No-Drip Urban Containerscaping

This is a timely article advocating the display of plants in containers.

Container gardening is also the perfect solution if you live in an apartment but have a small deck or porch area, or live in the city where there is no soil at all.

This method is perfect for the busy person who goes from work to workout to children's activities with barely enough time for dinner, let alone gardening. But it is also a great idea for the elderly or disabled.

Growing plants in containers makes perfect sense, particularly in an urban setting. I don’t think of it as gardening however. The terms no-drip, water-saving, timesaving containerscaping relate more to the built environment that involves more hardscaping than earthscaping. Drench and drain container gardening in an urbanscape environment makes little sense.

Helen knows from experience that flowers planted in containers need to be closely monitored for watering. Because the amount of soil is small in a container, it dries out very quickly. Daily watering may be necessary, and even more on hot, windy days.

"You have to keep them watered," she said. "Other than that, they are very easy to take care of."

If more urbanites understood sub-irrigation (and hydroculture) as plant care methods, I firmly believe the market would be twice as big.

All of my outdoor deck plants are installed in sub-irrigation. Using modern methods, you can change your watering frequency from daily to weekly or longer.

Plus, all of the water goes to the plants rather than dripping on the floor or on your neighbor below.

Pictured here are Hibiscus, Mexican Weeping Bamboo (Otatea acuminata aztecorum) and Giant Timber Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris 'Vittata'). Other plants not shown are Plumeria, Aspidistra, Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizzi), Dracaena marginata, Rhapis excelsa, Zamia furfuracea, Fargesia nitida (a bamboo) Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum), Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) and Tomatoes. I can't imagine there are any plants that wouldn't benefit from sub-irrigation containerscaping other than air plants such as bromeliads.

Modern containerscaping methods save time, are better for your plants and avoid any exposure to dripping water on your neighbors or their property. Drench and drain watering inside buildings or in an urban environment is unwise when better methods are clearly at hand.

The Case Against Sub-irrigation Of Houseplants

Sub-irrigate a canary. If the canary flips over and breathes its last, maybe you have a problem with high soluble salts in your houseplant water. If it seems to be enjoying itself, you and your houseplants will most likely enjoy all of the benefits of sub-irrigation. We’re only half joking.

The only case ever made against sub-irrigation is about soluble salts exposure. We have a way for you to prove the fallacy of these soluble salts warnings made in support of drench and drain watering.

Years ago, miners used canaries to test for toxic gases in coal mines. You can use a similar method to test for a soluble salts problem with your water supply at the same time proving the value of sub-irrigation to yourself. Use the shoestring measured sub-irrigation (MSi) method to maintain a few “canary plants”. Do not fertilize them initially.

“Canary plants” include the ubiquitous Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) and the ever-popular Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana). Both have sensitivity to high soluble salts in the water. They will evidence it by displaying significant tipping (browning) of leaf tips. Incidentally, slight tipping is normal with any level of water quality. Perfection is difficult to attain in the care of all houseplants since the indoor environment is less than ideal.

We don’t believe you can have a soluble salts problem unless you’re using private well water rather than a municipal water supply. Or, you may be adding too much fertilizer.

Over six years of testing in our Greenscaper Consumer Lab and three decades of professional experience prove to us that there are no disadvantages to sub-irrigation of houseplants. Once again, a potential problem with soluble salts is the only justification ever cited in favor or drench and drain over sub-irrigation. Simply put, it is mythology that you can easily debunk yourself.

So, sub-irrigate a canary plant today and enjoy all the benefits.

The Case For Sub-irrigation Of Houseplants

There are numerous benefits for houseplants, caretakers and the environment from sub-irrigation watering. It produces healthier houseplants and makes their care more user-friendly and hassle free. We know of no disadvantages.

Widely publicized misleading information about the threat of soluble salts has inhibited the use of sub-irrigation except by professionals. This false fear, coupled with resistance to change, has been the primary obstacle to gaining the benefits of sub-irrigation.

The following is a long list but well worth reading if you have not experienced the benefits of measured sub-irrigation.

Benefits to the plants

• Reduced exposure to soluble salts problems. Salts are elevated up and out of the way of the primary root zone.

• Maintenance of the ideal state of ‘evenly moist’ is much easier. This is a healthier soil condition and reduces the exposure to precipitation of soluble salts out of solution in the dry state. This condition can result in the burning of hair (feeder) roots.

• Water moves up evenly molecule by molecule, drop by drop. Capillary action facilitates maintenance of the ideal state of evenly moist with no exposure to dry soil pockets.

• A small measured amount of water can be delivered directly to the root zone with hypodermic like accuracy. This is essentially impossible to do with top watering. It makes sub-irrigation feasible for all types of plants including cactus and succulents.

• Gentle movement of water by capillary action reduces the tendency for soil particles to compact, which improves oxygenation over time. Pore spaces do not close up as they do from the force of water moving by gravitational pull.

Benefits to the caretaker

• The interval of time between plant waterings can be extended. A ‘reservoir’ capability allows extra water application to cover caretaker absences (vacations, etc.).

• Plants can be watered on a fixed schedule (every 2 weeks for example). Larger plants can go even longer than 2 weeks. Every 3-week plant care is definitely feasible. Small 4” inch pot size plants might require a 10-day cycle.

