new pots - do or do not use the tray

[Dazastar]

just wondering if it better to not worry about the water saver tray that comes with new pots and let them drain free. Also, any takes on self watering pots. As I mainly grow my chillies in the ground, I'm not quite up with whats the best way to pot them.

 

[Oziam]

Hello brother from another mother

What I like about NO tray is that the water is properly passed through the root system, whereas if you use with tray on it might prevent a free flow keeping the roots too wet. Well that's my theory anyway!

 

[Dazastar]

Sounds plausible to me hombre

 

[Justaguy]

I have one I use each year for one lucky pepper plant with the attached tray. I like it for the bottom watering, and when the soil feels dry up top and the tray has been dry for a day or two it is time for me to water. The rest of my plants go in the ground. This year a friend is using it for a tomato plant since I helped him burn last year's plant with a pint of gas and may have been responsible for melting his old one I gave him.
If you have detachable trays try some with and some without to see what works best for you.

 

[geeme]

I got pots with detachable trays - it's a lot easier to remove the trays when the pots are empty, than when they're full. I can always set the pots into the trays (if desired) easily enough, without "locking" them to the trays. I mainly look at the trays as a way to prevent the ground from getting wet when you are watering. But since I grow them outside and water until it flows freely out the drainholes, that's kind of a moot point for me - that would tend to be more of an issue if I was going to bring the plants inside though, and probably a good thing when I overwinter them.

One more thought - I am thinking that if I was in a hotter, drier climate, I might prefer to leave the trays on, specifically to help retain moisture within the pots.

 

[Oziam]

One more thought - I am thinking that if I was in a hotter, drier climate, I might prefer to leave the trays on, specifically to help retain moisture within the pots.

Good point, when it's hot without a tray you can be watering everyday or more, I don't have any trays so I use a humus compost on top of my soil when it is hot, this helps the soil stay moist longer.

 

[SuperHot]

I have a 100 of them and they seem to work just fine for me last season. I really don't think it amounts to too much anyways. I'm out there every day and during the rainy spells I can always tip them, whereas the real hot stretches it seems to just evaporate.

The big sharks like AJ would probably have more to say on this.

 

[RaelThomas]

For me... I can undestand using them if your keeping your plants indoors, but even then you often want to pass more water through the pot than will fit in the tray so it overflows.
Or... You get a Stagnant pool of water drenching the roots at the bottom.
So, I don't like using them personally, but to each his own style! Do whatever suits you best.