Hello I was going to do this for my mom, she doesn’t have land to start a garden so I was going to use these for growing her a small vegetable garden. How have your plants been doing since you’ve built these? Do they get enough water? I was also wondering if you think it would be a good idea to put wicking pipes on both sides of tub to get more even watering. These are awesome!
I’m incredibly happy with these. They did so well last summer, I made more this summer. I don’t have any containers that aren’t self watering now. They do seem to get enough water from the single wicking pipe. I think it’s because the soil only needs to be damp and not soaked. I water in my fertilizer each month or so from the top to make sure it gets mixed in, but only use the input pipe most of the time. Good luck on the build for your mom! - Alex
@@MelAtlNP During the heat of the summer, I usually refill every other day, sometimes every three days. It depends how long it takes to refill. If it doesn't take long to refill, I know it had plenty left. It won't hurt to overfill because it'll only wick as much as it needs to keep the soil moist. I think my first year with them, I refilled every day, but that seemed to be more than needed.
Looks great dude! I would suggest painting it white if you live in a hot climate. I currently have the same kind of set up for vermicomposting ,but want to try this for plants too
Thank you for this great tutorial! I made 2 of these self watering containers following your instructions. I did notice when researching online that other people drilled a bunch of holes in their lids before placing it into the container. Do you think that makes a difference? Your plants all seem to be doing great!
That’s great! Thanks for letting us know. I’ve seen those with lots of holes too. That’s supposed to help keeping oxygen in the soil. Since our version isn’t sealed at the lid and sides, I think enough oxygen gets in or it doesn’t matter, just like plants in the ground don’t have extra air sources.
Great idea! I container garden in plastic tubs, but I never thought about wicking tubs! I'll have to try it. Great for people who like to travel on the road. Just fill it and it is good to go. How long does the water last? Just an average. I also thought it would help to have a device that floats in the watering tube that tells you how much water is in the tub. When you take the cap off, you can look in and see if the floating device is low or still at the top. Just to gauge how much the plant drinks, or if you were gone too long on a trip, or ...
Early in the season we can wait 4-5 days in between refilling, but in the heat of the summer, when the plants are really big, I usually refill them every other day. I’ve seen folks use a float, but I’ve never tried one since I’ve kind of figured out how often they need water. I don’t let them get all the way dried out before refilling, so it’s not an exact plan I follow.
I’m so excited to try this! Does this work with seeds and young plants with short roots or do you need to wait and plant them when they are bigger? I guess I’m wondering if the water will wick all the way up to the top of the container.
I didn't do it this year, but I've had success planting seeds for cucumbers, mustard greens, cantaloupe, and watermelon in these containers. I don't think it'd be bad to water some on the top in the first couple of weeks as long as you can do it in the first half of the day. I try not to water later in the day because the surface doesn't dry out enough before nighttime and I believe in encourages mold. If you are only watering through the tube, it is probably worth refilling it every day on hot days.
Andrew Cross Agreed. We just got a gimbal to help with the camera shaking and next we’ll get a better mic. This old Bluetooth mic doesn’t cut it. Thanks for the tip. - Alex
Thank you for sharing the amazing idea. I am new with wicking bed but like to try out. How do you know when to water and do you need water through the pipe?
Thanks Wendy! You get a feel for how much to water after your plants start to grow. It varies depending on how hot it is and how big your plants are. If it takes a long time to refill, you know that that you could’ve added some earlier. If it doesn’t take much water to refill, you could’ve waited longer. You don’t have to use the pipe to refill, but it keeps you from overwatering. Of course when it rains it’s going to get a lot of water, but that’s OK. It will runoff through the exit pipe.
What a great idea. I've never seen this method with soil packed into a pipe before. I need to try this but think I'll use at least 2 soil pipes because I live in a hot, dry area. I'd also like to raise the floor considerably so it holds more water. Do you know how far water can wick up the soil pipe?
