Help with my self watering container

rockyonekc · May 22, 2013

I have been reading a lot about self watering containers. I picked up some soil conditioner at HD that is 50/50 pine bark fines and compost. I also have peat, perlite, vermiculite and coarse diatomaceous earth on hand. I plan to plant an extra Ichiban eggplant in my container, or maybe a Kimberly I have been trying to find a home for.

I have had the pictured 12.5" container for several years. Not even sure where it came from. It seems to have a built in x shaped wicking basket. Should I just wet some mix and fill the pot including the recessed basket area? Or should I use some other type of media to wick water up into my mix?

SIP Gro-Tubs · May 23, 2013

Use the perlite, the best of what you have on hand, and even go some on the bottom will make it that much better.

I've seen those type of pots a long time ago, but they didn't go over big in sales and the manufacture stopped making them.

I've also had a similar setup in the past, and thier instructions reccomended perlite, but they are out of buisness also.

Thats why I, make my own SIP's, SWC's, or whatever you want to call them.

The oddest water reservoir that I've used was a Cake carring container from Dollar General, worked great, and is still being used by the Bird of Paradise, planted over 10 years ago.

Terry Layman

Rockporter · May 23, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockyonekc

I have been reading a lot about self watering containers. I picked up some soil conditioner at HD that is 50/50 pine bark fines and compost. I also have peat, perlite, vermiculite and coarse diatomaceous earth on hand. I plan to plant an extra Ichiban eggplant in my container, or maybe a Kimberly I have been trying to find a home for.

I have had the pictured 12.5" container for several years. Not even sure where it came from. It seems to have a built in x shaped wicking basket. Should I just wet some mix and fill the pot including the recessed basket area? Or should I use some other type of media to wick water up into my mix?

You will need some peat as well, it will wick the water up into the mix but don't use much compost because it will be too heavy in the mix.

rockyonekc · May 23, 2013

Thanks for the help so far. Peat with the perlite in the bottom? Or peat in the mix? Or both? What ratios are we talking about? The soil conditioner that I bought has 50 percent compost 50 percent pine bark fines.

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk HD

Rockporter · May 23, 2013

Peat, Perlite and your mix. Honestly, I wouldn't use compost of any kind in a self watering container but you could take a look at Larry Hall on Youtube and his "Rain Gutter Gardening". He uses compost and has a formula he uses for his self watering containers. I think that would be your best bet because he uses it and seems to work for him.

ArthurDent004 · May 23, 2013

I bought some soil conditioner at Lowes that has worked well for me. I used Raybo's 3-2-1 mix.

3 Parts Pine Bark Fines
2 Parts Peat
1 Part Perlite.

You'll need to add lime to raise the PH of the mix, if you use Peat. I substituted Coir for Peat so I wouldn't need to use lime. My strawberry plants seems happy so far.

You may find this article helpful for creating potting mixes.

http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/...Production.pdf

rockyonekc · May 24, 2013

I have yet to find a local source for pine bark fines. Went to Lowes and their pine bark mulch and nuggets had too many big particles. So far I have been to 2 big box stores and a garden center. I will keep looking.

ArthurDent004 · May 24, 2013

I couldn't find anything named "Pine Bark Fines" locally either. Someone on another forum said they had bought the following at Lowes.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_97675-66882-...oner&facetInfo=

I've attached three shots of what it looks like.

rockyonekc · May 25, 2013

That's what I was hoping to find at Lowe's today. Not available in my area. There was a variety of MG products but they all had built in fert, or moisture beads, or both. To their credit they had the lime built in. I have a couple other places I can check this weekend. Who knew this would be so difficult.:confused:

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Rockporter · May 25, 2013

The amount of ferts and lime built in are negligent and should not be counted in your self watering containers. You should still be adding the recommended ferts and dolomited lime to the container as instructed. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and the amount added is not enough to support the full season growth of the plant.

rockyonekc · June 13, 2013

Here's what I ended up with for my pine bark. It is pine bark soil conditioner from summer fields farm. About $7 for 3cf. I ended up planting it with eggplant using Raybo's 3-2-1 mix and a cup of fert. I will post pictures of my sips soon.

tlintx · June 14, 2013

As someone who has tried a number of options for "pine bark fines" I can tell you that building a soil on it is fiddly and annoying. I would never ever do if I had access to the holy grail called ProMix BX. I fail a lot and I never seem to get closer to an ideal mix!

