FROM CABBAGES TO COWPEAS?

I grew brassicaes (cabbages, cauliflowers, broccolis) in my eBuckets this past winter, and sprinkled 2 Tbsp. Bloodmeal (nitrogen) into each 5-gallon bucket along with some 13-13-13 fertilizer (see my cabbages below -- will be pulling them in the next 2-3 weeks).

I've been told by some DGers that, since I grow in containers, I don't necessarily have to worry about "crop rotation," or soil-borne pathogens. And, because I use only potting mix, homemade compost, and/or coco coir, I can plant my cabbages in the same place again.

I'm shifting gears now to start my spring/summer veggies, and my question regards what I can put in the buckets behind the brassicaes. I know I can't plant my tomatoes there (too much nitrogen for calcium lovers), and I need advice on what I can safely grow (if anything) in the same eBuckets the cabbages are coming out of.

I was reading that cowpeas "fix" nitrogen into the soil and wondered if I could put them into the eBuckets next? Then, I could plant cabbages again in the fall behind the cowpeas?

I have cowpeas, cucurbits (squash, cukes, zuchini) okra, eggplants, tomatoes and English peas, green beans to put down next. Please advise soon as you can. Thanks!

Linda

I grow in containers without a thought of what comes next as you wash so many nutrients out of the container anyway, you can pretty much just add back what you need next. The ground doesn't work that way, but all the watering you have to do in containers washes everything out of the soil.

I LOVE YOU, RAH!

You just made my WEEKEND!!

"The ground doesn't work that way, but all the watering you have to do in containers washes everything out of the soil."

In most cases that is correct, but GG is using E-buckets (aren't you, GG?). In that case there will be no leaching.

Keeping that in mind, yes you can plant some cowpeas or the like but to get a benefit of their nitrogen fixing you'll have to leave their root system intact when you pull the upper topgrowth out. (The nitrogen-fixing bacteria/nodules are on the roots.)

As for following your Brassica with tomatoes I wouldn't worry about too much nitrogen remaining in your soil, those cabbages would've most likely used up the majority of it. They are certainly heavy feeders; I have to side-dress mine several times in a year due to their nitrogen requirements.

Lastly, I think you might get "more mileage" from your e-buckets planting pole beans as opposed to cowpeas or garden peas. Those pole beans will produce much much longer and give a bigger harvest than a one or two time picking of cowpeas or garden peas.

Happy Gardening!
Shoe

Shoe--that's cool--how do e-buckets work differently?

Morning, Shoe!

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I'm growing almost exclusively in eBuckets (up to around 40 by this season), EBs (9 patented), and large planters (18-24").

We like cowpeas (beans). Crowders, black eye peas, crowder peas and especially Lady Cream Peas (which I can't seem to find seeds for...)

I spent the last two days dumping potting soil from the eBuckets and refreshing them. I know I could've just dug a hole and stuck something in, but I'm finding that a lot of times there are roots that have grown down into the reservoir. And, scummy water from the eBuckets sitting until I get to them after whatever was in either died or got eaten. I really should just put something else in as soon as I pull something out.

After two days (most of the 1st day was spent giving EVERY eBucket occupant a water blast bath cause I found some aphids on the 8 remaining cabbages...) I only managed to get 7 eBuckets planted. Dumping wet potting mix was the holdup. I've got to find a better production line method...

But, I managed to dump the mix from the remaining eBuckets into a huge plastic tub to dry out this week. Planting the bells this weekend should be a breeze. Gotta outfit a couple more eBuckets, and redo a few misplaced overflow holes.

I used plumbers glue to repair a leak in a huge bucket that's gonna hold a tomato plant! I gave it a test yesterday, and no leaking! This was a major accomplishment, trust me...Now I can plug up the misplaced overflow holes, too!

The bells are being hardened off for plantout this weekend. I wish my tomato seedlings would take off. They've been outside since they were WSed, and I potted up to 16 oz. solo cups two weeks ago. But they're just sitting there like they're trying to decide what to do...I need them to GROW so I sell the excess and plant mine! Any ideas on how to get them going?

Thanks!

Linda

Mornin'!

Getting your tomato plants to grow? Welp, they could use some heat during the day and some coolness at night (50's at night is good). We've been still going in the 30's at night here so I sometimes have to put mine on a heat mat. However, in addition to whatever your temps are that you are having to deal with I'd check your drainage and make sure the soil they are in is not too packed, excluding air exchange. That's sure slow down growth.

If you're staying organic a foliar spray of kelp and/or fish emulsion will get them going, too. And if you prefer M-Grow use the kind that has the 12-4-8 equation; that's the perfect NPK ratio that plants will readily utilize.

Other than those things, the amount of light may be a factor but you would know if that were the case cus your plants would be weak looking and spindly.

Hope this helps! (And give those peppers all the warmth you can, they grow even slower than tomatoes w/out heat.)

Rah, ebuckets work along the same lines as Earth Boxes where water is wicked up thru the soil and the soil retains the amount it can hold w/out allowing it to leach out. There are some threads in the containers forum here on DG or you can check out http://www.globalbuckets.org/ It is complete with easy to read instructions, complete with videos, and two young kids put it all together. You might want to make one I bet!

Off to meet the day!
Happy Gardening All!
Shoe

Thanks, again Shoe!

Rah,
Here's the schematic for the eBuckets I'm currently using. We find the colanders are working better than any wick we've come up with. Simple and EZ!

Nice schematic, Linda! I'm impressed! Good going!

Best!
Shoe