Reservoirs in containers

[Rabidbun]

Has anyone had a go at building this type of self watering containers with a reservoir in them? Been reading a blog that mentioned them and quite fancy making my own.

Apparently you can sink a plastic milk bottle on its side in the bottom of a pot with a pipe water intake and a yoghurt pot to wick the water out, and bob's your uncle, there's a consistent water supply. Planning to use them to cut down (I hope) on blossom end rot in my tomatoes (hit most of the plants last year), reduce compost usage and give my melons a good watering in the plastic GHs.

Containers with water reservoirs » Vertical Veg

Was just wondering if anyone had tried this type, bar the blogger of course, and what their successes and failures had been if so?

[Kristen]

Not built my own, but in case any help I have a self watering trough that I use for early Lettuce



The principle is that there is a perforate divider between the compost and the reservoir in the bottom of the container, but (importantly I think) the divider also includes moulded "cups" that protrude downwards, these fill with compost and as they are below the water level act as the wick to draw the moisture up

I also had some Tower Pots, for Strawberries, from Ken Muir. They had a water reservoir built into the bottom and a length of flat wick. There were two slots in the base so the wick came up from the reservoir through the first slot, across the base of the pot (i.e. in contact with the compost), and then back down into the reservoir through the second slot - if you can visualise that? can't find a suitable picture I'm afraid

[chris]

A link from this thread is for this site: The EarthTainer™ - shows how you can make larger scales of the ones that Kristen uses - if you wanted to make one, for tomatoes say

[Rabidbun]

Cheers both, will have a read and think, see what I can knock up in a week or four.