Growing plants in pots and planters has always presented the gardener or the interiorscaper with two areas of concern. The first one is watering and the second is the build up of soluble salts.

Traditionally, the plant is watered by hose, irrigation, watering can or other watering method. Water is applied to the surface of the soil and the amount of water is generally determined by the depth of the well around the plant and the time the individual who is watering allocates for the task. Watering plants from the top has always been known to be the least effective way to insure that the plant has sufficient quantities of moisture for healthy and vigorous growth.

Planter Technology has developed a series of containers in a variety of shapes and sizes that water plants in a unique and very effective manner. Their Natural Spring controlled watering planters employ a watering method using a vacuum/sensor system.

Each planter is its own water source. The planter walls and base are hollow and function as the water reservoir. A hollow tube at the inside top of the planter wall extends from the planter reservoir into the potting soil. A porous "sensor" at the end of the tube in the soil controls water flow. Water removed from the soil by the plant reduces the moisture content of the soil. When this occurs the porous sensor also dries, thus allowing air to move into the water reservoir through the sensor which in turn allows water to move into the soil. If the plant doesn't need water the sensor will remain moist thus air tight. No air will move into the reservoir à preventing the movement of water into the soil. The moisture level of the soil is controlled by the needs of the plant.

The most obvious benefit to using a Natural Spring planter is improved plant health. No longer will the plant be affected by the dry-wet watering cycle common to manual or automatic watering. The potting soil will be neither too wet nor too dry. The planter reservoir holds enough water to keep the plant well watered for approximately five weeks.

Since water will move from the bottom of the soil to the top the problem with soluble salts will be greatly reduced. Surface watering deposits salts deep inside the potting soil generally near and around the small feeder roots of the plant. Surface watering leaches salts out of the top layers of the soil because the water moves downward. Salts are deposited in the bottom of the soil as the water is used by the plant or evaporates. This salt build up can cause tip burn, leaf drop and other problems that may eventually kill the plant unless the gardener or interiorscaper regularly leaches all the salt out of the soil. This problem is eliminated with the Natural Spring technology. Through capillary action water moves up through the soil depositing salts near the soil surface, well away from the more sensitive plant roots. Since the soil in a Natural Spring planter is maintained in an optimum moisture range, salts in the lower portion of the soil remain in dilution, causing no harm to the plant. Salts are generally only a problem when they are deposited in the soil.

Planter Technology has applied its Natural Spring method to a varierty of planters that have application indoors, on patios and inside raised planters. There are 64 standard planter box sizes to choose from and four cylindrical planters available in 14 different colors.

Planter Technology also manufactures a line of planter liners suitable for exterior applications. They come in a wide variety of standard sizes. Custom sizes are also available. They are self contained, completely watertight and can be customized to accommodate any standard irrigation or drainage system. The boxes are designed to be dropped in. This allows for portability, replanting or maintenance of drain lines when necessary.

For more information about Planter Technology's self watering containers please circle ( 135) on the Reader Service Card.