My system already wets "some" of the roots! Might work with patio plants,
but tomatoes, cucumbers etc need to be able to take in large amounts of food
and water and therefore the whole root system needs to work, not just the
tips. Tomato roots rapidly rot if they are left in water, causing the
leaves to yellow and die.



"Mike" wrote in message
...
Shallow Saucers for water for the tips of the roots. Water would soak up
into the compost on demnd. I am not a gardener as the owners and net
nannies
of this newsgroup will be very very quick to point out, but my wife is an
avid gardener and we have lots of pots, even more now I have built a big
verandah right across the back of the house, and they are all in shallow
saucers.

If it works for her, why not you?

Kind regards

Mike


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Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com


"Rick Eggleston" wrote in message
...
Because that would leave the roots permanently waterlogged.

--
Best Regards,

Rick

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"Rick Eggleston" wrote in message
...
I have grown tomatoes, cucumbers and melons for the first time in pots
with
Bowers peat-free compost. As the Bowers dries out quickly, I have
installed
timed irrigation from rainwater butts. This has had limited success
as
the
water seems to take the path of least resistance straight down through
the
Bowers. Even using a ring of micro-soaker hose in the pot, water is
running
out the bottom before the compost is full soaked.

I have potted vines in John Innes compost watered by the same method
without
problems.

Has anyone experience of any other peat-free composts?
Would a blended mixture of Bowers and John Innes work?




Why not stand the pots in saucers to a depth you want the water to be?

That way the roots will still be in water even after the water has run
through!

Mike


--
--------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com