Soak Pots

vegetable patch management

pots

soak pots

Soak pots are used to deliver a large dose of water to the subsoil area next to young trees, shrubs or vegetables that like a good soaking. They are particularly useful for watering plants that do best grown on a mound, such as pumpkin, zucchini and squash.

description of a soak pot

290 mm soak pot being filled to provide water for three pumpkin plants.

Basically a soak pot is a Ground Pot used for a different purpose. That being to supply a concentrated amount of water to the subsoil at a steady rate to minimise surface water run off and evaporation.

uses of soak pots

I use soak pots with :-

Newly planted fruit trees.
Shrubs such as berry bushes.
Vegetables that like a good soak of water.
Plants that are best grown on small mounds such as young citrus trees, pumpkins, squashes and zucchinis.

Cut away of a soak pot that has been inserted on a mound bed.

Illustration of a soak pot being filled with water

The soak pot being filled with water.

Illustration of a soak pot slowly draining

As the soak pot empties it provides the subsoil with a concentrated soaking with minimal surface water runoff.

soak pot sizes

As with ground pots the ideal size is 290 mm (12") though a 250 mm (10") pot is acceptable.

setting up a soak pot

Prepare the soil where you wish to use the soak pot.
Drive the pot into the soil to a depth of around five to eight centimetres.
Plant your seeds or seedlings around the outside of the pot.
Fill the pot with water. The pot will empty again in about five to ten minutes, but this relatively slow release of water at a point several centimetres below the surface of the soil ensures concentrated watering with minimal surface runoff and evaporation.
After the plants have established themselves I cover the area with mulch, including the inside of the soak pot, in order to inhibit weed growth and minimise water evaporation.