Saucers/trays to hold water under containers?

[tnpeppers]

I have an off-beat request I would like to throw out there...I grow in containers. For three-gallon pots, I use 1020 trays to hold two pots; then I 'water from below' as needed...I also have five-gallon pastry buckets sitting in larger plastic trays (a la drywall trays) that I also fill with water as needed. I seem to be getting 'earth box' results with tomatoes grown in this fashion, and I would like to try planting more in this manner. I get plenty of pastry buckets and such from my local grocery store, but now I am looking for some sort of 'cost effective' (read 'cheap') watering tray that I can set buckets in...the 1020 are just a bit too narrow...such a tray needs to be twelve inches by twelve inches, and roughly four inches deep. Drywall trays are great, but too large and certainly not cost effective. We're talking 60 -100 such trays. Any ideas?

[peppero]

i use lids off of 5 gal buckets, frisbees(from the bargain store) and pie pans: anything that will work under the various sized containers.

jon

[tlintx]

Would disposable full size pans work? I don't think I'd want to move them around a lot, but I've used the half size for watering trays for seedlings. I use the non-disposable jelly roll style (probably too shallow for your purposes) too.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/bakers-...navAction=push

Just a thought.

[tnpeppers]

Hmmm...that's the general idea...that particular item would be too narrow (has to be twelve at the minimum on all sides), bit if I can find something like that with the appropriate dimensions; it would certainly be cost effective. Thanks!

[tnpeppers]

I like pie...frisbees are certainly cheap at the Dollar Store...already a coupleof good ideas...looks like I may have to go shopping around...

[ddsack]

How about a cheap hard plastic kiddie swimming pool? You could grow them in a circle along the outside edge, or crowd it full if you don't mind close quarters.

[tlintx]

You could build your own! The larry hall rain gutter gardens are an inspiration. Depends on what kind of space you have.

I would also check the dollar store and the party store for cheap summer-weight trays.

[tnpeppers]

Build my own? LOLOL...drilling holes in pastry buckets comes as close to 'building' something as I will ever get. Check stores for cheap trays? Now THAT I can handle!

[Rockporter]

Originally Posted by tnpeppers

Build my own? LOLOL...drilling holes in pastry buckets comes as close to 'building' something as I will ever get. Check stores for cheap trays? Now THAT I can handle!

Drilling one hole in the bottom of the bucket and adding a basket to hold the wicking mix is all you have to do with the bucket. I think you should take a look at the Larry Hall design, he has some great videos to show you the design. It really is simple.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=lar...utf-8&fr=b2ie7

[tlintx]

You can also heat a screwdriver on the stove and push it through plastic to make holes.

I'm no good with power tools, but I can nail boards together!

The raingutter gardens really are inspiring. And the principle could be adapted, say, to a wood box holding a kiddie pool or underbed tote or metal pans. And you could use wicks through drainage holes in existing pots instead of modifying buckets.

[ginger2778]

This will be cheap but won't last for years. Get boxes from Costco or SAMs then place the box bottom inside a plastic garbage can liner bag. Tie at the end then fill with water and place your container in it.
Marsha

[tnpeppers]

You can nail boards together?

[tlintx]

Yes, sort of. Not very well, and the parts I've already nailed usually fall apart when I move to the next section. But I have no other options since the staple gun incident.

I guess I should learn how to use a drill, but after what happened to the weed eater... it's getting expensive.

My usual strategy is to look so pathetic (and have the end product look so pathetic) that my handy spouse takes over. I realize this isn't very PC, but he does the same thing to me when it comes to dishes, laundry, and finding things in the fridge.

[tnpeppers]

Thanks to everyone for some inspirational ideas!

[Ed of Somis]

Maybe I am misunderstanding the concept...but from what I have read, a container standing in water will drown the roots of a plant. The perched water in the bottom of the pot can not drain out. Am I lost???