forestry tube???

K. sounds good. I will set up some with pots that I have. others will have to be improvised with PVC. Or only try two or three tubs. and put the rest in the dirt. as I don't want to cut back on number of plants. and I don't have any extra finances, until I get a couple debts paid off.
What do you think of 15 gallon plastic barrels they are white translucent and about 3 ' tall. I could paint them if necessary.

Randbponder,
Don't think you need paint. Just need a cover to suspend ur pots. Check with Cricket, as she has a trashcan cuke going now.

These are little barrels with a handle in the middle of the top, would have to use hole saw to cut hole for pot. Could run pvc tube through bung hole to bottom for refilling.
Neat little barrels we used one for water for primitive camping. I had planed another one to use for shower water with a 12 volt pump. but that trip we just roughed it and didn't sniff to deeply lol
the barrel is about 12"w by 36"d

Russ, I wouldn't ruin your barrel. Cricket has been experimenting using several plants in a barrel and adding nutrients and probably water so would be no difference with yours to just add some later if you are using just one plant with the smaller barrel. Sounds liked a good one to keep for other things.

Hope I was clear on that.

Yes I understand where you are coming from. I have other containers I can use, just need to come up with covers / lids etc. I do want to use those 15 gal jugs for other purposes. A warm shower at a primitive camp site would feel mighty nice on a hot sticky day. But every once in a while we can get one or two more

:0)

OK GG, have you planted your trash can? Did you, or are you going to plant the seeds in the tube, or start them first? Stuff them into the tube?? I am trying to decide how to do mine so I use as much of the growing season as possible. Don't know whether to start them in pots and then move them. I realize they grow so fast so don't want them too big to put in the tube.

Jnette,
I don't think I'll be doing a garbage can tomato. Check Cricketsgarden's feedback on her Tomato Adventures thread.

Not the cucumber either GG?

I have three wee cucumber seedlings, and I think I'm gonna go traditional with them in a corner of my yard with this squash trellis over them. I might try the cans next time.

That's a nice trellis, Looks like 1x2s? Your garden really looks lush. What are those plants?

Girl, that is NOT my garden! If it were, I'd be visiting your place with all my free time!

That's a website for the DIY instructions on how to built the squash teepee.

The cross pieces are 1x3s or 1x4s. The upright pieces are 8 ft. 2x2s.

LOL, GG you could have taken credit for them. Until one of the DGers went to visit. LOL

Here is a link to the forestry tubes used in Prof. Kratky's work: http://www.stuewe.com/products/rayleach.php

Interesting. It didn't say how big around any were. Are the 1/1/2 inch pvc too big?

You control the size of the hole in the lid. The advantage of the forestry tubes is that they're tapered and thereby don't fall through the hole. A pvc pipe would have to be modified somehow so it won't fall through the hole, or perhaps the hole must fit the pipe snuggly so that friction keeps the pipe from falling through. I read on another post that 2" net pots were used with flat-topped garbage cans, and they worked just fine.

Yes, whatever you use it has to be able to reach the water under the lid. That was the reason for the flat topped lid. I would imagine there would be a lot of ways to alter the PVC so it won't slip thru. Good old duck tape. Several wraps around should do it.

I see about 2/3rds of the way down, a price list shows the Ray Leach “Cone-tainer” cell diameters as either 1" or 1.5".

BUMP.

Thanks for the bump, Gymgirl.

I've been saving tall, skinny plastic water bottles because I thought someone wanted to grow daylily seedlings in them. Maybe it was this thread I mus-remembered.

2 1/4" diameter
7" tall after cutting the top off.
straight walls, no ribs or flare.

bump!

Hi, Gymgirl!

Boy, DG has gotten quiet!

Haven't seen/heard you in a long time Rick. What have you been doing?

The Hog Wild Piggy Swap, ATP, a visit to the Olympic Peninsula, and getting over a cold.

Of those, the cold was the least fun.

I got busy last spring, and never got around to planting a single seed. It took all year to clear weeds out of the beds. I had let some weeds get into my compost WITH some weed seeds, and that's all she wrote. Now I have a five-gallon bucket of that same compost, dried and screened, but probably FILLED with weed seeds.

What were you doing in the Olympic Peninsula? Did you go to the rain forest? LOL, that's probably where you picked up the cold.

Rain forest - yes. Actually, I was getting over the cold before i spent a week in the cold, windy damp and stayed up late so that I went backwards and got worse.

The lakes and mountains and moss & lichen - covered trees are awesome.

I have used forestry tubes on many hydroponics setups. They work great.
https://thehumanfootprint.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/dscn2599.jpg
I have also used them in the Kratky method of hydroponics using a rubbermaid type container.
Check out videos on Youtube.
I have used Peters 20 20 20 with success as in this Youtube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HNFaYByQlg
It would be great to place this in the hydroponics section.

Weeding,
While you're here, I have a question as I'm about to set up my first Kratky tub to grow lettuce.

One of mhpgardener's concerns was that the lids on some of the tubs don't quite sit flat, and create a "dam" which allows rainwater to pool on top and into the tub. How did you get around this, and which rubbermaid type container do you use?

A rubbermaid tub would be much faster than me constructing wooden boxes and buying 6 mil liner, LOL!

P.S. I'll be using the HydroGardens 10-8-22 formula (this was in the Kratky paper and on mhpgardener's YouTube video). Are there any adjustments I need to make for growing lettuce, besides just adding the Epsom Salts? This contains the Calcium Nitrate already...

Thanks, in advance.

Gymgirl, I use the containers that I bought from Walmart like these
http://www.walmart.com/ip/9-Pack-Sterilite-18201009-Plastic-Latching-10-Gallon-Storage-Container-Tote-Box/40591433
There is no way to keep the water from going in when it rain. I place holes on each side( under the hand rail) so that the water will drain when it rain. I place it right above my max water level. The container does not need to be this tall. I have only used General Hydroponics Flora series or Peter's 20,20,20 with the Epsom salts. (2 teaspoon of Peters, 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt per gallon of water). Since I became disable I can only afford to use the Peters plant food and It works great for me.
Check out the Hydroponics section for some of my hydroponics setups using throw away items.

Here is a Youtube videos with a guy who puts individual hoops over the hydro garden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xf_L0AuNSY