I’m glad this video sparked some ideas for you. I don’t think there is a low limit on how far the water can wick. I know that for mine, that little tube gets the water into the soil which spreads throughout the entire container without saturating it. Someone else asked about two wicking tubes, so let me know how it goes for you. I don’t think it’s necessary, but it might work well. Our temps in the summer get into the mid 90s with humidity anywhere from 50 to 70%. I usually refill mine every other day, but on those crazy hot days I fill it daily, although I don’t know that I need to.
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia - Thanks, I think I'm more concerned about the upper limit because if I want to go away for a week and if I have a large and deep container and raise the the floor so there's a lot more water when full, when say only an inch of water remains what's left has a lot higher to wick up. I think I may have to experiment with different lengths of pipe, place in a bucket with a little water and see how high the soil will wick. I also wonder if using something other than potting soil, like polyester batting would wick further.
@@skrome1953 That would be a cool experiment if you could measure the moisture content every day for a week to see how it changes. Some of those cheap two prong pH level testers have moisture sensors also. I’m not sure how accurate they are, but would be in an expensive way to test. I haven’t let mine go more than three days without any water. Usually if I’m gone for more than two days I’ll ask my neighbor to water them.
The wicking tube is just a few inches. Enough that it can reach the bottom of the container for water and still make it back above the subfloor into the main soil section
Hi Susan, we posted this video showing our soil mix: czcams.com/video/CuXHGJ8z1LU/video.html I haven’t changed it in a while, but add compost every year after the season and I sprinkle in fertilizer during the growing season.
What kind of wire mesh are you using and pls explain why you do it. Also what do you do with the rest of the top? Suggest snapping it on to hold the wire mesh in place.
Hi Lesa, I have used regular chicken wire and also hardware cloth. I don’t do it all the time anymore, but used to put some down to keep the squirrels and chipmunks from digging in the soil. I usually put the rest of the lid in my recycling bin. I stopped using wire as often because I like to spread fertilizer around with my hand when I add it every month and the wire got in the way. I noticed that the squirrels and chipmunks stopped digging by the end of spring and the wire was just in my way. - Alex
I've done something similar and have ditched the lid to put hardwood chips in the bottom. I need to add the drain tube like you've done. My holes are too small and get plugged. How high is your drain hole/tube. Thanks!
I would think so, but you'll need a bigger container and it could get top heavy as the tree grows. Susy had a small lemon tree she had in one of these, but it didn't make it through the winter in Georgia.
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia Thanks for the anwer! 'm planing on stacking two garage totes to make a container for a citrus tree, i'll cut the bottom of one, then put that one on top fliped down so they fit nicer, i Will use some tools and silicon, it Will have more root space and weight so the tree wont fall as easily. Hope it works!
We haven’t used them for perennials, except for my comfrey. Susy has smaller containers for her strawberries. We didn’t get a bad winter last year, so they weren’t tested too hard in temps below 20. This was my second summer with most of my containers and they all seem to be in perfect condition still. I’ve had some get turned over and dropped off the wall I keep them on and they’re still hanging tough. Hope that helps! - Alex
Sorry I missed this comment earlier. I don't think they are food grade. We started mixing in some containers from our farm that held feed for the cattle. I know those are food grade and we'll start phasing out these black ones.
Check out the Gardens Playlist: czcams.com/play/PLeodkBFGIEiJrfFCYUqCZWhi0oZItGmOu.html All of the non-terracotta containers I (Alex) have in my garden are self-watering. Maybe half of Susy’s are. Let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see as an update. This is my third summer with my oldest ones and they’re still holding up great.
It's just a few inches. Enough to reach the bottom of the container and enough to leave an inch or so above the false bottom. It just needs enough to wick the water into the soil without falling out.
Hey Roger, you can use two wicking tubes, but you don’t need to. Check out some of the videos I made after this showing the garden as it grew. I planted two tomato plants and one pepper plant in the same container and they all grew great.
Thanks! It's about 2 1/2 inches high on this one. I've done some closer to 2 inches and one closer to 3 inches. As long as you have a reservoir to hold water, you'll be good.
