Wal-Mart and the Germans got it right!

[AeroKnipp]

I just found a pot like this one in Wal-Mart:

http://www.amazon.de/EKH-Pflanztopf-38cm-hellmarmoriert/dp/B001TCYA5O

It is exactly the right kind of pot for growing things with tap roots (like parsley) or rapidly-growing root systems (green onions/shallots). Add a Plant Nanny, and you're set to go ... no maintenance until the bottle runs dry.

[Phoenix42]

Why is it good for those types of plants?
The plant nanny looks interesting, does walmart also stock those?

[AeroKnipp]

Why is it good for those types of plants?
The plant nanny looks interesting, does walmart also stock those?

Deep tap roots do not grow to full potential in shallow pots.

Wal-Mart does not stock Plant Nanny watering systems as far as I know - but you can get them from Stokes Seeds (Canada and US): http://www.stokeseeds.com/

[Acelim]

I recently bought my pots in our local Walmart. Actually, I inquired to different marketplace and the Walmart offers less price to their products. I am currently planting my seeds.

[goodgal]

Kathy, is the tap root the reason parsley doesn't do very well in the ag?  In a  taller inside pot will do that much better?

[AeroKnipp]

Kathy, is the tap root the reason parsley doesn't do very well in the ag?  In a  taller inside pot will do that much better?

That's my best guess. Parsley doesn't do well crowded into pots, either. The tall pots seem to work much better than shorties.

[goodgal]

Hmmmmmm.... that's interesting.  This may sound like a weird idea, but I wonder if I put a big sponge in the bottom of a two liter bottle or something similar if it'd act like a self watering planter to grow parsley in the window???  The bottles are on the ugly side, but maybe a tall canister or something.

[AeroKnipp]

Maybe you could use a tall plastic container and make a self-watering planter with some kind of wicking material.

[Gadget Girl]

I don't know how deep you need the pot to be, but I saw this on ebay and thought it might work for you.  In my opinion at $24.99 it is a good deal.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Carefree-Self-Watering-Planter-3-more-available-/190419582439?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c55e43de7#ht_594wt_1138

[goodgal]

Looks like a nice pot. I'll have to keep my eyes open locally.

[AeroKnipp]

That's a HUGE pot. Take a tape measure and see how much space it would take wherever you  intend to use it.

[Gadget Girl]

I have been looking for a cheaper alternative to the Earthbox and I found these instructions to make a soda bottle self watering planter like Goodgal was talking about.  I may try it to set between two of my Aerogardens.  The family room is now affectionately called the sunroom because of all the light from my 3 gardens.   Going to be harvesting my first lettuce crop tomorrow to make a salad. Yum!

http://toppertwo.tripod.com/pop_bottle_pots.htm

[goodgal]

That's a pretty cool idea for a self watering pot.  If you used two bottles, you could get one tall enough for parsley!