Mulit-Opening: Strawberry pots . . . Inner-Irrigation

Somewhere I saw this potting idea for Strawberry Pots

- get a frozen bottled water, put holes in it, drain and place in center of pot.
adding soil and plants but leaving the bottle top - accessible.
(hindsight it may be easier to keep the top screwed tight, cut out the bottom and place the bottle upside down. thus giving greater ease of access to opening,)

when watering - use/fill water bottle to make sure all roots get water.

I especially liked it because there seemed to be a lot of soil - waste with such planters.

this way less soil is used and greater irrigation is ensured.

NICE pot!!. I bought a plastic tree wrap with holes that I cut & stapled to make a tube. Run a heavy cotton string or rope from the tube to each cup. Fill the tube with vermiculite. The water will wick to each cup. When you plant the cups the plants should be planted in the main pot, not in the cup. It looks odd at first, but it will grow quickly & fill in fast. Do not plant the plant in the cup....the entire root ball of the plant needs to be in the main pot. The cup will fill with foliage in no time.

I never skimp on soil, you can always put in into a flower bed or mix half new & half last years the following year. Better to have ample soil than to starve the plants or restrict the root mass

Just what I do, some folks use empty pop cans & such to false fill.

Post pics when you have it planted.

without a picture, I'm lost at what you are descriping *LOL*

I am a disciple of tapla, so I always think WWTD.

I believe tapla would say that the best thing you could do is a.) make sure you have a good drainage hole in the bottom, b.) exend a wick from the bottom of the pot OUT and DOWN through the bottom hole, c.) raise the strawberry pot off whatever surface it would otherwise be resting on (e.g., up on two bricks, with the wick between them, extending down from the pot, to the surface). This would refelct the principle that more soil is better --you may think it is "wasted" in there (why? --because you can't see it?) but the plant's roots will not "think" the same. Tapla's cogent explanations in this forum's stickies will convince you that the only wasted soil in any pot is the soil closest to the bottom which remains water-saturated, and therefore cannot support root aeration consistently. You can reduce the amount of "wasted" (i.e., water-saturated) soil at the bottom of any pot by using a wick, which serves to increase gravitational (downward) force on the water in the soil, thereby heloing to overcome the cohesive force (capillary force) that otherwise offsets gravity at a particular level in the soil.

In short, I'd always advise keeping as much well-aerated soil as you can in any pot --specialty pots are no exception, since roots like soil. First, don't reduce the amount of total soil in the pot. Second, allow as much of the soil to support aeration by wicking water downward below the drainage hole.

This message was edited May 24, 2009 10:59 PM

I will plant a similar pot & post the pics.

50glee, I am so happy to come across this thread and get some good ideas on how to plant the strawberry pot.

I look forward to seeing the photos since I can't quite figure out this part:

"When you plant the cups the plants should be planted in the main pot, not in the cup. It looks odd at first, but it will grow quickly & fill in fast. Do not plant the plant in the cup...the entire root ball of the plant needs to be in the main pot."

Thanks again. t.

I took a length of PVC pipe (length of pipe=height of pot), put a cap on one end and drilled holes around the pipe.
I inserted the pipe in the middle of the pot (capped end down) & added soil & plants.
Oh, I stuck a rag in the top of the pipe while planting so I wouldn't pour soil into the pipe.
The pipe should be a little higher than the soil line. It will be hidden as the plants on top grow & hide it.
When watering, I pour water directly into the pipe. It will drain out the holes along the pipe.
Sort of watering from within.

The pot I have is a BIG one. I used a pipe with a 1" diameter.
I was trying to find a pic that was taken before the plants grew around it but couldn't.
In this shot, you can just barely see the pipe, hidden by the marigolds.

Nancy

the only thing about watering with-in, that I can even think of, is that it will simply "dribble" down the pipe because the dirt will not allow it to "stream out" and the plants don't really get watered... unless the roots are really established and can "seek out" the water pipe. ??

