Self Watering vs traditional containers

gtnate · July 5, 2011

Is there any reason to use self-watering containers over traditional containers other than the fact that you don't have to remember to water them? I live in Seattle, and since we don't get the scorching hot weather here, I don't have to worry about my containers drying out anyway. I don't mind hand watering the plants when they need it, and I grow all of my tomatoes in pots that are at least 10 gallons, so they don't dry that quickly anyway.

With all that said, is there any reason that I should still consider making a few self-watering 'tainers?

Thanks,
Nate

dice · July 5, 2011

Self-watering containers may conserve fertilizer better. Instead
of dissolving and leaching out into the soil below the pot, fertilizer
would stay in the container until the plant (or bacteria digesting
organic matter) used it. Typically you want to use them with a
rain shield (evaporation shield in hot climates), a piece of plastic
over the top with the plant growing up out of it, with the container
mix mounded up in the middle so that rainwater runs toward
the outside edges. This keeps rain from washing the fertilizer down
into the reservoir and out the overflow holes.

They also conserve water when the weather is hot, because water
does not run out the bottom of the pot (a little bit out of the overflow
holes so that you can see when the reservoir is full; with an automated
watering system, you do not even use that, since refill is programmed,
rather than visual, and it can be set to shut off before the reservoir is
full).

Slow-release, organic fertilizers narrow the gap some, because
there is less chance of the fertilizer leaching out of the container
mix, regardless of whether it is self-watering or a conventional
container. Until soil microbes work on it, it is not soluble at all.

duckfan · July 24, 2011

Grow one next to the other. You'll see the difference.

Talon1189 · July 25, 2011

Rays EarthTainers rock Bigtime......I love mine

>>>>>>>>Talon

Miller · August 2, 2011

Hi Nate..I lived in Seattle and Portland for years and used the Holey Cone. I hand water my containers as well and I had a tendency to over-water...so the HC improved my plants.

rsg2001 · August 7, 2011

Generally, I get better results growing in self-watering containers than in-the-ground, and the self-watering ones somewhat better than regular pots. I believe it's due to the reasons that Dice mentioned. However, by trial and error I have found that some varieties grow better in regular containers. For example, this year I'm growing New Big Dwarf (just three plants); the two in the SWCs are not doing well, while the one in the regular pot is thriving. It may not like the 'wetter feet' that it experiences in the SWC. On the other hand, Eva Purple Ball went crazy in an Earthbox - loved it - first time I've grown it that way. Two plants to a pot. It grew so big that one of them fell over in a rainstorm and I wound up tying them to a pillar of the patio. And it's doing very well on production, as are the cherry tomatoes (Sungold and Black Cherry). There are also differences by type of SWC, I've found. Marizol Purple did very well in an Earthbox, but not doing so hot in a Gardeners Supply SWC.

July 5, 2011	#1
gtnate Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 88	Self Watering vs traditional containers Is there any reason to use self-watering containers over traditional containers other than the fact that you don't have to remember to water them? I live in Seattle, and since we don't get the scorching hot weather here, I don't have to worry about my containers drying out anyway. I don't mind hand watering the plants when they need it, and I grow all of my tomatoes in pots that are at least 10 gallons, so they don't dry that quickly anyway. With all that said, is there any reason that I should still consider making a few self-watering 'tainers? Thanks, Nate

July 5, 2011	#2
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Self-watering containers may conserve fertilizer better. Instead of dissolving and leaching out into the soil below the pot, fertilizer would stay in the container until the plant (or bacteria digesting organic matter) used it. Typically you want to use them with a rain shield (evaporation shield in hot climates), a piece of plastic over the top with the plant growing up out of it, with the container mix mounded up in the middle so that rainwater runs toward the outside edges. This keeps rain from washing the fertilizer down into the reservoir and out the overflow holes. They also conserve water when the weather is hot, because water does not run out the bottom of the pot (a little bit out of the overflow holes so that you can see when the reservoir is full; with an automated watering system, you do not even use that, since refill is programmed, rather than visual, and it can be set to shut off before the reservoir is full). Slow-release, organic fertilizers narrow the gap some, because there is less chance of the fertilizer leaching out of the container mix, regardless of whether it is self-watering or a conventional container. Until soil microbes work on it, it is not soluble at all. __________________ -- alias

July 25, 2011	#4
Talon1189 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Farmington, Michigan. Zone 5b/6a Posts: 421	Rays EarthTainers rock Bigtime......I love mine >>>>>>>>Talon __________________ Always looking for a better way to grow tomatoes ..........

July 24, 2011	#3
duckfan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Long Island formerly zone 6 Posts: 61	Grow one next to the other. You'll see the difference.

August 2, 2011	#5
Miller Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 18	Hi Nate..I lived in Seattle and Portland for years and used the Holey Cone. I hand water my containers as well and I had a tendency to over-water...so the HC improved my plants.

August 7, 2011	#6
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	Generally, I get better results growing in self-watering containers than in-the-ground, and the self-watering ones somewhat better than regular pots. I believe it's due to the reasons that Dice mentioned. However, by trial and error I have found that some varieties grow better in regular containers. For example, this year I'm growing New Big Dwarf (just three plants); the two in the SWCs are not doing well, while the one in the regular pot is thriving. It may not like the 'wetter feet' that it experiences in the SWC. On the other hand, Eva Purple Ball went crazy in an Earthbox - loved it - first time I've grown it that way. Two plants to a pot. It grew so big that one of them fell over in a rainstorm and I wound up tying them to a pillar of the patio. And it's doing very well on production, as are the cherry tomatoes (Sungold and Black Cherry). There are also differences by type of SWC, I've found. Marizol Purple did very well in an Earthbox, but not doing so hot in a Gardeners Supply SWC.