Pots for plants

With pots for plants you can maximise the available growing space,create a thriving garden and avoid some of the  problems associated with other forms of gardening.

By using  the amazing GreenSmartTM pots for plants you can avoid problems associated with other types of pots.

These pots have a large 12 litre water reservoir underneath the roots of the plants. The water is ‘wicked’ up to the roots at a rate determined by the plants themselves. So what is wicking?

Wicking gardens are a wonderful and increasingly popular way to grow vegetables. They are self-contained raised beds with built-in reservoirs that supply water from the bottom up – changing how, and how much, you water your beds. Wicking works by capillary action. The same process that you observe when you partially dip a rolled up newspaper into a bucket of water – the water rises up the newspaper by osmosis. This creates a moisture gradient from the reservoir up to the soil around the plants.

Now back to GreenSmart pots for plants. These pots have 40 litres of potting mix sitting above the water reservoir and we start off by pushing potting mix into the eight built-in wicking tubes to make wicks. As the plants use water, the soil becomes drier and the roots automatically draw more water up through the wicks. Water is added into the water sight glass on one end of the pot when the water level gets low.

Advantages of GreenSmart pots for plants

• They are very water-efficient! Watering from the bottom up prevents evaporation of surface water (which occurs when you water beds from the top). This makes them a great system for using pots for plants in drought-prone areas or during watering restrictions.
• They are self-watering! Wicking pots are an especially great system for people who are not able to frequently check water levels. In the middle of summer, leafy crops like lettuces will only need watering every 7-10 days.
• Take the guess work out of watering.
• They are also very fertiliser-efficient. The fertiliser does not get washed away as happens with a regular garden during heavy rain.
• No evaporation means reduced salting of soil. If you are watering your soils from the top with hard water, you risk accumulating salts, because the water evaporates and leaves the minerals behind. Eventually your soil will struggle to support plant life.
• They provide easy drainage in the event of a large downpour as the pots have several seepage points just below the level of the false floor. It is impossible to flood the roots with too much water.
• Since they’re raised, the ground will warm up quicker in the spring. On a sunny day in winter the soil in a GreenSmart pot is several degrees warmer than the ground.
• You can easily attach cold frames to them.
• They are great for people with less mobility and strength as the pots can be raised up onto a bench (about a metre above the ground)
• The plant roots get more aeration because there is always a pocket of air between the water and the false floor.
• No moving parts.
• The pots are available in three colours: black, green and cream.

How about food safety when using pots for plants?

Some pots are made with recycled plastics. While this might make give us a warm feeling, it has got some risks as it is very difficult for the plastics manufacturer to verify that the plastics are safe.

GreenSmart pots do not contain any recycled plastics. All the plastic is certified by the USFDA (food and drug administration) as being suitable for food contact.

How big is a GreenSmart Pot?

There are two sizes available. The larger pot holds a 40 litre bag of potting mix and has a 12 litre water reservoir.

How about UV damage to pots for plants?

Some plastic pots will quickly become damaged by the harsh New Zealand sunlight and will disintegrate within a few years. GreenSmart pots contain a UV-retardant to reduce UV damage to the plastic.

 Larger scale wicking gardens

If you would like to know more about how to make your own large scale wicking garden then have a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwh2BQ3BBmI