Planting in clay. Bottom water or Top water? And more.

[Noel Goetz]

I will be transferring 10 potted figs into hard clay planting bowls I dug in my front yard. The soil that at the surface was amended with a great deal of manure that has been soaked daily for 2 weeks. With damper than normal ground I used a post hole digger to begin setting 3" blue pipe', scrap cut ends I found dumpster diving (that I perforated 2 feet below the bottom of my planting bowls) to help dry out soil should drainage be slower because of the clay (good idea/bad idea?). My questions are- should I also use these pipes to water at/below the root zone or stick to just top watering? I'm thinking of adding more perforations above the bottom of the bowls as well. One more thing, any idea's about using rock, sand or clay around the sides of the lower pipe where the perforations are? Probably really stupid rookie questions but better to ask before fully committing. Any idea's or suggestions appreciated including 'Don't do it at all'. Thanks for whatever your comments might be.

[randy/ga]

hey noel, really cannot comment since i have never used pipes of any sort, not sure what to tell you.
never seemed that i needed them here in georgia, remember we get around 50 inches of rain per year typically, however i do have good drainage. k.i.s.s.=keep it simple simon(or noel) is my personal philosophy! good luck, randy/ga

[Backyard_Fig]

Not sure on the watering through the pipe, but the rock and sand would definitely help with the drainage