they look like they will hold 3 cu ft so I think they are around 20 gal. that's just a guess though

20 gal? i will take two.

What are the measurements? Height and diameter at the top would be helpful to know.

Height is 21 inches and inside diameter is 21.5 inches.

The reason for this is because i am wondering if my watering is proper- .5 gallons per plant a day

wondering if my watering is proper- .5 gallons per plant a day

Proper watering isn't determined by the size of the container. There are too many other variables that can affect it. Watering needs should be determined by the moisture level of the soil at the root level - at least 1 good long finger deep and preferably deeper. ;) In containers it is easy to dig down into the soil at the side of the container.

If they are 20 gallon containers then 1/2 a gallon isn't going to reach the deeper roots at all and shallow rooting develops on the plant making it even more water dependent that normal. Better to water either from the bottom and let the plant wick up what it needs or at least give it enough so that water runs out the bottom of the container and then do it less frequently.

Dave

Height is 21 inches and inside diameter is 21.5 inches.

Then they are probably about 20 gal containers, or thereabouts.

I do agree with Dave that there are too many variables - plant size, temperatures, etc. to know what the water needs per plant and per day are. I think you'd do better to water throughly until some runs out the bottom as the plants need it.

It just occurred to me that maybe you're trying to come up with a calculation for drip irrigation?? If so, that might be a little different.

Hi RM,

Dave/Suze are correct. But work backwards. Measure the water applied to the container to just get some coming out the bottom then see when you need to water again by the finger method to get your interval and design your drip system off of that information. This is mostly trial and error. I made enough errors and found solutions on this forum that I have enjoyed ripe tomatoes for a few weeks now and many more to come. I use automated drip on mine but they are in the ground. I started with your 1/2 gal per day per plant formula but modified it after I saw that it was not enough to get the root ball entirely wet(as roots grow water amount will change) and advice from the forum here to water more deep with longer intervals keeping the ground moist but not wet. It has been working and Dave has given me very solid advice here on the forum. Aloha Dave and everyone.

I feel like it might be too late to create a drip irrigation system. As you can see the plants look happy, but i do fear that the root-ball is not getting enough H20.

Would a simple system of a reservoir filled with H20 and nylon ropes coming out and buried into the soil be a solution?? Is the wicking powerful enough if i were to set the reservoir on the deck and have say 4 ropes going to each plant??

thanks for all the help guys

Can't say for sure but as far as I know, nylon won't wick. Cotton will and felt will but not nylon.

I have tried several wicking systems over the years and never found one I was happy with. The wick creates damp spots in the soil true but the water stops there. Unless you run multiple wicks to the pot it is never enough. Not to mention that adding them now to established plants would be difficult at best - you'd never get them deep enough into the soil without doing damage to the plant.

Why is it too late to establish a drip irrigation system - that's the best? Running a soaker hose over the plants would be the next best thing I'd think and if all else fails, large water saucers under each so they can soil wick the water helps a great deal.

Dave

Thanks Dave. I want to create a drip system using 2 liter soda bottles (seems like a pretty easy and efficient way. Only question would be: it that going to be enough water?? will i need to supplement the bottles with water from the hose? or will the plants pull the water as they need it, so i will only have to keep track of the water level inside the bottles?

here is a link to what i mean:http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/dripsystem.php

not sure what i would have done with this great website

THANKS ALL

I honestly don't think you'll find that 2 L is enough for that big a container but an easy way to find out is to pour a 2 L bottle of water on the plant slowly and see if any runs out the bottom of the planter. ;)

Maybe I don't understand the point of the website recommendations but what do you gain if you have to fill the bottles each day or twice a day vs. just watering the plant with a hose each day?

The drip irrigation system I was referring to is a regular drip system using plastic hose and multiple drip emitters for each plant.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Drip Irrigation Systems

Hey Dave,

So I did what you suggested this morning (watered until it drained out the bottom) and surprisingly it only took about 1.75 gallons to drain out the bottom! Crazy I know.. But i guess my daily watering of 1 gallon should be increased slightly to ensure it is reaching the root-ball?

my daily watering of 1 gallon should be increased slightly to ensure it is reaching the root-ball?

That's what it looks like - more water is needed when you do water but that doesn't mean you have to water daily. As a very general rule of thumb, a 20 gallon container with one plant in it shouldn't require daily watering, maybe every other day, but not daily. The only way to know is as said before - first check the soil moisture down at the root ball level before watering or use bottom watering.

Dave