Another question, does it matter how high the drain pipe is? I was thinking to do it as high as you want the water to retain but on your video it looked quiet a bit lower than the (lid) bottom. I’m going for as much water as possible so I can go without watering as long as possible.
Mine are set right under the lid/bottom. The lid actually rests on it some. I wanted as much soil as I could get with at least a couple of days worth of water. If you have a deeper container, you could have more water and still be good on soil.
I built one using your guide. How wet is the ground supposed to be? I have noticed that the ground is not really wet or very moist, wondering if its working.
Hey Jack, The soil doesn’t feel too wet to the touch. If it has only been a day or two, you might need to add more water than you expect since it should work fairly quickly to get the soil moist. The best way to tell if it’s working is to fill it until water is pouring out of the outlet tube and then the next day try to add another gallon. If you have a watering can or a milk jug or anything that’s more precise than a hose, you can tell how much is wicking/evaporating per day. The evaporation will be extremely limited, so however much water you refill on the second day should be close to how much is being wicked into the soil. In the middle of the summer, I refill every other day usually and sometimes daily if it’s in the upper 90s. This time of year, I can go five or six days since the small plants don’t drink as much and the soil doesn’t lose too much to the heat. If you have time, let us know how it goes later this week after you’ve had a chance to refill it with measured amounts a couple of times. - Alex
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia will do, I’ll let you know in a couple of days. Do you use the box to grow from seed or just transplant them from a pot into the box once grown?
@@yamilmarchand I do both depending on what I’m planting. I usually start my herbs, tomatoes and peppers inside and then transplant them into the containers. Cucumbers, collards, peas, cantaloupe, watermelon, spinach - I usually direct sow them in the containers.
Kristie Ching I think that’s the measurements of my hose that works easily with the PVC. The trick is not to turn the spigot on full blast. The in-pipe can only handle so much and then it rushes out of the out-pipe. Steady water flow allows you to fill the basin better without it pouring out of the reservoir before it’s actually full.
Sorry I didn't see this comment before. I think it doesn't wash out because it's not getting running water over it. It's packed fairly firm and only has a small notch to allow water in. That seems to keep it in place. Mine have stayed in place for a few years now, even with moving them around.
Ronald Weiss It’s packed into the center pvc pipe tight enough that it stays in place. The part that is exposed to the water is small enough that it stays where it’s supposed to somehow. I don’t know the physics of it, but it’s still working well in its second year. A sock or screen wouldn’t be a bad idea to add to it, but hasn’t been necessary or me yet. - Alex
It doesn’t need to be empty before you refill it. So, we usually top it off every other day. When it’s over 90 degrees and sunny, you’ll see it takes longer to refill. You can’t overwater it if you’re just refilling the reservoir
Hi Nayema, the soil does not (and should not) be completely dry before you refill the reservoir. It is better to refill every couple of days or even every day if you are in a very hot and dry region. So far this summer, I’ve been refilling every 2-3 days and everything looks great. You cannot overwater when using the reservoir versus soaking from the top.
Don't you need more wicking area than that? Typically 10-20% of the soil is submerged in the water. Looks like you have a few percent at most. I guess the roots can still find their way around the yellow plastic to the water below as needed.
Surprisingly no. That little bit does enough to keep the soil moist and the roots fill all the soil very well. Check out the videos we posted by midsummer the past couple of years and you’ll see what strong growth we had.
This is from two falls ago, when I was digging up everything after our first real frost. Starting around 7:30 in the video, you can see how great the root development was. czcams.com/video/t3i-UGZwmNs/video.html
Seems like poor editing as we cement our amateur status on CZcams. We have a better mic set-up now, but don't know when we'll get around to making more videos.
We got new mics after making this video. You can hear us better in later videos. Thanks for the feedback. I can't fix the volume on a video already posted, but can do better in the future.
Gardening at home isn’t necessary either, but I like it. With my schedule, I like the option to skip watering for a few days at a time in the middle of a hot and dry Georgia summer if I’m traveling or focused on other projects. I do appreciate that I was able to make you “laugh out loud” with a gardening video. Not my intended result, but always happy to bring a smile to someone.
