Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - AWS with mini-float

elight · April 15, 2014

I can't think of any good reason why all of the containers that are post-float would not have the same water level as the float valve container. The laws of atmospheric pressure dictate that they should.

In any case, if you have 2.5" of water, you'll be fine. I ran the system with an EarthTainer and three 5-gallon buckets and they never ran dry. The AWS just needs to replace water at the rate which the plants draw water out of the soil (and thus water is wicked up from the reservoir) - that is, very slowly. Adding mulch to the top of your potting mix and covering the top of the fill tube will further help by reducing evaporation.

I also find the rain gutter system intriguing. In addition to my container gardening, I'm growing in a raised bed in a community garden this year. I think in the fall (I'm in Florida) I might use some of the space for a rain gutter system. I find that sub-irrigated systems that get consistent water do much better than my raised beds, not to mention it's easier to control the grow medium, the nutrients, and the weeds.

April 15, 2014	#62
elight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Allentown, PA Posts: 349	I can't think of any good reason why all of the containers that are post-float would not have the same water level as the float valve container. The laws of atmospheric pressure dictate that they should. In any case, if you have 2.5" of water, you'll be fine. I ran the system with an EarthTainer and three 5-gallon buckets and they never ran dry. The AWS just needs to replace water at the rate which the plants draw water out of the soil (and thus water is wicked up from the reservoir) - that is, very slowly. Adding mulch to the top of your potting mix and covering the top of the fill tube will further help by reducing evaporation. I also find the rain gutter system intriguing. In addition to my container gardening, I'm growing in a raised bed in a community garden this year. I think in the fall (I'm in Florida) I might use some of the space for a rain gutter system. I find that sub-irrigated systems that get consistent water do much better than my raised beds, not to mention it's easier to control the grow medium, the nutrients, and the weeds.