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| Hello,
I started 6 Self Watering Containers utilizing Lowes buckets. I followed all instructions exactly from the various video tutorials I've seen. For half of the buckets I used a mix of 3parts Rustic Pine Mulch, 2 parts Miracle Grow, and 1 part Perlite. The other 3 buckets I used a mix of 70% peat moss, 20% Vermiculite, 10% Perlite (as I had seen this recommended on GlobalBuckets.com. I made sure the mix was super wet before adding to the buckets. My concern is that to me the dirt mixture feels like it is really drying out, especially the first inch or so. I water the buckets every night via the fill tube. If I stick my finger down more than an inch, it does start to feel slightly moist, but not very much. Some of my tomatoes have started to have the bottom set of leaves turning yellow, and curling. Now I must say that the plants didn't quite look in pristine condition when I got them, and when I asked the garden center where I bought them, they said it was due to the late frost that we had gotten here in Ohio last month, but that the plants should bounce back once planted. So now I don't know what to think.....I am hoping that all this work and money I spent doing these buckets hasn't gone to waste because the dirt is drying out too much. I have occasionally been giving them some water directly to the top of the soil just because I am worried. Please advise, thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Too little water in a SWC is usually not a problem, usually too much is the issue. Check the weight of your soil buckets. If they feel really heavy for their size they're probably too wet and you should empty the reservoirs until they dry out a bit. The top inch being dry is no big deal. If you're not using a plastic mulch cover this is to be expected and is actually a good sing that your mix isn't too wet. If they're not or over or under-watered, then nutrition could be causing your leaves to yellow. You could try giving them a weak dose of liquid fertilizer, start with 1/4 strength. |
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- Posted by lesmatzek209 zone 9 ca. (My Page) on Thu, Jun 2, 11 at 20:07
| you dont want the top surface to be wet as this would indicate that the center and the bottom of the mix is to wet. my minitainers surface is les |
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| I posted this in the Container forum as well, and someone else did suggest that they are probably getting too much water. The buckets have black plastic over them, and I occasionally mist the top because I wasn't sure if the yellow dying leaves were because of too little water. They also suggested that the 70/20/10 mixture I got from GlobalBuckets is not suited well for the tomatoes because it will hold too much moisture, but that my 3,2,1 mix (Raybo's I believe) should be fine. I wonder if I should just pull the plants in the containers with the globalbucket mixture and redo the soil using the 3,2,1? |
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