Stupice in a container?

[FLRedHeart]

Originally Posted by JJJessee

I had good results from trying a few global buckets last year. 2-eggplants, 2-tomatoes, and 2 peppers. The both tomatoes were just starting to set fruit when a storm took one out and top one that was about 8-9' after @60days from plant out - it was somewhat shady where the tomatoes were. They really do need to have water at least every other day when growing at peak rate. I left mine dry at three days a couple of times and it really hurt them. Using their recommended % of vermiculite is important.

During peak hours plants here easily drink a half liter per hour or more, and three per day. Very large containers or simply a raised bed will take care of this as mentioned by building up the water reserve charge over night. Perhaps some smaller tomato plants would work in containers the size I use ... 6 gallons size or less? But really if the capacity is only a days' use of water, plastic is a simpler solution, and it cleans easy and won't shatter when stored.

[Blueaussi]

I'm not sure what you want me to explain. I had great success using ollas in containers. I'm going to either purchase more this year or make my own.

The difference might be that I don't expect the olla to do all the watering. It's there to even out the fluctuations in soil moisture that cause blossom end rot. I suspect we have very different approaches to gardening, because I really don't like self watering containers.

Let's see, how do we add pictures again? I don't have a picture of a full grown tomato plant with an olla in the post, they got too bushy to see into very easily. Here's a lemon Drop pepper, though. I found they didn't make much difference in peppers, the Lemon Drop without an olla did just as well. I think chili peppers are like honey badgers, they don't care!

[FLRedHeart]

Originally Posted by Blueaussi

The difference might be that I don't expect the olla to do all the watering. It's there to even out the fluctuations in soil moisture that cause blossom end rot. I suspect we have very different approaches to gardening, because I really don't like self watering containers.

Hey if you get a benefit sure, our posts crossed, I never have had any BER in my containers.

Very different ... you are only using it to supplement/even out and also use larger containers. The clay reservior you have didsn't look anything like an olla to me which was confusing. Ollas are what I imagine frijoles or cafe de olla (yum yum) in, very large clay pots. When I used something like this we called them jarras.

The little one with the peppers is very similar to the terracotta bottle holders on Amazon just called automatic watering stakes, kind of like putting the pot's saucer inside and I can see where that is a benefit. Nothing lost to connect a larger reservoir on top of yours, either.

[Blueaussi]

I have some of the terra cotta stakes; and, while they'll do in a pinch, I still prefer the ollas.

Technically, I think an olla is just an unglazed ceramic pot, and I should refer to what I am doing as an olla irrigation system; but I'm lazy, and we should really be posting under one of the recipe sections if we're talking about bean pots.

And I belive that puts me over my quota for run on sentences today.

[Labradors2]

That was very interesting folks. Definitely something to think about for my veggie garden!

Linda