How to Grow Vegetables in Self-Watering Pots

Place self-watering container in desired sunny location. Fill wicking container in the bottom, center of the planter with damp potting mix. Place screen over the wicking container and add potting mix above the screen, moistening and packing down slightly as you go until the planter is full.

Fill the water reservoir through the tube at the top of the planter until water spills from the side overflow spout. Mix in a handful of lime into the soil if tomatoes are being planted. Determine how plants will be arranged -- in a 5-gallon bucket, plant one tomato plant, two squashes, or four lettuce or leafy-green plants. In a larger tub, two tomatoes, four squashes or brassicas, or up to eight greens (depending on size and type) could be planted.

Pour 1 cup of fertilizer per 5-gallon bucket, or 2 cups per larger container, in a stripe that runs between where the crops will be planted. Pull plastic sheet mulch across planter and secure with a bungee cord wrapped around the container. Cut 3-inch X shapes in each desired plant location.

Plant each plant start through the plastic, so that the top of the root mass is level with the surrounding soil level. Water plants in thoroughly --- this will be the only time the plants are watered conventionally, from the top. Keep cover secured over plants and fill reservoir regularly throughout the growing season.

Harvest continually throughout the growing season. To harvest an entire plant and replace with a new one, pull the plastic sheet back and remove unwanted plants. Dig out the area with fertilizer, top off with potting soil and add a new stripe of fertilizer on the surface. Replace cover, or make a new one if the plant arrangement has changed. Plant new starters and water in well.