How wet is too wet?

[bodah]

I built a couple of SWCs out of things that I had around the house, and they seem to be working, but the soil seems really wet. Every time I check it, I think that it is too wet. It isn't sopping wet, but just feels like it might be too much.

I haven't planted anything in them yet, but I have been keeping an eye on the moistness of the soil until it gets warmer here.

[fifteencharacters]

I'm bumping this, because I'm curious as well.

I've recently transplanted four tomato plants into some SWC and I'm getting massive leaf curl. I'm hoping that it's related to the transplant stress as opposed to the potting mix being too wet.

I've heard people mentioning a "wick" at the bottom of their SWCs to let them know when to water again. Could y'all explain that concept to me? Just put some cloth at the lowest level of the potting mix?

[coloken]

***I haven't planted anything in them yet, but I have been keeping an eye on the moistness of the soil until it gets warmer here.***
Since you havent planted yet; dump out the mixture and mix in about 10 or 20 percent perlite. My opinion is that the soil has more to do with the wet than the size of the wick.
Just my thoughts/

[Talon1189]

Ray knows his stuff for SWC from years of experience.............. Here is a link to build his tomato containers http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/

[dice]

I use a moisture meter to test containers. If it stays in the "wet"
range all of the time, perhaps that container mix or potting mix
holds water too well for that use or the wicking basket is too
large across the top for the size of the container. Perlite or
some other solid material that does not absorb or hold water
well would help with the first problem if mixed liberally into
the container mix.