I don't water strictly through the pipe.
I water the top of the pot as well. I also spray around the pot.

gabagoo - yes that is the idea. I was thinking about how to adapt to a larger pot.

tabasco - sorry. the plant the plant directives are not mine.
I cant get a visual (mental) on it either.
joannabanana will be posting some pics (see Post #6593323)

JPlunket - wasnt sure of what tapla - was.
did a google-search to discover it is a fellow DG member who appears to be a soil guru. S-W-E-E-T!!
. . .so a wick should be used in the bottom drain hole of pots/ containers?
Im morphing to a brick coir with perlite medium for pots
(age makes the heavier soils too difficult to manage).
- My age that is. LOL

DIRTYGIRL71 - me'thinks the general rule of osmosis occurs.
If the holes are small enough, and the soil dry enough
- the water will drip to the soil that has direct contact with the pipe.
any excess, gravity takes over.
dunno if roots have to actively seek water.
once soil is moistened, the water then can get to the roots.
Roots ARE smart, & just grow towards their nutritional source.
just as most plant leaves will lean / turn toward light source.
But im no specialist on this topic.

I always love learning something new.




This message was edited May 29, 2009 11:14 AM

There is a certain appeal to the idea of having a pipe TO the bottom of a deep pot, but water at the top will find its way down there, with or without one.

Using a wick OUT the bottom will help aerate the lowest portion of soil in the pot, as a pipe cannot, by "pulling" down and out of the pot water that would otherwise sit there, blocking root oxygenation. This allows the roots access to more of a given amount of soil in which to grow, important in a strawberry pot.

gabagoo - youre in my old back yard (Riverdale off HenryHudsonPkwy?)

Im seriously thinking about stealing your idea for my rock garden bed.

planted the thing two days ago - with Miracle Grow soil and moisture retention crystals. the thing looked so Ssssad and Ppppitiful I dug up all and amended with 5 gallons moistened coir.

If the dying/drought look persists
- I most certainly will get some PVC to make sure water goes to the bottom as opposed to just running off!


JPlunket - good point! piping should be installed 3 to 4 inches from the bottom - to not block drainage hole
- sorry I am dont know about "Wicking Process'. please share info link.
it does sound good!

If you are prepared to spend a few minutes of reading, this link will give you valuable insights into how to think about soil in pots: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/719569/

And it's thanks mainly to tapla, though others contribute mightily as well.

ok i read the extensive link.
i still didnt GET the how to do the wick thing.

the link discussed the percolation, or not, of water in a confined environment (a container).

Really sorry this took so long. We has very cold weather until June 10th (several frosts and even snow) and that was very odd for here with an average last frost being Mid May.

Anyways, I had pulled my alpine strawberries out of the veggie garden & stuck them in a big pot. covered them with a bit of dirt, with the intention to plant them up within a couple of day. I forgot about them and think they all are toast.

So I went & got some everbearing ones.

Here what I do. watering tube, string to wick, good slow release fertilizer, screen for hole, good potting soil & plants. Vermiculite for the tube & moss to rest the plants on in the cup

The entire root ball is in the main part of the pot. The crown of the plant is flush with the pot side & the foliage rests in the cup

I put a bit of fertilizer between each layer. Add a bit of moss under the plant material to hold the soil in.

Here it is. Within a couple of weeks it will look awesome

Here's another fun project. Hens & Chicks in a ball

Joannabanana, The hens &chicks in a ball is so cute. Tell us how you did it, please. Laverne

Here's some pictures of planting it last spring. Basically, you need two half round wire baskets ( mine are cheap ones from the Dollar Store) Line them with Sphagnum moss. Use a good potting soil and fill each basket. once filled press in to eliminate air pockets and add soil to have it flush. Put a cardboard on top & flip it. With your fingers create little planting holes and plant your plants. You can let the two halves root in for a couple of weeks or use landscape fabric staples to hold the plant material in place for hanging it immediately. Ziploc tie the two half together & add a "S" hook to hang (better than the chains that come with the baskets.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/860379/

Thanks a bunch, Joanabanana,(sorry for the pun) I have got to try that. Sounds like so much fun. Wonder what I could use to make a smaller version? Any ideas? Laverne