My EB garden (and more)

one little beauty

another view

the corn is doing real well

a Gypsy pepper plant and a Eight Ball Squash plant

Broccoli and Collard Greens

Hydro-stackers ready for the strawberry plants due next month

Gypsy pepper plants in a EarthBox

Bush beans starting to flower

Chinese cabbage seedlings

Romaine lettuce in flat grow bags

Zucchini in a flat grow bag

That's all for now

BocaBob

That is enough!LOL Where do you find all the room? Very ingenius growing systems. The flat grow bags would probably be great for cantaloupes and watermelon as they like to grow high and then work down.

I got a couple for you if you like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BocaBob, nice Gypsy Peppers and no cover. Why?

I did not cover my EB, too. Experiment.

Moonglow- ditto

Thanks for the quick reply.

We have a pretty moderate climate here in Corte Madera especially this time of year, and I do not think the EB will dry out too fast. I also tried the seed tape for the first time growing across my two (2) tomatoes. No fertilizer strip either. Organic fertilizer mixed in Gardener's Self-Watering Potting Mix (with dolomite).

I'll read the thread again in case I missed the set-up for your Gypsy Pepper Experiment.

If not listed, please enlighten us. Thanks, BocaBob.

Moonglow- Up the thread on Sept 20th is a brief description of my non-covered EB. It's the pic of the bush beans, but I decided to do the peppers the same way

BocaBob

BocaBob, Nice container gardens you have. Actually I'm kind of glad for respite from gardening now that it is fall. There are enough plants (no veggies) in my little gh to keep me busy until spring seed planting begins.

Donna

Cool!

Hey, would a toilet assembly ingeniously deployed work for an automatic watering system? I'm thinking a huge water resevoir, like a hundred gallons in a trough form, with several/many boxes of soil lined up on top. I don't know how to describe in words what I have in mind.

I will be building a screen house for my veggies. Rain is not very dependable here, and I have a cistern, very little extra water, especially when weather's dry.

Molamola -- I think I get the idea and it should work as long as you don't continuously wet the leaves but just the soil. I've been to the Islands several times in my career and as beautiful as they are, fresh water is precious and expensive.

Umm, I'm trying to think of a way to have the bottom part, the water reservoir of the EB, refill itself when the water gets low, rather than having a timer. Like a boat's bilge pump has a float switch that turns on the pump when the water gets too high.

That will work as I knew an individual that used that system for a large HEB. He used to be a member of DG. He used a bilge pump.

I was intrigued by the hydrostackers so I did a web search. Those things are expensive! Are they worth it?

But a bilge pump empties water that's too high. An EB needs the opposite. That's why I thought of a toilet's tank and filling until it's full and then it cuts off.

MolaMola, what an intriguing idea! I do not see why it would not work if kept somewhere where the water would not get soil in it.

Yes, I forgot! Here water is plentiful. He would turn on the faucet and when the pump came on he would shut it off. His HEB was 8'X6'. and he had two or three. A very unique piece of work. He even grew pineapples.







"'

I'm thinking 20 X 6. or maybe larger, my entire garden!!

Your water reservoir sounds exactly like a cattle trough. I've set-up more than a few on the farm, and they quite literally use the toilet valve system.

Boca bob -- How come you decided to leave your EBs uncovered? Doesn't that bring weed and bug problems? Hope you don't mind me referring to you as Bocabob as it is shorter and I think it sounds more elegant and you deserve the recognition after all your accomplishments with your several growing methods. No foolin!! Looking forward to seeing you after my next doctor visit whereas he gives me a shot to alleviate my shoulder pain from osteoarthtitis.

Tplant- Well here is the story. I wanted to try peppers uncovered and use my top spray watering system to see what would happen. The spray system is fed from a tank with nutrients and water. So far so good- no weeds (maybe because I'm using coconut coir, its weed free by nature), and no bugs cause I spray twice a week. I'm also growing carrots in a uncovered EB the same way. Most of my EB's are covered like they should be. I love the coconut coir as a growing media so much that I'm becoming a dealer. I'm having pallets shipped down here to southern Florida from up north. I'm going to carry three products: 5 gallon grow bags with compressed coconut coir, bulk 5 kg compressed blocks, and 1 meter flat grow bags with compressed coconut coir. I personally am using coconut coir in all my growing systems with great results. Also no need for any dolomite lime because unlike peat mixes, coconut coir has a 5.6 -to 6.0 ph naturally. I'm going to sell all this plus my "Green Thumb Planter" in the Marketplace on this site. BUT I NEED YOU to be my official tester (grower) with my products. I would really like you to grow side by side your jungle growth mix plants with plants in my coir growing systems. PLEASE SAY YES.

BocaBob

Sure! Glad to help a friend.

That's just great. I'll let you know when the goodies arrive!!!!

I'll set it right alongside the EB with the same amount of sun etc. and the same variety.

You the man

Maybe Fip would like to experiment too?

That could be the answer to Flip's problems with the nemotodes in the ground? I bet he would be very interested!

leetomkatebob,
I have two questions about your eBucket. How come you drilled all those holes in the top and them plugged them with the map tube covers? And, would you mind sharing the instructions for your homemade drip system? I'm heading out to HD after work this evening to pick up my potting mix and dolomite lime to plant my Cole crop tomorrow in my 5 EBs. I truly need a drip watering system for my 5 EBs and would appreciate getting all the supplies in one trip. LMK please. Thanks!

Linda

Linda - The drip system for the EB's is as follows: One Orbit battery operated 2 dial faucet timer, one 25 lb pressure regulator, a garden hose, black or white 1/2 inch poly tubing (funny pipe) 50 or 100 feet, roll of 1/4" vinyl microtubing, one connector(hose fitting) (garden hose to the 1/2 inch pipe, one end fitting (crimps the end of 1/2 inch poly tubing, box of 1/4 inch vinyl couplers.

If you get all that stuff tonight, post that you did here and I'll walk you through the installation if you need me to.

Good luck

BocaBob

P.S. I cut 5 holes in the bucket lid to be able to plant different combinations of veggies, and plug up the rest to protect the fertilizer and keep in the moisture in. For example: 4 lettuce plants around the edge holes with center hole covered or 1 tomato plant in the center and the 4 holes around the edge covered. (where the fertilizer would be). The top and plastic plugs are permanent and do not need replacing like the EB covers do. Notice the 1/4 inch tubing going into the fill tube for automatic watering

Linda - Don't forget to get a hole punch tool also. It's to punch a hole int the 1/2 inch tubing for the couplers. Everything can be bought at HD or Lowes.

BocaBob