Anyone using Dynamic Design planters by Southern Patio?
 

When I jumped into tomato growing this season for the first time, I was enabled by the realization about SIPs or SWCs (Self-Irrigating Planters; Self-Watering Planters). I wasn't all that keen on shelling out $60 for a pair of Grow Boxes, so when I came across these SWC's at Home Depot for just under $8 a piece, I thought I'd give them a go.

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The label reads:

[I]Self-watering reservoir lets you feed your plant from the roots up.
Plant absorbs the precise amount of water it needs every time.
Easy access reservoir allows you to monitor water levels and water less frequently.[/I]

Unfortunately, I goofed a bit and ended up using top soil instead of potting mix. Still, the soil had a really good foundation of fertilizer and so far the plants seem to be doing pretty well with it. I have a layer of mulch on the surface to help prevent soil splash, retain moisture, and reduce weeds. If these work out I'll utilize them again next year, but I may be tempted to go with larger pots if my living situation changes next year. :)

I'm using two of them; one for a black krim and one for a sungold tomato plant this year They take about 10 gallons of soil. This last week, when temperature reaches 90 and 91, my reservoir almost dried up for the day (reservoir is pretty small). I am thinking that I might have to fill them up twice a day once the plants reaches maturity and the temperature stays in the upper 80s and 90s. I just got some pine mulch two days ago to cover the top of the containers so that the soil-less mix stay cool and moist during hot days.

Here is a picture of the black krim using that container. I had a late start on my tomatoes and didn't start them until May.
[IMG]http://i44.tinypic.com/2cooal4.jpg[/IMG]

For my soil, I'm using my own soil less mix with a little bit of the potting mix from MG.
3 part peat moss
2 part vermiculite
1 part perlite
I also added about 1/2 cups of the following to about 8 gallons of the mix:
Bone meal
Blood meal
Dolomite
Azomite

^ Good to hear at least one other board member is giving them a go. I'm also running two of them, and one has a Black Krim going. I also got a late start, transplanting the seedling in the last week of May. Mine doesn't look nearly as leafy as yours. Your potting mix looks excellent, just about in line with what I've seen suggested in many places (I learned this all too late though).

Looks like there must be 2 different sizes as mine are much closer to 5 gallon. Since tomatoes do well in larger containers, that may also help explain how yours are so lush at this point (in addition to your potting mix and fertilizer combination).

Here's what my Black Krim looks like at the moment:
[IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhFrmp4u2B4/Udtuxw-hwzI/AAAAAAAAAHk/W3uF8KWDXgQ/s1600/Black-Krim_10weeks.jpg[/IMG]

I've got just one tomato but about 3-4 blossoms appear to have finally set. I'm going to step up the fertilizer a bit as well. I definitely don't expect a robust output this time around (I'm a first time tomato grower). I'm also finding my reservoir down about half at the end of a hot day, with the rate gradually accelerating as the plant gets bigger.


In contrast, here's my Lemon Boy... which is about 1/3rd shorter and has 5 tomatoes going:

[IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--bZDn6E81VY/Udtr1AJrEQI/AAAAAAAAAHU/69-acnapJKU/s1600/Lemon-Boy_10weeks2.jpg[/IMG]

I almost made the same mistake of using regular soil on my self watering planters. I lucked out because we had a long winter season (it snowed in May!) and while I was waiting, I did a lot of readings and researching. I think we have the about the same size container, I was going by the chart from hardytropicals for a 16", I mixed all my soils in a large barrel but I was almost sure it was near 10 gallons when I fill it nearly to the top, it is definitely more than 5 gallons though:
[URL]http://www.hardytropicals.org/blog/entry/pot_sizes_inches_to_gallon_conversion[/URL]

It was a little less than $10 when I bought this from homedepot, I went back a week ago to check the price, and it's almost $12 now!

I had some blossoms that dried out earlier on two of my plants, and I learn that because my deck is kind of high (about 10 feet from the ground), I can help it along with pollinating by using my handy dandy sonicare with a old brush head. I am amazed at how well this works! All my flowers are setting now before they dry off! I thought this might be helpful for you since your balcony seems to be way higher than my deck.

[youtube]tsAGr5qoQzQ[/youtube]

Interesting. I did see larger pots at HD by the same brand, but they weren't the SWC type. The smaller ones were SWC, priced at $8. When I take a gallon jug and compare, I just can't see how 10 would fit in there. 5 looks more like it, so I have to believe there are two sizes available.

Yeah, I'm starting to think that with my topsoil mistake that adding more fertilized water to the reservoir is the better approach. I have a mulch layer on top and when I stick my finger into the soil it is moist, not soggy. Perhaps letting it get a little less moist will allow it to aerate a little better. I was thinking of maybe taking a stiff wire and sliding it into the soil all around to help provide a little more aeration, but I don't want to risk damaging roots.

Thanks for the video link on pollinating. Amazing to see the obvious pollen drop once touched by the toothbrush. But all that pollen falling downward... I wonder about maximizing contact with the stigma (versus just falling off into the air). I have a "hummingbird" floss device that is battery powered and hums like a bee, which I started using. My thought was that it's better to apply it to the anther tube so that the pollen bounces off the vibrating plastic and hits the stigma. But maybe it's worth trying both.

Walmart sells something similar in 13" (about 5 gallons) and 16" sizes. I find a Reisentraube in the 13" in our heat, well, I can't keep the reservoir wet, let alone full! :lol: I treat them basically like top-waterers, but the plants in them definitely have a slight advantage over the ones with no reservoir.

I used MG this season because it's what I had, but find Raybo's mix superior to it for SIPs.

Tl

I am growing an ichabon eggplant in one of those SIP containers I picked up from HD for about $12. I filled it with Raybo's mix since I had the materials on hand. It seems to be doing much better than the ichabon planted in a raised bed. Fuller with much deeper color. They are all from the same 4-pack from a local garden center.

[IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/12/2adetagy.jpg[/IMG]

Here is the one from my raised beds.

[IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/12/2egy4una.jpg[/IMG]

^ Rather notable difference there. How'd the SWC planted eggplant turn out?