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Container Gardening

Container water movement (Al's post)- question re wick

12 years ago

Hi,

for Al or anyone who follows his method. I am slowly making my way thru the long thread :) so perhaps this question has been answered-

re the wick - I had a hard time picturing it, cuz I could only think of a candle wick, but then Al or someone said one could use the tie that ties bunches of vegies.

OK, now I've got a wick. It is about 7 inches long. Is that too long?

And I know it goes thru one of the drainage holes - so the soil holds the part that is inside, and the part outside the pot hangs down, sits on earth?

is this correct?

thank you,

ellen

Featured Answer

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

12 years ago

Hi, Ellen - Wicks you intend to use to drain the soil needn't be as absorbent as those used to supply water from a source below the soil. To illustrate, saturate your soil in a plastic cup that has a drain hole in it. Allow it to stop draining, then push a toothpick part way into a drain hole so it hangs below the container bottom and observe how much additional water leaves the pot after flowing down the toothpick.

Usually, leaving about 3" hang below the container works very well, but there is no harm/disadvantage in using longer wicks. I use strands from a 100% rayon mop head.

Al

{{gwi:6819}}
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Comments (6)

DaMonkey007
12 years ago
Hey Al, where did you get that little piece of screen from?

PJ
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years ago
Buy it at any hobby shop - ask for 'plastic canvas for needlepoint projects'.

Al
ellenrr
Original Author
12 years ago
thank you very much. :)
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years ago
{{gwi:8007}}
Darlene
10 years ago
Hi Al or others,

I am new to this forum, but have read your post on soils. Is it possible to insert a wick into a pot after it is planted?

Thanks, Darlene

This post was edited by Darlene57 on Fri, May 24, 13 at 19:15

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