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia I layer mine and use sticks etc put holes on sides 1-2 inches above bottoms and use drip water bottle system. It retains water. Simple and no tools needed except screw driver ;) self watering
Hello I was going to do this for my mom, she doesn’t have land to start a garden so I was going to use these for growing her a small vegetable garden. How have your plants been doing since you’ve built these? Do they get enough water? I was also wondering if you think it would be a good idea to put wicking pipes on both sides of tub to get more even watering. These are awesome!
I’m incredibly happy with these. They did so well last summer, I made more this summer. I don’t have any containers that aren’t self watering now. They do seem to get enough water from the single wicking pipe. I think it’s because the soil only needs to be damp and not soaked. I water in my fertilizer each month or so from the top to make sure it gets mixed in, but only use the input pipe most of the time. Good luck on the build for your mom! - Alex
I’m a Georgian too ! How often do you have to re-fill with water?
@@MelAtlNP During the heat of the summer, I usually refill every other day, sometimes every three days. It depends how long it takes to refill. If it doesn't take long to refill, I know it had plenty left. It won't hurt to overfill because it'll only wick as much as it needs to keep the soil moist. I think my first year with them, I refilled every day, but that seemed to be more than needed.
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia thank you!
Thank you so much for showing the entire process! I finally understand exactly how it works!
Thanks for watching!
Looks great dude! I would suggest painting it white if you live in a hot climate. I currently have the same kind of set up for vermicomposting ,but want to try this for plants too
This is seriously super cool! I’m gonna try this with blueberries.
Thanks! It makes keeping them watered evenly so much easier.
This is one of the best ones yet and i watched a bunch of videos on this subject. New subscriber!
Thanks Steph!
Thank you for this great tutorial! I made 2 of these self watering containers following your instructions. I did notice when researching online that other people drilled a bunch of holes in their lids before placing it into the container. Do you think that makes a difference? Your plants all seem to be doing great!
That’s great! Thanks for letting us know.
I’ve seen those with lots of holes too. That’s supposed to help keeping oxygen in the soil. Since our version isn’t sealed at the lid and sides, I think enough oxygen gets in or it doesn’t matter, just like plants in the ground don’t have extra air sources.
Thank you for replying! That's what I was thinking too! :)
Excellent tips for keeping slugs and mosquitoes out!
Thanks Mel!
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia 🙂🙂🙂Thank You!
Awesome setup, I've been thinking about how I'm going to repot everything and this is legit. Definitely subbing
Thanks Ghost! I’m on my third summer with some of these containers and they are still holding up great. Good luck and thanks for subbing
Great idea! I container garden in plastic tubs, but I never thought about wicking tubs! I'll have to try it. Great for people who like to travel on the road. Just fill it and it is good to go. How long does the water last? Just an average. I also thought it would help to have a device that floats in the watering tube that tells you how much water is in the tub. When you take the cap off, you can look in and see if the floating device is low or still at the top. Just to gauge how much the plant drinks, or if you were gone too long on a trip, or ...
Early in the season we can wait 4-5 days in between refilling, but in the heat of the summer, when the plants are really big, I usually refill them every other day. I’ve seen folks use a float, but I’ve never tried one since I’ve kind of figured out how often they need water. I don’t let them get all the way dried out before refilling, so it’s not an
exact plan I follow.
This is a really cool idea! You've inspired me to give it a try. 😀
Fresno City Farm Cool, Let is know if you have any questions when you make it. - Alex
This is seriously so cool y'all! I love it! 😄😄😄
Thank you! They make gardening so much easier when you don't have to worry about the right amount of water each time. :)
I’m so excited to try this! Does this work with seeds and young plants with short roots or do you need to wait and plant them when they are bigger? I guess I’m wondering if the water will wick all the way up to the top of the container.
