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Jan 20, 2015 5:15 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
Oberon46 said:I built one last summer and it worked for the first month or so. My tomato was great. Then it seemed like the surface got so of hard. I watered until it came out the over flow but the tomato just looked worse and worse. ...


Good luck next year!
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Jan 20, 2015 10:03 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
If you constructed the ebucket according to my pictorial, it will work....

If you use the wrong container mix, all bets are off.

A garden club member reported that, last summer, she constructed five eBuckets from my pictorial and planted tomatoes. Those tomatoes were still producing as of last month.

Do NOT plug the drain hole, or your mix will become anaerobic for lack of an oxygen space. I believe the issue is your hard as a rock container mix...
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Jan 21, 2015 11:48 AM CST
Name: Mary Stella
Chester, VA (Zone 7b)
Dahlias Canning and food preservation Lilies Peonies Permaculture Ponds
Garden Ideas: Level 2
Linda, I just noticed you live in SE Houston on the "Hobby" side. My daughter moved there a year ago last October after living here most of her life. She loves it. I was rather surprised. The way she describes the things to do, places to eat, etc it sounds wonderful. Minus the heat of course.

I thought I followed the recipe for the soil correctly. I will read again and see if I could have muffed it there. Also bear in mind that our ambient air temp if very cool for tomatoes, around 65 on average in the summer. I guess I could build a little greenhouse just for the bucket... I am determined to have my own [url=thttp://garden.org/i/s/thumbsup.gifomatoes]thttp://garden.org/i/s/thumbsu...[/url]. Grrrrr. Drooling Glare Thumbs up Thumbs up
From -60 Alaska to +100 Virginia. Wahoo
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Jun 19, 2015 8:50 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
GO TO PAGE #1 FOR THE TUTORIAL! I tip my hat to you.
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Sep 2, 2015 1:06 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
bump

GO TO PAGE #1 FOR THE TUTORIAL! I tip my hat to you.
Avatar for dragonfly53
Feb 16, 2016 3:30 PM CST
Name: Terri
virginia (Zone 7a)
Beekeeper Dragonflies Farmer Region: Virginia
bump

go to page one for the tutorial
Life is a rush into the unknown. You can duck down and hope nothing hits you, or you can stand tall, show it your teeth and say "Dish it up, Baby, and don't skimp on the jalapeƱos."
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Feb 16, 2016 3:39 PM CST
Name: Jim D
East Central Indiana (Zone 5b)
Annuals Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers Region: Indiana
Hummingbirder Frogs and Toads Dragonflies Cottage Gardener Butterflies Birds
I always enjoy the idea , Right mix ? rhetorical ,, Isn't it always Blinking
In the Butterfly garden if a plant is not chewed up I feel like a failure
Avatar for Shadegardener
Feb 17, 2016 11:00 AM CST
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
Great time for bumping this thread!
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb
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Feb 17, 2016 12:21 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
Lovey dubby Lovey dubby Lovey dubby
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Mar 9, 2016 1:22 PM CST
Name: Jim D
East Central Indiana (Zone 5b)
Annuals Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers Region: Indiana
Hummingbirder Frogs and Toads Dragonflies Cottage Gardener Butterflies Birds
Wonder why they do the don't try this at home
Well Sighing! Here is one you can Hurray! Hurray! Hurray! Hilarious!
Thank You! Gymgirl Linda ,,,
Thumb of 2016-03-09/jimard8/492db7


Thumb of 2016-03-09/jimard8/047c51
Thumb of 2016-03-09/jimard8/63c12c
In the Butterfly garden if a plant is not chewed up I feel like a failure
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Mar 9, 2016 4:58 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
JimD!

That is absolutely OUT-STAND-ING!!!! It looks exactly like one I would have made! Hurray! Hurray!

I'm so happy the tradition continues, and is being passed forward.

Now, what are you going to grow in your new eBucket(s)?

A tip. Remember to ALWAYS use potting MIX, MIX, MIX...not soil (which will compact). If you want to save $$$ and stretch the potting mix, go look for some double grind pine bark that closely resembles the Miracle Grow potting mix. If you're interested, ask me for more details before you purchase any, so we can make sure it's "the right stuff!"

