Jenn,
Go look at the new thread on planting an ePlanter. The bucket planting instructions run along the same lines...
E-Bucket thread continued here
Jennifer: I love my irrigation drip system, I had it broke up to water on two different lines, I run them one at a time, one runs for 5 mins and waters 40 five gallon buckets, the other one runs for about 3 mins watering 10 EBs, 6 GPs, and 8 hanging turvys and planters. I love it, as it gives me more time to do other things with my plants.
joy
Joy,
Did you put your watering system together yourself? Sounds like a total winner!
Nope, I had a friend do it for me, and he did it so quickly and so fabulously I was tickled pink. It is on two different facets, and the one actually does defeat gravity the way it is strung above the topsy turvys and actually they get plenty of water now! I bought two upsy downsy planters at Walmart, it's a small container with coconut coir in it and with a hole in the bottom, you are supposed to put a cherry tomato and another tomato in it, one in the bottom to hang out and one in the top to stream over; but, I'm going to plant peppers in it instead. Problem is, one of them will have to go on the 4 armed planter with the 3 hanging strawberries and from what I'm reading you aren't supposed to plant peppers and strawberries close together? Wonder if that matters with hanging planters?
joy
Molamola: If they just hang down in the downsy part I'll be happy, it shows on the tomato topsy turvy that you can plant peppers instead so thought I'd give it a shot, last Spring, my maters were hitting the ground, and don't think the peppers will, so thought it a safer bet.
joy
Molamola: LOL, I've been putting up more and more twine and draping them over another layer up to keep them from touching the ground. The watering drip system is a lifesaver.
joy
I've been making these e-buckets for a couple of years and usually put plastic covers on mine. Our Dollar Tree sells ladies shower caps in 12-packs for $1. I "stack" 2 or 3 of them (depending on what I'm growing) and they are a perfect tight fit on the top of the buckets. If you need to slit a huge hole to plant something in, slit one on one side and the next one on the opposite side and then a 3rd in another area and stack them on. They last for the entire growing season and look so much nicer than plastic bags. They are much easier to put on as well. Hope this helps. I'll post this on the other thread as well.
Mommystuff --- What is the dimension of your bucket? Are they the paint
buckets from Lowes? The five gallon size? I didn't know a shower cap would fit that bucket?
Ted
Paw,
The one's from the beauty stores are HUGE plastic bonnets! You get a gazillion in a bag for about $2-$3.
Ted, I use the 5 gallon buckets from Firehouse Subs. The shower caps from $Tree fit it nice and snug, like they were made for it. They are thin though, which is why is double them up.
What could be easier than a colander?
A plastic jug with a spout that doubles as both the overflow and the fill tube...
Start by placing the jug sideways in the bucket with the handle side facing the bottom. In order to see the shadow of the spout on the outside of the bucket, hold the bucket up to the sunlight or shine a flashlight on the outside. Mark the spot to drill the overflow hole.
Drill the hole in the side of the bucket with a hole drill, so the spout fits through. Drill holes on all sides of the jug, but not on the top side. This will allow for an airspace between the potting mix and the reservoir inside the jug.
Position the jug spout thru the hole and screw the cap on. This will hold the jug in place while you pack the potting mix tightly around it, just up to the top of the jug.
Then add soil loosely from then on. Fill bucket halfway and water in from the top. Remove the cap. Continue filling to the top with potting mix. Set plant and fertilizer ring, then water in til you get runoff out the spout.
Use the overflow spout to fill with your hose til you get backflow out the spout.
At least that's how I think Jim planted it. He used an ArIzona tea jug that fits perfectly on its side in a 5-gallon bucket with its pour spout through the hole.
This message was edited Jul 3, 2010 1:39 PM
Linda, a great description! You have a way with words that describe what I have to draw pictures for.
When I went to the hardware store, they keep all the little tools locked in glass cases. When I asked the Man for help, and I said, "A drill bit, uh..uh,, doorknob" He knew exactly what I meant, hooray! This fancy drill bit makes a good, proper sized hole, no effort. Except handling a drill, of course.
Aha! The one thing you left out is to start by putting the jug in the bucket, and seeing the shadow of the top of the jug on the outside of the bucket, easy to mark the right spot. He used sunlight, but a flashlight might work.
Are links to "there" still deleted here??
Melissa-coconut-Molamola
A full season of heat and drought is now under most of our belts who are trying the eBucket. For me the season has proven interesting, as I watch the comments from bucket users.
There are varied degrees of "success".
My own garden is a pitiful sight at the moment! We are still experiencing some of the most unusual weather in years.
