Help me TPlant and Bob and Everyone

Shoe: Yes, like minds tend to think alike> LOL

Bob and Tubby and Devota: I have some questions about those drums, I know I have a purpose for them and hope you get what I'm talking about here, you too Bob as it concerns the grow bags, my topsys and other things as well. I have some of Bob's fertilizer and want to hook up a timed watering device where the bags and topsy's will get Bob's fertilizer, if I hook the spray device up to a hose and to the manifold they won't, but, if I hook the spray device up to a 55 gallon drum full of Bob's fertilizer mixed with water they will right? Then I can somehow put the 55 gallon drum hooked up to another hose, hooked up to the manifold which comes off a hose attatched to my facet. Have I lost anyone yet? Anyways, the idea is that the water comes out of my facet, then goes into the barrel, mixes with Bob's fertilizer and then comes out the other side of the barrel into the spray device made for the 5 gallon grow bags and presto, it's also on a timer, so the5 gallon grow bags get watered and so do the topsy's as I will have a spray device leading there also. Is that possible? Maybe we need shoe, jaywhacker and Jerry in on this one too, long as Jerry leaves the jackhammer at home.
joy

Let's see if I have this right (oh by the way, I'm home for a week. I had knee surgery this morning and I get a week off from my day job!!!!!) OK, back to the barrel thing. You fill up a 55 gallon barrel with water, add my fertilizer and stir. You have a nice electric submersible pump in the barrel. Out from the pump is a 1/2 inch poly hose. From there you water/feed everything you have to water/feed. Did I get it right?

BocaBob

Bob: Hmmm, not exactly but sounds good go on.....
Is this 55 gallon drum hooked up to a hose on a timer by chance or do I have to fill it with water myself like back in the olden days when we had pails filled from a facet and then dumped into the barrel?

My neighbor gave a good tip on the 5 gallon buckets, to put a hole for the pond basket and another hole for the water fill tube, use a 2" wooden bit used to drill through two by fours for electric conduits. Hmmmm.
joy

The barrel trip is funny!

Bob, hope the surgery works and you get to feeling better real soon.

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Joy, I have on more than one occasion drilled holes into plastic buckets and also plastic 55 gal barrels using paddle bits anywhere from a 1/4" up to an 1 1/4". Any thing bigger I usually go to a hole saw. The cheap ones work good on plastic.

Oh, by the way, the white 55 gal barrels cut in half make pretty nice long lasting planters.

Jerry

OK, I'll go on.............. You can have a hose fill up the 55 gallon drum, but not continually. You have to add the fertilizer in a measured amount of water and then use it. But the bucket brigade is not necessary. And of course you can hook up a timer to the pump for automatic watering

BocaBob

Bob, Is there need for concern about the amount of pressure the submersible pump creates in relation to the number of emitters or micro spray heads you are using to fertigate your plants?

Also, what about back pressure in the event there are not enough outlets in your system?

Thanks,

Jerry

Ready?

Yes, pressure is VERY IMPORTANT. I just bought a bigger 1267gph pump beacuse I expanded my garden. I was using a 633 gph one.

The second question doesn't make sense. But to prevent back flow, you need to drill a small hole in the 1/2 inch poly pipe near the top of the drum.


BocaBob

If I may ask, what were some symptoms leading to you decision to upgrade your pump?


My question about back pressure probably should have been, Is there a relief valve on the pump to avoid pressure buildup?"

Thanks,

Jerry

Bob: The sprinkler system has to stop somewheres to mix your fertilizer in with it, it can't come out of my faucet that has water coming out of it from my well, so, somewheres there has to be something that holds water and your fertilizer, and apparently, that has to be after the water leaves my facet, so, any suggestions?
joy

Jerry, I just added 50 plants to my garden and I wanted to insure the water pressure was ample.

I don't think these pumps have that problem

Tubby,
Thanks for asking. The idea is a variation of one at the link below.
I don't have much money and I like doing things, so these are fun and I feel like I am being self-sufficient.
When I finish I will have a 20 inch circumference area, at 55 gal you would have a 24 inch circumference.
I will cut the barrel in half and drill holes that I will thread pipe through to hold the aeration platform, which will be simply the top of the barrel cut a bit smaller than the diameter of the inside of the barrel. It will rest on the pipes which will leave a couple of inches for air and below that the water chamber.
I will unscrew one of the plugs from the top which will accommadate the water tube, and before I put it all together I will put in the wicking chamber which might or might not be a pond basket.
I don't explain myself well so I hope you will go to the link to see more.
http://www.tomatofest.com/tomato-earthtainer.html

