Hey dude, absolutely, the way to do it is create a wicking bed underneath the pot. You can use pretty much anything that's a few inches deep. I did a quick search for "wicking smart pot" and came up with the link below (it's for growing weed) but applies to veggies and more -- you set the smart pot on top of a wicking substrate like perlite, pumice or a capillary mat and the water will be pulled up towards the plant. The pot doesn't sit in the water, rather there's a inch or so of air between the water level and the pot, allowing water to be pulled up by the plant as needed. You can also create a float valve system tied to a hose so that when the water level goes down below a certain point, it triggers the valve and lets more water in. These are used all the time in rain gutter grows. I'm going to do it with my veggies in Root Pouches and $1 oil drip trays from the dollar store. Finally, wicking systems (like Earthtainers and Earth Boxes) only really work for one grow season. And they only work with normal soil mix, not 5-1-1 or gritty. For growing veggies in one season, self wicking is fantastic. For trees and perennials, go with a drip system, otherwise you run into all kinds of issues such as decomposing mix, severe salt buildup and more. Hope that helps! Here is a link that might be useful: Self Wicking Smart Pots

Thank you for the quick response Ron, Jeff, Beachplants. These units were cheap (the small ones for the 8" pots were only $1.25) so I put them on a couple re-pots as an experiment, but I still left a swatch of screen underneath it (over the big drainage hole). Beachplants - their website seems to allude that's what the roots are supposed to do; i.e. find the spot with the air pockets. I do not know how critical that really is, especially with my most mature jades having survived very well in less than ideal conditions many years ago when I knew absoutely 'zero' about their care. It may take 2-4 years before these pots that I used them on need to be re-potted, and to the point where the roots clog the base, so I guess I have two 8" pots that will be marked "long-term experiment". Jeff - yes, I do not use rocks, gravel, or clay shards (anymore) as I found out the hard way (drainage problems). I do use the stainless steel screens. I never tried newspaper. Does that not disintegrate? My mix is VERY fast draining. Though not as exotic as I have read a lot of you guys have. And I have never used MG mix for anything, so I guess I'm safe there. :-)

This is exactly how I do it. You are on the right track my friend. You've got plenty of time for further root growth before the dormant season. They'll do fine.

I know summer is still in full swing, but I know I'll forget to ask later on. So while I still remember and have time, I wanted to know if anyone stored used potting soil in a root pouch/smart pots on a fire escape over winter. I would like to reuse the soil and from reading online here and elsewhere most people seem to leave the soil in the container used outside. The problem is I used unglazed terra cotta containers which I know I'll have to store indoors to prevent damage from the cold. Since I planned to purchase a root pouch/smart pot to use next year, I figured I could purchase one now, store the soil in it and have it ready for use come spring. My questions are: If using a root pouch/smart pot, did you cover the top from the elements or do anything in particular to keep pests out? Is it possible to add used coffee grounds/mulch/etc to the soil to compost over winter in these conditions? Is it advised in this case or foolhardy because of potential vermin and pests? Anything in particular to know or consider? Thanks.