I didn't do it this year, but I've had success planting seeds for cucumbers, mustard greens, cantaloupe, and watermelon in these containers. I don't think it'd be bad to water some on the top in the first couple of weeks as long as you can do it in the first half of the day. I try not to water later in the day because the surface doesn't dry out enough before nighttime and I believe in encourages mold. If you are only watering through the tube, it is probably worth refilling it every day on hot days.
Thanks!
Need to adjust your volume please
Andrew Cross Agreed. We just got a gimbal to help with the camera shaking and next we’ll get a better mic. This old Bluetooth mic doesn’t cut it. Thanks for the tip.
- Alex
Great design! Your plants look great!
Southern Bella Home Thanks Sharon!
Thank you for sharing the amazing idea. I am new with wicking bed but like to try out. How do you know when to water and do you need water through the pipe?
Thanks Wendy! You get a feel for how much to water after your plants start to grow. It varies depending on how hot it is and how big your plants are. If it takes a long time to refill, you know that that you could’ve added some earlier. If it doesn’t take much water to refill, you could’ve waited longer. You don’t have to use the pipe to refill, but it keeps you from overwatering. Of course when it rains it’s going to get a lot of water, but that’s OK. It will runoff through the exit pipe.
Thank you .. I will be doing this
Great! Happy gardening!!!
What a great idea. I've never seen this method with soil packed into a pipe before. I need to try this but think I'll use at least 2 soil pipes because I live in a hot, dry area. I'd also like to raise the floor considerably so it holds more water. Do you know how far water can wick up the soil pipe?
I’m glad this video sparked some ideas for you. I don’t think there is a low limit on how far the water can wick. I know that for mine, that little tube gets the water into the soil which spreads throughout the entire container without saturating it.
Someone else asked about two wicking tubes, so let me know how it goes for you. I don’t think it’s necessary, but it might work well. Our temps in the summer get into the mid 90s with humidity anywhere from 50 to 70%. I usually refill mine every other day, but on those crazy hot days I fill it daily, although I don’t know that I need to.
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia - Thanks, I think I'm more concerned about the upper limit because if I want to go away for a week and if I have a large and deep container and raise the the floor so there's a lot more water when full, when say only an inch of water remains what's left has a lot higher to wick up. I think I may have to experiment with different lengths of pipe, place in a bucket with a little water and see how high the soil will wick. I also wonder if using something other than potting soil, like polyester batting would wick further.
@@skrome1953 That would be a cool experiment if you could measure the moisture content every day for a week to see how it changes. Some of those cheap two prong pH level testers have moisture sensors also. I’m not sure how accurate they are, but would be in an expensive way to test. I haven’t let mine go more than three days without any water. Usually if I’m gone for more than two days I’ll ask my neighbor to water them.
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia I'll let you know the outcome when I get around to doing it.
@@skrome1953 Hey Steven, did you end up trying a longer wicking tube? I was thinking about doing it next year to just try a mix for fun.
Great info
How long is the weeping tube in the middle of the floor
The wicking tube is just a few inches. Enough that it can reach the bottom of the container for water and still make it back above the subfloor into the main soil section
What kind of medium do you use? Do you change it from time to time? How do you provide nutrients?
Hi Susan, we posted this video showing our soil mix: czcams.com/video/CuXHGJ8z1LU/video.html
I haven’t changed it in a while, but add compost every year after the season and I sprinkle in fertilizer during the growing season.
What kind of wire mesh are you using and pls explain why you do it. Also what do you do with the rest of the top? Suggest snapping it on to hold the wire mesh in place.
Hi Lesa, I have used regular chicken wire and also hardware cloth. I don’t do it all the time anymore, but used to put some down to keep the squirrels and chipmunks from digging in the soil. I usually put the rest of the lid in my recycling bin. I stopped using wire as often because I like to spread fertilizer around with my hand when I add it every month and the wire got in the way. I noticed that the squirrels and chipmunks stopped digging by the end of spring and the wire was just in my way. - Alex
I've done something similar and have ditched the lid to put hardwood chips in the bottom. I need to add the drain tube like you've done. My holes are too small and get plugged. How high is your drain hole/tube. Thanks!
