I have done something similar, only I used 2lt. bottles with top and bottom
removed. No compost around the bottles, layers of old newspaper around the
plants to help hold water and reduce weeds. This worked pretty well here in
Georgia. In Texas, I would set up 'dew catchers' to help water the plants.

On 6 Mar 2007 11:49:05 -0800, "AndyS" wrote:

Andy asks

This year I am planting my tomatoes and cucumbers (North Texas)
In little plastic wells so I can more selectively apply water during
our
drought...
What I am doing is to cut the bottoms out of the plastic buckets
of about 6-8 inches diameter and put them in the ground, filling
them with good dirt and leaving about 2 inches vacant between
the top of the soil inside them and the rims....
The top of the soil in the plastic bucket is about even with the
outside soil, so the "rim" is about 2 inches above the terrain.

In this way I can
water the "well" with about 2 inches, which will soak down into
the root area... I am also surrounding the outside of the
plastic well with about
2 inches of leaf mulch...

Has anyone else tried this and did you have positive results ?

Andy in Eureka, Texas