Depending on what you're growing, you can also add some perlite, vermiculite and worm castings. Once I found "the right stuff" my potting mix formula was one of these two:

FORMULA 1
4 parts MG Potting Mix
2 parts Pine Bark Fines (Double Grind Pine Bark)
1 Part Perlite
1 Part Vermiculite
1 Part Compost
1 Part Worm Castings

or,

FORMULA 2
3 parts MG Potting Mix
2 parts Pine Bark Fines (Double Grind Pine Bark)
2 Parts Perlite
1 Part Vermiculite
1 Part Compost
1 Part Worm Castings

It depends on how much moisture holding you want in either of the mixes. The drainage will be fast on either mix, but, if I remember correctly, the 2nd one held a little less moisture because of the increased perlite.

I use Formula 1 for most of the water-hogging cole crops like broccoli, cabbages & greens and tomatoes, eggplants, and okra in the spring/summer.

Formula 2 would better serve the spring peppers and other veggies that don't like their feet too wet.

Mix big batches of your formula, then divide between the buckets. Saves time and $$ buying 100% Miracle Grow potting mix. I used a 5-gallon "Homer" Home Depot bucket as one part to make my batches...use whatever you want to as one part!

PLEASE post pics from beginning to end of whatever you grow in your eBuckets!!!! Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!
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Mar 9, 2016 5:39 PM CST
Name: Jim D
East Central Indiana (Zone 5b)
Annuals Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers Region: Indiana
Hummingbirder Frogs and Toads Dragonflies Cottage Gardener Butterflies Birds
Gymgirl Linda For now I am going to try Tomatoes , I have grown them and very few Vegetables in pots before ,
I have four or five to set up, The one above has a bag of Miracle Grow ,potting Mix , sitting in it ,
I might try a cucumber or a Melon in one of them , for the practice or experience ,
I am sure I will learn a few things ,
I have wanted to try this for a while , and it is warmer earlier this year so I can have a better chance.
Thanks for the info ,, once again ,, really great, easy to follow
In the Butterfly garden if a plant is not chewed up I feel like a failure
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Mar 14, 2016 12:21 PM CST
Name: Greg
Middle Tn (Zone 6b)
I will be probably try these this year, so thank you for the tutorial!! I have started my seeds, and have found that I have no room in my garden for all of them, so my next plan will be to use buckets, many of them. I look forward to seeing these up and in action!!
Avatar for dmurray407
Feb 27, 2017 5:56 AM CST
Name: Deb
Buffalo, Minnesota (Zone 4b)
Birds Cactus and Succulents Hostas Hummingbirder Region: Minnesota
Thinking about my ebuckets again and was sad to see no recent posts on this thread. What's everyone doing/planning with their buckets this year?
C'mon guys, I need some inspiration Smiling
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Feb 27, 2017 7:21 AM CST
Name: Sally
central Maryland (Zone 7b)
See you in the funny papers!
Charter ATP Member Frogs and Toads Houseplants Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Region: Maryland
Composter Native Plants and Wildflowers Organic Gardener Region: United States of America Cat Lover Birds
I just want to thank Gymgirl for all her efforts posting this. Sounds really great I tip my hat to you. Hurray! Smiling
Plant it and they will come.
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Feb 27, 2017 8:50 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
It was a labor of love! I tip my hat to you.

My joy comes from seeing all the harvests grown in eBuckets! Even though I now grow in raised beds, the eBuckets are never far from my reach, especially when I want to grow something special for the kids or for an elderly neighbor!

It's a GREAT way to introduce KIDS, SENIORS, and LIMITED SPACE GARDENERS to veggie gardening! Hurray!
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Feb 27, 2017 12:48 PM CST
Name: Susan
Torrington, Alberta, Canada (Zone 3a)
World Famous Gopher Hole Museum
Charter ATP Member Dahlias Region: Canadian Container Gardener Ferns Garden Art
Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I'm glad to see this - when I get our yard & deck done, I'll have somewhere to put 'em!
Good going on this wonderful idea!! Thumbs up
Susan
Our lives are like quilts - bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love.
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Feb 28, 2017 10:16 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
Just remember: Potting MIX, MIX, MIX, not potting soil, in your eBuckets and containers... soil is for the ground... I tip my hat to you.

And, don't forget you can convert large planters to self-watering vessels, too!

The thread "24" ePlanter conversion system 101" in Vegetables and Fruit forum

(Go to page #1...)
Last edited by Gymgirl Feb 28, 2017 10:21 AM Icon for preview

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