• A closed watertight sub-irrigation system reduces exposure to water damage of furnishings and floors.

Benefits to the environment

• Proper use of measured sub-irrigation results in a dry soil surface 100% of the time. There is no exposure to creating an environment for propagation of fungus gnats (Sciaridae). They are annoying to humans and are known to be vectors for plant damaging diseases.

• A dry soil surface mitigates exposure to the creation of toxic molds and triggering of allergic reactions such as asthma.

Avoid Being Mosquito Bait

Breeding mosquitoes under your houseplants?.

You would have to be really negligent to breed mosquitoes in the saucers under houseplants even if you’re using the poke and pour top watering method.

However, it is not even an issue with measured sub-irrigation (MSi) because there is no standing water. There just isn’t any messy drainage. It is essentially a closed system.

Mosquitoes and fungus gnats cannot breed and there is no exposure to toxic mold generation. There is also little or no exposure to furniture damage from water overflow. These are just some of the benefits of measured sub-irrigation (MSi).

Houseplant books and Master Gardener extension service websites, however, continue to preach the misguided mantra of “drench and drain”.

It's going to take some time to overcome the massive amount of mis-information about houseplant care and "poke and pour" watering. It is, without doubt, the worst way to water containerized plants.

Professional plant maintainers know about the benefits of sub-irrigation but, unfortunately, the wrong people are talking to houseplant consumers. Or, to put it another way, houseplant consumers are listening to the wrong "teachers".

Our advice is to "vet" your information sources. Look for professional work experience in the field of inside plant maintenance rather than anecdotal home gardening experience. Anyone can write a book. And, they do.

Vet us. It surprises us that not everyone clicks on our “About” link (top left) to see who we are. You should check us out and challenge us with questions if you have them. We invite and encourage you to do that.

Article Quote: She also advised them to keep standing water out of their yards and houses by checking for puddles and emptying water out of saucers on which they keep house plants.

Van Gordon said about 20 percent of people who get the disease, which is passed on by biting mosquitoes, actually experience symptoms, such as achy joints and a fever.

About one person in 150 who catch the virus gets very ill. The virus attacks the nervous system and can cause death or severe nerve damage, such as paralyzed limbs, she said.

Planterra Ariana Availability

We believe an Ariana planter with a user-supplied fill-tube addition is the best sub-irrigation planter widely available at retail. Once a user understands the concept of "measured sub-irrigation" (MSi) they are a supurb product. We also believe they have the best design profile of all the inexpensive plastic planters we've seen at retail.

We have been buying these planters at Home Depot for a number of years. Now, they've disappeared in our area. We were disappointed to find that our local Home Depots now carry Planterra TerraPots only. These have no drainage platform and are difficult to make watertight because of 6 bottom drain holes. We see no houseplant application for them.

We called Home Leisure Products in Apopka, FL and were told that they have a special order 800 number. We haven't tried it yet but supposedly a HD store manager can/will call for a special order of Ariana planters. Well try it and let you know what happens. Film at eleven!

Please let us know about Planterra Ariana availablity in your area. Thanks.

Drainage Planter Converts Easily To Sub-irrigation

There are plastic planters with bottom drainage platforms available at retail. One of them is the Planterra — Ariana series from Home Leisure Products, a Fiskars company. They call it a "root management system" which they evidently sell separately. We have always bought them as part of the Ariana planter.

Really Simple Sub-irrigation - Just add a fill-tube and—voila!—a sub-irrigation planter!

There is a "higher and better" use for planters with built-in drainage. The drainage platform can be easily converted for sub-irrigation by simply inserting a fill tube. We use clear flexible plastic tubing readily available at home supply and hardware stores.

It's definitley RSSi - really simple sub-irrigation.

Remove the platform from the bottom. It takes some effort to unsnap it from the 2 anchor pegs molded into the planter bottom. Notice that there are four funnel shaped “feet” on the platform. Pick one of them to be the receptacle for the fill tube. Fold a piece of duct tape over this hole. Now cut two slits across the hole in a cross pattern. Reinstall the platform. Push the tubing through the duct tape into the bottom of this hole. The purpose of the duct tape is to prevent soil from clogging the fill tube hole.

The remaining 3 holes become wicks by filling each of them with perlite to enhance the capillary action. That’s all there is to it. The planter is now ready for planting.

Follow the same instructions as for RSSi Recipe - No Wick sub-irrigation. Weigh the plant, weigh the water. Or, test the soil with a soil probe and measure the water with a measuring vessel.

However you do it, test and measure just the way you follow a recipe in the kitchen. Remember, if water rises to the surface, you have added too much water. Properly sub-irrigated, the top surface remains dry at all times. There is then no exposre to fungus gnat propagation or toxic mold generation.

Current photo of a Ficus benjamina that's been in the lab for 3 yrs, 10 mos. It was a 6" pot size plant at purchase. Water usage has been 1.3 oz/day. Photo on right taken March 6, 2002.

More plant photos follow...

Plumeria grown from cuttings started December 17, 1998.

Bambusa vulgaris cv Vittata, "Painted Bamboo". The original, purchased in Oct. 1995 is now four plants like these. All are sub-irrigated.