Help me cut down on watering- baskets

[maverick451]

Hi

Last year I grew Tomato- Hundreds and Thousands in baskets, they were a huge success but the watering was such a pain, in hot weather I was watering 2-3 times a day!

I want to some again but what can I do to help cut down on watering?

Last year I used small baskets- mistake! will use bigger this time

I used standard compost which seemed to dry quickly and be heard to rehydrate - should I use soil based this year?

What about water retaining gels/granules?

[alldigging]

Have them in really huge baskets. Lots of water retaining gel. Set up a drip feed system that you can just turn on?

[muddled]

I had some success with upturned fizzy pop bottles, tiny holes in the lid, drip watered over the day as opposed to disturbing the soil and running off the top which was what happened otherwise.

I also found that if I didn't put any plants in the sides, just planting the top of the basket, I could take them down and stand in a bucket of water overnight for a really good soaking....and hang them up again in the morning.
This was okay with toms but the baskets of strawberries were massacred by slugs this way.

[Jungle Jane]

I had a bag of dry compost last year,b & q cheap bag. There is really good organic compost etc which does stay damp much longer,or mix with some soil. I remember the first time I used water retaining crystals,it rained & burst out the top of the compost,I'd used far too much,now I wet it & mix it into the bottom 50% of pot. I'd like to hang everything in my garden,I have major wars with slugs...

[Valleyman]

What is the soil in your garden like? We have pretty heavy soil down here and I always mix in a spade of it into my baskets to retain water.

I usually create my own random mixes depending on my mood. A handful of vermiculite/perlite there, a spadeful of rotted manure there, a bucket of multi purpose, a spade of garden soil, a sprinkle of growmore and a coffee cup of water retaining granules. I am yet to find the "perfect mix", but what I can say is that mixing any garden soil, vermiculite/perlite, or water retaining granules will significantly improve your chances compared to multi purpose on it's own.

[Thelma Sanders]

I put a plastic tub at the bottom of the basket and a cut off water bottle which drains into it
Then when the basket is full of compost there is always a reservoir of water at the bottom for the plant roots to find, and it means very little water run off.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I use deep baskets and only one plant per basket, cut a piece of plastic from the compost bag to line the bottom 4 inches. On a south facing wall, even on the hottest day I only water once a day.

[Bill HH]

I use similar to the last two, but i use a corn flakes bowl, when you water well the bowl holds some water for later release, works for me.

[Valleyman]

I use similar to the last two, but i use a corn flakes bowl, when you water well the bowl holds some water for later release, works for me.

Going to try this on my toms this year. They really can be demanding little buggers at times.

Ever hand any problems with the roots going into the bowl and then dying as they are essentially sitting in water?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Not a problem I get as can be seen from the pics, and mine is basically the same technique but being tight I use plastic instead of a bowl.

[KevinM67]

I use similar to the last two, but i use a corn flakes bowl, when you water well the bowl holds some water for later release, works for me.

You should try a Frosties bowl -

They're Grrreat.... !!!!

(I'll get my coat )

[mothhawk]

I do the same as Pots - line the bottom half of the basket with a bit of compost bag plastic. Works a treat.

[Valleyman]

And little tit bits like this are the reason i joined this forum. Thanks guys. Going to give it a trial run this year.

[Penellype]

I grow "million bells" in pots hanging on my fence and in 2013 I found I was watering them twice a day and even then some of them wilted and died. Last year I put one of these in the bottom of each pot:
Water slices -pack of 12 saving £4.00: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors
I still watered them once a day but they never wilted once. Admittedly some of 2013 was much hotter than 2014, but I was impressed with the results. When I took the plants out of the pots at the end of the year the roots had grown right down into the gel.

[Snadger]

I made the mistake of adding water retaining gel granules to the planting holes in my greenhouse border.

It held too much water at the base early season and the roots rotted off!

Ice cubes are best in baskets for a slow trickle feed.