It’s around 3 inches up on most of the planters I’ve made. Some are a little lower.
will this work as a container for a citrus tree?
I would think so, but you'll need a bigger container and it could get top heavy as the tree grows. Susy had a small lemon tree she had in one of these, but it didn't make it through the winter in Georgia.
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia Thanks for the anwer! 'm planing on stacking two garage totes to make a container for a citrus tree, i'll cut the bottom of one, then put that one on top fliped down so they fit nicer, i Will use some tools and silicon, it Will have more root space and weight so the tree wont fall as easily. Hope it works!
@@edua999 Sounds like a good plan!
- Alex
Wonderful video! Thank you for sharing! I noticed rhe chicken wire in all your planters. What is its purpose?
Thank you Amanda! I was having problems with squirrels and chipmunks digging in my soil and the chicken wire keeps them out.
How has this done with perennials (strawberries) during winter months? What effect has freezing and thawing had on the tubs?
We haven’t used them for perennials, except for my comfrey. Susy has smaller containers for her strawberries.
We didn’t get a bad winter last year, so they weren’t tested too hard in temps below 20. This was my second summer with most of my containers and they all seem to be in perfect condition still. I’ve had some get turned over and dropped off the wall I keep them on and they’re still hanging tough.
Hope that helps! - Alex
Are these food grade plastic containers Sir? Great idea..
Sorry I missed this comment earlier. I don't think they are food grade. We started mixing in some containers from our farm that held feed for the cattle. I know those are food grade and we'll start phasing out these black ones.
Did you have some follow up videos on these containers? I can’t find them on your channel. If you can post a link, I would appreciate it. Thanks.
Check out the Gardens Playlist: czcams.com/play/PLeodkBFGIEiJrfFCYUqCZWhi0oZItGmOu.html
All of the non-terracotta containers I (Alex) have in my garden are self-watering. Maybe half of Susy’s are. Let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see as an update. This is my third summer with my oldest ones and they’re still holding up great.
You didnt say how long you cut your wicking tube?
It's just a few inches. Enough to reach the bottom of the container and enough to leave an inch or so above the false bottom. It just needs enough to wick the water into the soil without falling out.
Can you use 2 wicking tubes? 1-1/2” on each side? Can i put 2 tomato plants per container?
Hey Roger, you can use two wicking tubes, but you don’t need to. Check out some of the videos I made after this showing the garden as it grew. I planted two tomato plants and one pepper plant in the same container and they all grew great.
This is great thanks. How high is the drainage whole?
Thanks! It's about 2 1/2 inches high on this one. I've done some closer to 2 inches and one closer to 3 inches. As long as you have a reservoir to hold water, you'll be good.
Another question, does it matter how high the drain pipe is? I was thinking to do it as high as you want the water to retain but on your video it looked quiet a bit lower than the (lid) bottom. I’m going for as much water as possible so I can go without watering as long as possible.
Mine are set right under the lid/bottom. The lid actually rests on it some.
I wanted as much soil as I could get with at least a couple of days worth of water. If you have a deeper container, you could have more water and still be good on soil.
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia ah perfect! That’s what I was thinking. Yea I’m doing 55 gallon tubs. Thanks so much!
I built one using your guide. How wet is the ground supposed to be? I have noticed that the ground is not really wet or very moist, wondering if its working.
Hey Jack, The soil doesn’t feel too wet to the touch. If it has only been a day or two, you might need to add more water than you expect since it should work fairly quickly to get the soil moist. The best way to tell if it’s working is to fill it until water is pouring out of the outlet tube and then the next day try to add another gallon. If you have a watering can or a milk jug or anything that’s more precise than a hose, you can tell how much is wicking/evaporating per day. The evaporation will be extremely limited, so however much water you refill on the second day should be close to how much is being wicked into the soil.
