worry about watering rocks! I was gone for 4 days and the water level dropped less than 10% (cool, humid weather). Summer will be a different story, but man - so far I am totally excited to use SWC's for the first time.

I can't imaging trying it without some variation of tapla's potting mix.

Here is a link that might be useful: Self Watering Container Instructions
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
leira - how many pepper plants do you grow in each kitty litter bucket? I made one the other day, and thought about planting a couple of jalapeno in it.

EG

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