Joy

I thought you said the 55 gallon drum was your water storage

Bob: No, was thinking of how I could store water with your fertilizer to make the solution you use to water your plants with. For instance, I got the watering spikets that you put in the bags; but, hooking them up directly to the facet doesn't do me any good unless there is something between the facet and the spikets that has your fertilizer in it right? That is where I was thinking maybe a 55 gallon barrel would hold water and your fertilizer mixed in and then somehow I could figure out how t get it to the spikets in the grow bags??? Am I confusing you or making sense?? I have well water; but, my facet is connected to that well, I'm not sending a bucket down to the well for my water, not that type of well, it has a pump in it that sends it to the facets, have two, one in the front of the house and one in the back of the house; both have hoses attatched to them that I water with for now; remember me asking about the manifold to be able to hook up to the back facet so that I could run my hose off it and other things like automatic watering systems for the grow bags and the EBs? Well, for the grow bags, if using your fertilizer wouldn't it have to be mixed with water?

joy

Joy,

Here's the deal. If you want to water/fertilize, you do not use the facets. You use your hose from your facet to fill the drum with water and mix the fertilizer in . Then in the drum needs to be a submersible pump to pump the water/ fert up and out through a 1/2inch poly pipe to the spikets which are on microtubing.

Bob

Bob: I figure next month I'll be calling that plumber I met who is looking for work and put him busy ya think? LOL Let him figure the thing out as I'll have my EBs, HEBs and bags and all ready to put where I want them then right? Good timing.
joy

Devota..Thanks for the link..I 'v cut several barrel's this way..Every one of the tops cupped (warped) .. Maybe from the sun ..Might be good to have more than 2 rods to hold it up as a platform .Wish you were closer......... I have scrap piece's of glass board (fiber glass) Maybe you could find a piece of plexyglass..I just know how bad the lid cupped . Like I said with extra support under it & the weight of the mix on top might be fine. don't want you to go to all that work and have a problem..If I get any brian storms I'll holler

Tubby

Joy, I would nix the plumber and have bob fly your veggies in, it would be cheaper lol
Sure would be nice.

Im really need to get some bang for my buck out of these veggies this year. I sure cant find a job. It making me more aggitated than excited. I think once I get them in the EB and we can get going, it will be a blast.

Is there anyone who can point me out to the directions for the earth buckets??

I find Daves the hardet and most nerve wracking website. I love Daves..love it, dont get me wrong. For me, there is just stuff here there and every where and if you dont use it alot, it takes many many clicks to find something. Anyway, Im having the same trouble with searching stuff. I thought info in the threads was suppose to come up, so you didnt have to keep asking. Problem is, the only thing that comes up are articles and marketplace stuff. Could someone tell me how to search the body of the threads Sometimes it gives you the option...most of the time, it doesnt.

Garden Glory: What I do is go to self watering containers and look down the list of topics and look for what you are looking for, I will go and bump up the threads on the earth buckets for you so you can find them ok?
joy

excellent, as I have clearly got myslef in a stew lolol

Garden Glory: I like the 5 gallon buckets the best, they hold 1 tomato, or 1 eggplant or 1 artichoke perfectly. My guy just came and picked up the rest of them and will probably have them all done for me Monday, I hope, won't that be great? I got 4 more buckets this week given to me. It's warming up now; but, I still don't trust this weather yet do you? I'm thinking we are in for a few more good freezes before we are able to put any veggies outside safely.
joy

Gardenglory, If you click on this link it will take you to a site that has all kinds of earth bucket info as well as other good stuff. Devota

http://www.seattleoil.com/Flyers/Earthbox.pdf

Hey, Guys,

I've been lurking. Had several conversations with Terry (admin) because I was finally going to try to do a videotape of constructing my eBuckets. Well, since there wasn't good participation from the DGers in the past, they've gone with a commercial producer who has a whole library of videotapes that'll be rotated on a seasonal basis. I told her now was the time for the eBucket construction video since quite a few container newbies are asking how to make 'em. That demo would be spot on!

Here's a question I've posed before, but not here regarding growth rate in the eBuckets. I've noticed veggies takes far longer to take off in the buckets than in the EBs, and I have been wondering if there's a flaw in my eBucket design. All I can think is that my wicking basket is not long enough to remain in the reservoir and stay wet at all times. I'd been using a short 4" pot, however, this go round I'm thinking of modify my wicking basket to either the 16 oz. red Solo cups or some other TALL plastic cups I bought (three for $1).

I may need to expand the circumference of my center hole to accommodate the TALL cups to slip through since they are kinda fat too. The ideal would be a cup that's the same height as the distance from the bottom of the water bucket to the bottom of the potting bucket. If anybody knows what that relative measure might be, please LMK. Thanks!

Linda

P.S. Comments are SOLICITED. Thanks.

I have noticed Gymgirl that the ratio of plant medium to water/air is different in an Ebucket than in an EB. Maybe we should use medium not as deep as the buck is.

GG, this is a good topic. Why not start a thread of its own as that will bring in more comments (rather than use this thread since some folks may not be watching this one). I'd just cut and paste your post above into a new thread.

Shoe

thanks, Shoe! I'll go look for it.