The best luck I've had is with soil conditioner -- in Texas that's composted forest products - that's extremely decomposed. Lowe's and HD both carry it. From what I understand, the pine bark is a filler ingredient, while the peat holds moisture and wicks and the perlite aerates?

I have perennials growing quite happily in a mix of pine mulch, peat moss, and perlite, but vegetables were not happy in it. :surprise: So I went back to the soil conditioner.

I have several containers like you pictured up there, by the way! Walmart still sells something similar. The reservoir is so small I pretty much ignore it, but it's nice to have a little bit of a buffer.

rockyonekc · June 27, 2013

Thought I would post back and update my container info. First, I have since figured out that my container is a SIP, not self watering. I have it hooked into my hanging basket drip zone, so it IS auto watering, but not self watering.

Here is a picture of the Long Purple eggplant I ended up planting in the container. Doesn't look like much, but it was really tiny when I planted it.

For a better comparison, here is a picture of an Ichabon eggplant in a similar container I found for less than $12 at HD while I was searching for bark fines. It has the same 321 mix + lime + fert strip. Today was the first time I had to add water to the reservoirs.

Now compare the SIP container Ichabon to the ones I planted in the ground in full sun. They are all from the same 4 pack from the local garden center on the same fert. They haven't really started to take off despite daytime temps in upper 80's, low nineties. Today was 95 degrees.

I have been amazed how little water and attention these SIP containers require. So now I am consumed with how to build some more SIPS using free and recycled materials. Here is my next experiment. It's a galvanized tub I rescued from my grandmother's house . They ran a greenhouse in their backyard so it has some good mojo about it. Gonna fill it with some more 321 mix and a couple of extra zucchini seedlings I have laying around.

tlintx · June 27, 2013

Addictive, isn't it? Especially when the temperature skyrocket! And nice to see a post on recycled SIPs!

Tl

May 22, 2013	#1
rockyonekc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Zone 5b - Blue Springs, MO Posts: 78	Help with my self watering container I have been reading a lot about self watering containers. I picked up some soil conditioner at HD that is 50/50 pine bark fines and compost. I also have peat, perlite, vermiculite and coarse diatomaceous earth on hand. I plan to plant an extra Ichiban eggplant in my container, or maybe a Kimberly I have been trying to find a home for. I have had the pictured 12.5" container for several years. Not even sure where it came from. It seems to have a built in x shaped wicking basket. Should I just wet some mix and fill the pot including the recessed basket area? Or should I use some other type of media to wick water up into my mix?

May 23, 2013	#2
SIP Gro-Tubs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Natalia, TX Posts: 143	Perlite Use the perlite, the best of what you have on hand, and even go some on the bottom will make it that much better. I've seen those type of pots a long time ago, but they didn't go over big in sales and the manufacture stopped making them. I've also had a similar setup in the past, and thier instructions reccomended perlite, but they are out of buisness also. Thats why I, make my own SIP's, SWC's, or whatever you want to call them. The oddest water reservoir that I've used was a Cake carring container from Dollar General, worked great, and is still being used by the Bird of Paradise, planted over 10 years ago. Terry Layman

May 23, 2013	#5
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	Peat, Perlite and your mix. Honestly, I wouldn't use compost of any kind in a self watering container but you could take a look at Larry Hall on Youtube and his "Rain Gutter Gardening". He uses compost and has a formula he uses for his self watering containers. I think that would be your best bet because he uses it and seems to work for him. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

May 25, 2013	#9
rockyonekc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Zone 5b - Blue Springs, MO Posts: 78	That's what I was hoping to find at Lowe's today. Not available in my area. There was a variety of MG products but they all had built in fert, or moisture beads, or both. To their credit they had the lime built in. I have a couple other places I can check this weekend. Who knew this would be so difficult.:confused: Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2 Last edited by rockyonekc; May 25, 2013 at 02:54 AM.