In the middle of the summer, I refill every other day usually and sometimes daily if it’s in the upper 90s. This time of year, I can go five or six days since the small plants don’t drink as much and the soil doesn’t lose too much to the heat.
If you have time, let us know how it goes later this week after you’ve had a chance to refill it with measured amounts a couple of times. - Alex
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia will do, I’ll let you know in a couple of days. Do you use the box to grow from seed or just transplant them from a pot into the box once grown?
@@yamilmarchand I do both depending on what I’m planting. I usually start my herbs, tomatoes and peppers inside and then transplant them into the containers. Cucumbers, collards, peas, cantaloupe, watermelon, spinach - I usually direct sow them in the containers.
Is 3/4" pipe big enough to comfortably fit a 5/8" water hose with the metal threads on the end? Thanks
Kristie Ching I think that’s the measurements of my hose that works easily with the PVC. The trick is not to turn the spigot on full blast. The in-pipe can only handle so much and then it rushes out of the out-pipe. Steady water flow allows you to fill the basin better without it pouring out of the reservoir before it’s actually full.
So you why exactly doesn't the soil wash out of the wicking tube into the bottom chamber over time?
Sorry I didn't see this comment before. I think it doesn't wash out because it's not getting running water over it. It's packed fairly firm and only has a small notch to allow water in. That seems to keep it in place. Mine have stayed in place for a few years now, even with moving them around.
What keeps the soil from dropping into the water from the pvc in the middle? Maybe using a sock on the pvc will hold it in?
Ronald Weiss It’s packed into the center pvc pipe tight enough that it stays in place. The part that is exposed to the water is small enough that it stays where it’s supposed to somehow. I don’t know the physics of it, but it’s still working well in its second year. A sock or screen wouldn’t be a bad idea to add to it, but hasn’t been necessary or me yet. - Alex
How do you know when its out of water?
It doesn’t need to be empty before you refill it. So, we usually top it off every other day. When it’s over 90 degrees and sunny, you’ll see it takes longer to refill. You can’t overwater it if you’re just refilling the reservoir
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia Thanks for the fast reply!
if water dry, how can i Figure out?
Hi Nayema, the soil does not (and should not) be completely dry before you refill the reservoir. It is better to refill every couple of days or even every day if you are in a very hot and dry region. So far this summer, I’ve been refilling every 2-3 days and everything looks great. You cannot overwater when using the reservoir versus soaking from the top.
Bravo💅💅
Don't you need more wicking area than that? Typically 10-20% of the soil is submerged in the water. Looks like you have a few percent at most. I guess the roots can still find their way around the yellow plastic to the water below as needed.
Surprisingly no. That little bit does enough to keep the soil moist and the roots fill all the soil very well. Check out the videos we posted by midsummer the past couple of years and you’ll see what strong growth we had.
This is from two falls ago, when I was digging up everything after our first real frost. Starting around 7:30 in the video, you can see how great the root development was.
czcams.com/video/t3i-UGZwmNs/video.html
When you speak, I can barely hear you, so I turn the volume all the way up. Then I get blasted with loud honky tonk! What's up with that?
Seems like poor editing as we cement our amateur status on CZcams. We have a better mic set-up now, but don't know when we'll get around to making more videos.
Please fix volume!!!
We got new mics after making this video. You can hear us better in later videos. Thanks for the feedback. I can't fix the volume on a video already posted, but can do better in the future.
All unnecessary lol. Watch Robbie and Gary gardening easy
Gardening at home isn’t necessary either, but I like it.
With my schedule, I like the option to skip watering for a few days at a time in the middle of a hot and dry Georgia summer if I’m traveling or focused on other projects.
I do appreciate that I was able to make you “laugh out loud” with a gardening video. Not my intended result, but always happy to bring a smile to someone.
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia I layer mine and use sticks etc put holes on sides 1-2 inches above bottoms and use drip water bottle system. It retains water. Simple and no tools needed except screw driver ;) self watering
@@SoilMatesofGeorgia btw I'm in hot NC humidity is awful
Don't make a stink, if you won't post a link!