By Jackie Sledge
Big Country Master Gardener Association
I’m a huge fan of gardening in raised beds and containers of all kinds – pots, buckets, and grow bags. Why? Well, here are a few of my reasons. I keep large pots and grow bags on plant dollies with wheels so they have good drainage plus they are easier to move if I decide I want the plants in a different place. Raised beds and containers are easier to tend because I can replant just one raised bed or container without possibly having to replant an entire section in an in-ground bed. Since raised beds and containers can be constructed at varying heights, they are more accessible so children and people with physical challenges can help with gardening tasks.
Anything that holds soil can be a container for plants as long as there is adequate drainage to prevent overwatering plants or root rot, and that opens the door to all kinds of containers. It is a lot of fun to look at old or unused items and see new uses for them. Cut holes for drainage, add soil, and plant.
Plants in containers instead of in the ground have different water requirements because pots, planters, buckets, and grow bags usually dry out faster.
What are some alternative ways of watering plants in raised beds and containers?
1 – Install irrigation to pots and containers to create an automatic watering system. You need microtubing, couplers or connectors, and drip emitters plus your tools. I’ll let you look up the instructions for putting it together, but it is an easy process – even I can do it! This system connects into your garden hose or faucet so when you turn on the spigot, all plants get watered at the same time. You can turn the water on manually or set it up on an automatic timer. Watering with an irrigation system makes your life easier and benefits your plants because they all get the right amount of water. Most garden sources agree that consistent watering is at the top of the list of things to do to grow healthy plants.
I recently found information on a grid irrigation system that can be attached to an existing irrigation system or to a garden hose. You put your plants in the grid squares, so you have both even planting and even watering. I haven’t tried the system yet, but I am going to trial it in a new raised bed I’m currently constructing.
2 – Purchase self-watering pots or planters. These are pots that contain a reservoir of water that is connected to the soil. When the soil becomes dry, the reservoir will begin to water the plants slowly and evenly to conserve water and minimize the chance of either underwatering or over-watering. You can find these in many styles, many materials, and many sizes to fit the plants and also the area you want to plant.
Any pot or planter can become a self-watering container by adding a self-watering insert to the pot.
3 – Self-waterers are beautiful and useful additions to containers. They are watering globes with glass reservoirs that slowly dispense water into the soil. Put water in the globe, insert the glass probe into the soil, and the waterer dispenses water directly to the root area. They work well for plants that need frequent watering. I like to use them in my indoor plants to add a colorful pop to the planter.
4 – Terracotta watering stakes are simple and effective devices used to supply a slow and steady water supply to plants. They are made of porous terracotta material that allows the water to gradually seep through and reach the roots of the plants. They can be used by pushing the stake into the soil and filling the stake with water. They can also be used by filling an empty wine or other bottle with a long neck with water and then inserting the neck of the bottle into the stake. Since water seeps out slowly into the pot, it encourages healthy, deep root development. Terracotta stakes ensure that plants are not overwatered or underwatered because they release water slowly, evenly, and only when the soil is dry.
5 – The Olla pot is an ancient method of irrigation that originated in China and North Africa over 4000 years ago, but it may have been used in gardens centuries before that. These are terracotta pots that are buried in the soil with just the top few inches exposed above the ground. Pack the soil firmly around the olla pot to ensure that there are no air holes because the olla won’t seep moisture into an area that doesn’t have packed soil. Fill the olla pot with water, replace the cap, and the water seeps into the soil as needed to prevent over or underwatering. When about half of the water in the olla pot has been used, you will need to add water to fill it back up to near the top.
6 – Sometimes we need a quick watering fix or some care for plants while we are on vacation. Use a child’s plastic swimming pool or a dog pool to water pots that don’t have irrigation, self-waterers, watering stakes, or olla pots. Put droopy or crunchy plants that didn’t get watered enough or properly in the pool, water the plants, and leave some water standing in the pool. The plants usually perk up within a few days! You can also use this watering technique when you’re going to be away and will miss your normal watering time. This will keep the plants hydrated until you get back home.
Last, but certainly not least, it is important to know how much water to give plants and how often to water them. If you water too much, plants drown and die. If you water too little, they dry out and die. The answer to this problem is to be observant.
- Look at your plants, check the moisture in the soil, and adjust the amount of water and frequency of watering based on your observations.
- When you water, be sure to water deeply. Watering this way will encourage deeper root growth and make the plants more tolerant of dry conditions. Light watering promotes shallow roots, so plants need water more often.
- Water in the morning when there is less loss to evaporation.
- Add soaker hoses and drip irrigation to make watering more efficient.
- Mulch beds, pots, planters, and grow bags. Mulch helps the soil retain moisture and keeps the soil cooler during hot weather.
BCMGA offers several education programs each month. There is a program at 6:00 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the South Library Branch in the Mall of Abilene, and the same program is offered again at 10:00 a.m. on the 2nd Friday of the month at the Downtown Library. There is a Saturday Seminar on the last Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m. at the Taylor County Extension Office Conference Room. Watch the BCMGA website and Facebook page for the topics and dates of these monthly programs.
If you have any questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at 325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you visit bcmgtx.org for information on all Big Country Master Gardener events, like us on BCMGA Facebook, and check out training presentations on BCMGA YouTube. We are here to help you.
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