veggie
In Trial 05 I am going to test out a dissimilar approach to water my love apple . In the last 2 or 3 age I have grown tomatoes in growbags in a gay spot on the patio , using specialized tomato mickle which have a “ fosse ” for easy watering .
The love apple plant is imbed in compost in the central pot which is sneak in into the grow bag , then the fosse serves as way of delivering a destiny of piddle to the plant which then finds its means into the grow bag via hole in the bottom of the moat section . That ’s the theory . Of of course , it still rely on the homo in the equivalence remembering to irrigate the tomatoes , and to do it consistently at sentence convenient to the works , not the human . I ’ve had decent - ish crops taking this approach before ultimately lose the plants to plague ( it ’s fair dominant round here ) . I was intrigued to see a unlike watering setup advertize for sales agreement which cut the reliance on the human . basically it is a fancy charge card tank with plant pot arranging on top and supplied with hairlike matting and feed . The water become in the cooler , the hairlike matting gets intrude through the bottom of the pot and dangles into the tank . Here ’s a pic .
The plant slurp up water as it require it . All the human has to do is top up the tank every now and then . Of naturally I could just purchase this set up , but that ’s quite pricy , it ’s over £ 40 plus shipping . I ’m applying the same rationale in a slightly more panel - rigged frame-up . I bought some chintzy charge plate storage tubs and some capillary matting to skip up into wicks .
I might have been able to use the lids from the tubs but was n’t sure if they would take the weight of the heap , compost , works and finally fruit . I ’ve make a hat using some foresighted pallet slats . It will but roost on top of the tubs . I think I can crush 8 plant onto this arrangement without them being too close for consolation . I ’ve drilled a hole for each pot so the capillary taper can be fed into the cooler , and other holes to permit the human private eye ( me ) to fill the tub reservoir up .
I think I ’ll be able to use the same system to deliver liquid tomato provender to the plants , I ’ll just add it to the H2O every week or two . To stop the pots wiggling about I ’ve screwed them to the wood .
Future reservoir system
I contribute the plants , taking care to ensure the capillary matting was in good middleman with the root ball . That is how the plant will get its water in this system of rules . I ’ve no idea how long it will take to drain the tubs – depends how athirst theplants get I hypothesise . I ’m expecting to get a couple of week out of each refill , we shall see .
The whole thing be me £ 16 for the tubs plus centime for a few screws , the rest was all free . To corrupt an 8 plant arrangement like the one featured would be close on £ 90 delivered , so if it cultivate ( still a big if … ) then I ’ll feel passably good about the bargain nature of my bodge .
The control for this trial is 8 other tomato plants of the same varieties planted in my normal way using grow bags and relying on yours in truth to irrigate in a not - too erratic way . I ’m using the following varieties :
The hypothesis for this trial is :
Plants using the reservoir organisation succumb more yield .
I ’ll matter the yield . I might get more yield , and they might be larger , so weighing will be the best method acting I think . I should also get less explode yield , less bottom - conclusion rot , both signs of erratic lacrimation , both of which reduce yield .
Future reservoir system
I ’ll be back in a few week with an update on the process and plant outgrowth .
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