June was fantastic in so far as harvest was concerned; July was the pits; I think it proved to me that eBuckets can perform under the most unfavorable circumstances.
http://mckarion.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/frugal-gardener-dro...
If you search and read other "Frugal garden" articles you can see others feel a little differently.
I wonder if we all haven't held the eBucket to a somewhat unrealistic standard, because it is our baby.
As we continue to use it, improve it, and come to have more realistic expectations for this "child", I think we will continue to use it and be more satisfied with future experiences.
From all I read on tomatoes, right now, the heat is the problem. Here is an interesting discussion
http://kitchengardeners.org/group/why-bloom-drop-or-no-fruit...
In so far as hand pollinating this may give some useful info
http://www.mybalconyjungle.com/hand_pollination.html
Gardening in any form is an adventure, not an assurance of results, the eBucket can realistically only promise a different road in our journey.
A new season is upon us with this promised cooler fall weather, pick up those buckets and plant !!
Lane,
Got Green?
Here's another testimony!
It's been just too hot to go outside. But, evidently, these self-watering eBuckets watered themselves by capturing rainwater in the reservoirs. Yesterday was the first time I've hand watered these buckets since May. I KNOW I haven't been out there in all of June or July.
eBuckets really do work!
That is amazing!! These are plants (peppers?) I would be proud of if I tended everyday.
Yep, Sweet Bell peppers.
And, since they insist on staying alive, they'll catch the cool of fall and, hopefully, throw another flush of peppers!
gessie, gymgirl, Joy, are there any new incarnations in the colander E-buckets. Did the strength of the colander prove to hold up under the weight of the grow mix and plant weight? Is there any noticible difference between the 2 bucket design v. 1 bucket design? Any updates at all. Don Laclair
Gessie violet: My tomatoes do so much better in the ebuckets as ya'll call them than the EBs even. So; that is where I'm planting my maters this Spring. They had early voting here for FL, remember FL always has to recount our votes at least twice if the whole state votes at the same time right? LOL And, since it was at the library I joined today and checked out a few gardening books, cheaper than buying them, and I get to keep them for a few weeks. Anyways, I checked one out called "successful Berry Growing" which I'm in the process of reading along with the Lasagna Gardening one.
So; here is my question: Can I grow raspberries in an e bucket, they are cane type plants. I can always add a trellis by the ebucket right? I mean, I plan on planting grapes in the ebucket also with a trellis beside them? Has anyone done this?
Joy
I haven't read this thread but I wanted to post some random materials I found in my garage. Will this work, or maybe I need a bigger "reservoir"? I'd say the tub is about 18" deep.
John, I started out using a set up similar to what you have in mind, but used a lid pushed with a 6" flower pot packed with mix for the wick. If you use the basket (White thing) I would use 2 of them in the bottom of the container so that there is a relatively small amount of your mix in the water area. (don't know, but) you may have to cut the end off one to make both fit in the box.
Also cover the white baskets with something to keep mix out of them since they have such large slots in the sides. An old towel, piece of weed barrier, or even newspaper would probably work. Also use 2 drain holes (at least 1/4") equal distance from the bottom of the container, space about 6 inches from the end. Be sure to use some kind of channel to your reservoir (a drinking straw or 1/4" rigid tubing would be fine) So mix doesn't stop your drainage.
I came up with the eBucket as a result of the good results I had with tomatoes in a storage container like this. My idea was that I wanted something smaller for part of my gardening. I grew tomatoes (2 in each box) that grew over 10 ft high and got a few 1 lb+ fruits and oodles of smaller ones, before really hot weather set in. Here is a picture of peppers growing in the container.
Lane
Joy, I have never tried anything other than annual vegetables in the eBucket so I will be interested in hearing how the grapes and raspberries might do.
We have seen very positive reports all summer, so even though my own gardening this season was almost zero after end of June I am very encouraged by what is being reported.
Who would have thought something so simple would catch on the way this seems to have done in a little over a year's time.
Lane
Gessieviolet: I loved them for my tomatoes, even better than the ones in the EBs, so, this next Spring/Summer, all my maters are going in the e-buckets, they are perfect for maters, oops I will have some maters in my self draining kiddie pool, in Boca Bob's coconut coir grow bags!
joy
Thanks for the info, Lane. I was going to use my tub to grow onions or garlic but I think it will be better used in the spring for tomatoes or peppers.
John, I do have a bucket full of elephant garlic coming up for a 2 nd season right now. Even though I am using an eBucket, I bet garlic or onions would really do well in the larger container. I say go for it!
Gosh, this thread is getting longer and longer, AGAIN!! Let's start another one for the next year!!
Go to http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1139703/
and report away.
This message was edited Nov 8, 2010 6:36 AM
bump