May 25, 2013	#10
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	The amount of ferts and lime built in are negligent and should not be counted in your self watering containers. You should still be adding the recommended ferts and dolomited lime to the container as instructed. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and the amount added is not enough to support the full season growth of the plant. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

May 23, 2013	#6
ArthurDent004 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Cordova, TN Posts: 148	I bought some soil conditioner at Lowes that has worked well for me. I used Raybo's 3-2-1 mix. 3 Parts Pine Bark Fines 2 Parts Peat 1 Part Perlite. You'll need to add lime to raise the PH of the mix, if you use Peat. I substituted Coir for Peat so I wouldn't need to use lime. My strawberry plants seems happy so far. You may find this article helpful for creating potting mixes. http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/...Production.pdf

May 24, 2013	#7
rockyonekc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Zone 5b - Blue Springs, MO Posts: 78	I have yet to find a local source for pine bark fines. Went to Lowes and their pine bark mulch and nuggets had too many big particles. So far I have been to 2 big box stores and a garden center. I will keep looking.

June 13, 2013	#11
rockyonekc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Zone 5b - Blue Springs, MO Posts: 78	Here's what I ended up with for my pine bark. It is pine bark soil conditioner from summer fields farm. About $7 for 3cf. I ended up planting it with eggplant using Raybo's 3-2-1 mix and a cup of fert. I will post pictures of my sips soon. Last edited by rockyonekc; June 13, 2013 at 11:39 PM.

June 14, 2013	#12
tlintx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: SeTx Posts: 881	As someone who has tried a number of options for "pine bark fines" I can tell you that building a soil on it is fiddly and annoying. I would never ever do if I had access to the holy grail called ProMix BX. I fail a lot and I never seem to get closer to an ideal mix! The best luck I've had is with soil conditioner -- in Texas that's composted forest products - that's extremely decomposed. Lowe's and HD both carry it. From what I understand, the pine bark is a filler ingredient, while the peat holds moisture and wicks and the perlite aerates? I have perennials growing quite happily in a mix of pine mulch, peat moss, and perlite, but vegetables were not happy in it. :surprise: So I went back to the soil conditioner. I have several containers like you pictured up there, by the way! Walmart still sells something similar. The reservoir is so small I pretty much ignore it, but it's nice to have a little bit of a buffer.

June 27, 2013	#13
rockyonekc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Zone 5b - Blue Springs, MO Posts: 78	Thought I would post back and update my container info. First, I have since figured out that my container is a SIP, not self watering. I have it hooked into my hanging basket drip zone, so it IS auto watering, but not self watering. Here is a picture of the Long Purple eggplant I ended up planting in the container. Doesn't look like much, but it was really tiny when I planted it. For a better comparison, here is a picture of an Ichabon eggplant in a similar container I found for less than $12 at HD while I was searching for bark fines. It has the same 321 mix + lime + fert strip. Today was the first time I had to add water to the reservoirs. Now compare the SIP container Ichabon to the ones I planted in the ground in full sun. They are all from the same 4 pack from the local garden center on the same fert. They haven't really started to take off despite daytime temps in upper 80's, low nineties. Today was 95 degrees. I have been amazed how little water and attention these SIP containers require. So now I am consumed with how to build some more SIPS using free and recycled materials. Here is my next experiment. It's a galvanized tub I rescued from my grandmother's house . They ran a greenhouse in their backyard so it has some good mojo about it. Gonna fill it with some more 321 mix and a couple of extra zucchini seedlings I have laying around.