General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern WI
Posts: 2,742
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I've seen in a couple threads mention to drilling holes in the sides of buckets near the bottom instead of in the bottom. Sounds like to leave a small amount of water in the bucket to be wicked up during the day? Is that the reason?
A couple other questions to those that practice this method. 1) What diameter holes do you drill and how many in a 5gal bucket? 2) How far up from the bucket bottom do you drill? and 3) Do you line the holes with anything (e.g. weed cloth, etc.)? Justin |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
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More for excess water drainage (like after a heavy rain fall) and to get air pruning!
![]() Hope this picture works! Its from Larry Hall's Rain gutter grow system - a subirrigated system. ![]() |
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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Normally 1 1/2 inch up from the bottom of the bucket 1/2'' in diameter on each side of the bucket. Yes it is done to create a small reservoir in the bottom of the bucket similar to SWC's.
This way you have a small reserve available to the plant between watering. Anytime you top water a container you get air pruning whether the drain holes are on the side or bottom which draws oxygen into the root zone as the water percolates down the aggregate. Wick type systems such as the one pictured above or SWC's do not do this. Ami
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: MD Suburbs of DC, Zone 7a
Posts: 500
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Luigi, what is light colored material on top of the medium?
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Dan |
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern WI
Posts: 2,742
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That is one crazy looking setup. Thanks for sharing--I'm just growing a few tomatoes on the deck in addition to what's in the garden, so I think I'll go the with 1/2" holes 1 1/2" up from the bottom.
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 692
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Just one observation regarding holes in buckets.
I was lead to believe the more holes the better! It does lead to (I believe) excessive evaporation. I have installed an 8 bucket "Alaska Grow Buckets" set up and cannot believe the amount of water I'm getting through each day. I'm having to carry water to the green house, still too cold to use a hose, and my arms are getting longer due to the weight I'm carrying. So, if you have a water problem, don't go with these systems. |
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,521
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I found if I set it up as a reservoir basket type at the bottom or put 3 to 4 inches of gravel in the bottom then I had to put the drilled holes above the reservoir or the gravel. I went with 3/8" holes spaced about 2" apart around the 5 gallon buckets.
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#9 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern WI
Posts: 2,742
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#10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2014
Location: central Arkansas
Posts: 2
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OK, I'm brand new to this forum, so I have no idea what the acronym "SWC" stands for - anyone feeling charitable enough to explain it for me, please?
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MA/NH Border
Posts: 4,919
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Welcome Pilgrim! I believe it stands for self watering container. I don't use them, so I can't tell you anything about them, but if you do a search I'm betting you'll find a lot of info!
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2014
Location: central Arkansas
Posts: 2
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Thank you; no matter where we go, every niche has its own nomenclature, code, or slang. Learning the "language" is half the communication battle?
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#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern WI
Posts: 2,742
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#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Miami, FL.
Posts: 442
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I am trying a trick to avoid water simply running thru the container. I take a 3 qt bottle and fill it with water and invert it on the soil in the container. After a few minutes, you see air bubbles entering the bottle. It works like a water cooler but slower. This way water has a chance to migrate thru the medium rather that flow thru it and out.
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#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Abingdon, Va
Posts: 184
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I made a few of these last year and they work very well for me.
![]() They do need to be watered every other day as the plants mature. This a Sub-Irrigated Planter(SIP) using the Global Bucket design The design uses a slitted solo cup packed with Vermiculite for the wick plus the soil recipe has a high vermiculite content. The top is covered to prevent rain from compacting and water-logging the soil. A ring of granular fertilizer(I used TomatoTone) is placed at the top. Last fall when I pulled a plant out, every crumb of medium came out in a perfect block. |
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