"Wick" Planters and Cantaloupe Avo Lime Salad

"Wick" Planters

I'm doing a little experiment with two of my hens and chicks succulent arrangements that's called "wick" planting.  The basic idea is that there is a piece of fabric buried in the plant, and the other end of the fabric has access to standing water.  This way, the plant can draw up as much moisture as it needs through the bottom of the plant.  If done properly, watering can be done less frequently and the root system should become stronger since it's finding water near the bottom of the planter.  

This first planter is a single unit one, meaning that the plant and the reservoir are in the same container.  During my mom's recent visit to Portland, we checked out an antique sale at Edgefield.  She bought me this planter, an upcycled old rain gutter, that was filled with hens and chicks.  First, I removed all of the plants and dirt from the gutter.  I cut the little sprouts off, which can just be planted to start a new plant.

  

I cut up an old kitchen towel to make a long string.

A few inches from the end of the "string" I tied a knot and began winding the fabric around the knot. 

 I kept going until it was about the same diameter as the hole in the bottom of the planter.  Then I stuck the knot into the drain in the gutter (you want this to fit very snuggly) and left the few inches of tail hanging down.

I then twisted the string and laid it down into the planter.

I replanted all of the plants.  Next, I took a tin tea container, filled it with water, and placed it under the drainage tube in the planter.  The few inches of string sat nicely in the water.  For balance, I used the lid of the tea tin and the lid of an old stainless steel thermos that I don't use anymore, and put them under the other side of the planter.

This is now sitting on my mantel.  All I need to do is check the reservoir to make sure there is always standing water available for the wick to absorb into the planter.  This really takes the guesswork out of watering.

 

This next one is an example of a wick planter with an exterior reservoir.  

Now for all those extra clippings I had...I really wasn't sure what in the world to do with them, until I noticed an old candle holder that R had made in highschool.

I filled it with dirt, and stuck the clippings through the various holes on the container.  The wick is just planted in the middle, kind of spread out to allow the most contact with the soil.  To the right, you can see the wick hanging out and laying in a bowl of water.  I'm going to replace the bowl of water with a smaller container.  This planter sits on top of our bookshelf, and the bowl of water hides nicely out of eyesight.  As I cut off more clippings, I can add those to this planter as well.

Cantaloupe Avo Lime Salad

After making this recipe by Martha Stewart, I was pretty disappointed.  It was pretty boring, and not very flavorful.  I decided to add red onion, almost an entire bunch of cilantro, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, and extra olive oil.  The result was fantastic and a huge crowd pleaser!

It didn't take much to liven it up, and it really did come out great.  We had this for dinner with a side of tempeh and then again for a picnic lunch at the river.