Gymgirl: Every one has been using those solo cups right? I have decided to use those 5 inch pond baskets, the same ones I used in the totes for the HEBs, reason, they are sturdier and the whole purpose of the pond basket, is you fill it with potting mix (coir), wet it, and then start putting in the rest of the potting mix. The potting mix in the pond basket serves as a wicking divise to bring the water up to the rest of the potting mix. Now, with those solo cups do you have that? No. See the difference?
joy

Joy,
You put slits in the solo cup and sink it into the reservoir. My problem is that the wicking devices I have been using may not have been long enough to remain in reach of the water in the reservoir -- too short. Also, you're making HEBs. I'm making eBuckets.

"thanks, Shoe! I'll go look for it." GG

I didn't mean there was already another thread started on that topic, I meant YOU should start one, so you can get more input.

Shoe

Gymgirl: Picture if you will an earthbox, it has 2 places where you fill up with potting mix, those little holes bring the water in, then the potting mix in the two places wick up the water to the rest of the potting mix. Now, with the HEBs you use a pond basket, which should rest against the bottom of the reservoir tote bottom, you fill it with potting mix, the water then wicks up through the pond basket into the rest of the potting mix. No different with the 5 gallon buckets, the pond basket is in place of the solo cup, it rests in the bottom of the 2 five gallon bucket, you put potting mix in the pond basket, wet it real good and you have your wicking system. The solo basket, if it doesn't reach the bottom of the bucket, you are not going to get that much wicking and also, where is the potting mix? Is it in the solo cup? And is the solo cup strong enough to support a plant(s) and potting mix? Granted, the 5 gallon bucket fits nicely into the other one; but, weight could push the upper bucket down further into the bucket could it not? Just my thoughts anyways.
joy

I would like to add how I make a ebucket. I use a 5 gallon bucket for the bottom and a 3 1/2 gallon bucket for the insert. The first time, I used 2 -5 gallon buckets but they rocked because of the wicking basket. The 3 1/2 gallon bucket sits real nice nested in the 5 gallon bucket. I use a 5 inch net pot for my wicking thing. I drill a 5 inch hole in the 3 1/2 gal bucket with a hole saw. The net pot has a nice wide rim, so its sits in the hole perfect. I also use the lid made for the bucket and drill 5 -3 inch holes with a hole saw for the plants. Now need for a flimsy plastic cover. I cover the unused holes with 3 inch plastic tube mailer end caps. Nifty , eh? I sold these at a green market last year, and did quite well

BocaBob

Bob: I am using two 5 gallon buckets; but, I'm using the 5 inch pond basket which has a rim around it to fit nicely into the hole, and the bottom of the pond basket rests on the bottom of the of the bottom 5 gallon bucket, the pond basket has evenly spaced tiny holes and is sturdier than a solo cup that has slits in it. I mean you got at least how much weight coming down on that thing when you consider the tomato plant itself?

By the way, both Coconut coir starter kits are full now. I had planted more than one seed per little pot and wound up, all came up, so I weaned out the really weakly looking ones, weren't many of those, and then transplanted the healthier ones to other coconut coir pots, did the same with a few of the peppers too. So; now I got 43 tomato plants and 43 pepper plants, planted in two coconut coir starter kits. Something I noticed though, as I have 3 grow lights and it is this, the outer ones weren't doing as well, I think the light didn't hit them as well as the outer ones, so, I moved them all over to where there are 7 empty spaces on both sides now, makes it easier to water also. I got 24 cukes looking nice in the 24 APS Gardeners Supply seed starter kit and only 3 of the 6 eggplants in the 6 APS gardeners Supply seed starter kit; of which I used Gardener's Supply Germinating mix in both.

I got 10 Begonia Plants coming from Brecks (The Amazing Prima Donna Begonia Collection) and they will be mailed out this next week, problem is they love shade and there isn't a shady spot in my yard, so guess I'll be putting up a sheet on 4 poles hey? As that fast growing Royal Empress hasn't been shipped yet and even though it is fast growing and supposed to grow 12 feet the first year, don't think it is that fast growing hey? LOL Also got about 40 canna lilies on the way, anyone know where I can get some 12 inch pots real cheap? ????
joy

Bob, do i understand that the 3 1/2 gal is the same diameter as the 5 gal? Cause I'v been wondering about the depth of the plant medium.

Devota, Yes both size pails are the same diameter. The 3 1/2 gal bucket is 11 inches deep and the 5 gal is 14 1/2 inches deep. The 5 gallon grow bags are 12 inches deep and I grew 12 foot tomato plants in them, so the 11 inches in the 3 1/2 gal bucket is OK for growing pretty much anything.

BocaBob

Where do you get 3.5 gallon buckets? I can't hardly find them.

After Bob,s post I recalled that we used to get our pool chemicals in those. hmmm

I buy them new from a wholesaler. Not cheap though. They are pretty hard to find used.