Homemade selfwatering containers.

[MsCowpea]

Earthboxes are very UV resistant--my oldest one is 8 years or so and ALWAYS out in the weather/sun year-round and no problems.

Though initially expensive they look like they will last a long long time.

Tim. very good post with lots of good information. Just one little nitpicky point--tomatoes actually don't prefer a pH above neutral. Depending on the source I have seen 5.8 to 6.5 as ideal , one extension brochure goes as high as 7 (neutral), another as low as 5.5. I think these are field pH requirements--container grown toms may tolerate a little higher as they are fertilized more frequently. (Though one greenhouse site I was reading said yield was reduced by 25% at 7 pH.) They adapt to even higher alkaline soils as I can attest but that is not the ideal as you must deal with minor element deficiencies with high pH.

Soilless mixes have to adjust pH to an ideal level as they contain sphagnum peat (3.0-4.0 pH) and/or bark (4.0 to 5.0 pH) which have acidic pH. From an ideal pH the mix becomes increasingly acid when organic matter breaks down over the season so that is another reason dolomite is added. I have read that a slow-release one would be even better.

Technical brochure on container soil as it relates to the nursery trade-(not everybodies cup of tea). This brochure also explains why it is not a good idea to add rocks/pot shards etc for additional drainage.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/CN004