New and Unread Tree-Mails
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Name: Paul Velasco Saint Cloud, Florida (Zone 9b)  Chavez May 18, 2012 5:29 PM CST |
So I started this gardening thing a few years ago (Well like 10). I have been enjoying the addition I mean hobby so much I decided to finally build a proper pot ranch. I used to just lay them on my back porch haphazardly. There they sat until I found the perfect spot for them in the ground. They would multiply and the porch would get smaller and smaller over time as the pots multiplied. We this year was the end of it and I built the Pot Ranch: Got my seeds planted - Liatris, Yellow Butterflyweed, Zinna, etc  What does your pot ranch look like? |
Name: woofie NE WA (Zone 5a)              woofie May 18, 2012 7:45 PM CST |
| Mine looks like a weed patch right now. Too soon to put much out here in the frozen northland, and I don't have a lot of perennials. But you can see how it looked last year and the year before here: http://garden.org/ideas/view/S... Lots of other garden tours available, too, and it seems like nearly everyone has containers! Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid. |
Name: Jan St. Pete,FL         Budgielover Jun 3, 2012 12:10 PM CST |
| I have a large tent canopy thing in my backyard for shade and have a mix of greenhouse type tables and pallets on concrete blocks. Most of my potted plants are on there but I have a number of them in my front yard around a planting bed. |
Name: Susan Zone 10a (Zone 10a)     gardenersdetective Jun 5, 2012 10:05 PM CST |
| Woofie I enjoyed seeing the garden, thanks for sharing. Chavez I share you addiction, mine are scattered around the back yard. Bet the ranch makes it much easier to water too  |
Name: woofie NE WA (Zone 5a) woofie Jun 6, 2012 1:31 PM CST |
| Thanks, Susan! Wish it looked that good this year, but with all this rain, I'm afraid my seedlings are going to drown before I can get them planted out! Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid. |
Name: Paul Velasco Saint Cloud, Florida (Zone 9b) Chavez Jun 7, 2012 6:11 PM CST |
| Everything is automated! Will take pictures of the drip system that takes care of everything. |
Name: woofie NE WA (Zone 5a) woofie Jun 7, 2012 6:47 PM CST |
| I'd love to see that! Been trying to figure out a way to do that myself. Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid. |
Name: Jan St. Pete,FL Budgielover Jun 8, 2012 9:01 AM CST |
| If I tried to do a drip system I'd have hoses going everywhere. LOL. I have a bunch of equipment for drip irrigation but never tried to install it. |
Name: Paul Velasco Saint Cloud, Florida (Zone 9b) Chavez Jun 8, 2012 9:55 AM CST |
| If it is not a swamp in my backyard today I will try and snap some pictures of the entire set-up. |
Name: Paul Velasco Saint Cloud, Florida (Zone 9b) Chavez Jun 10, 2012 7:07 AM CST |
| Finally a break in a weather around here. Now that I spoke-up I have had to shut down the drip system. We are having way too much rain to run the system that last couple of weeks. Now for the tour of the system: Overview of the 'Pot Ranch'. My gardening used to consist of a mish mash of areas that I used for potting, cuttings, and growing. I combined all of these areas into one this year. The work of watering got to be quite a chore as the pots multiplied. So began the automation of the entire system  I dug up the yard to find a place to tee into the irrigation system. We are lucky as we have reclaimed water for irrigation. There are four zone to the system (From Left to Right): ZONE 1 - Spigot for hand watering some pots that still remain on the back and front porch. This will later have a battery timer and be used to irrigate some larger potted fruit trees in the future. ZONE 2 - Battery timer for veggie garden. Attached is a fertigator system with a 1 1/3 gallon capacity. It usually last about 1 month before I have to remember to refill with liquid fertilizer. My choice is Dyna-gro in the system. It is a complete liquid fert with minors and majors. ZONE 3 - Battery Timer for 3 gallon potted plants. ZONE 4 - Battery Timer with Filter and 25 psi regulator. Runs the lines for the smaller pots for seed starting and cuttings  |
Name: Paul Velasco Saint Cloud, Florida (Zone 9b) Chavez Jun 10, 2012 7:41 AM CST |
| ZONE 4: I tried lots of things to get this right. The first try was using micro-sprinklers to water all the pots. It just sprayed water everywhere, even on the house. This was not going to work. Then I thought a single 1 gph dripper for each pot. Hum that is way too much work. Also, you can not modify the system very well using drippers. So I finally settled on 1/4" soaker hose. This choice has worked very well. I can move pots in and out. There are four separate soaker lines so they can be turned on and off. Also the lines can be shortened or elongated at will.  Supply lines are Schedule 40 pvc, transitioned to 1/2 drip line along the length of the potting bench. This way soaker lines can be punched in anywhere along the length of the bench.   |
Name: Paul Velasco Saint Cloud, Florida (Zone 9b) Chavez Jun 10, 2012 7:54 AM CST |
| For the other zones I use 'Shrubblers'. They can be dialed to give 0-10 gpm per head. On these zones using the shrubblers you should not use a pressure regulator. I measured about 60 psi coming out of the hose bib. I have been able to put 50+ shrubbler on each zone. There is no pressure drop on the heads and I believe I could double the amount of heads if need be. The larger pots I like to run two heads as insurance in case a head decides to clog. This has worked wonderfully so far this year Hot peppers Habaneros or Jalapenos  Variegated Plumeria  Sugar Apple  |
Name: Paul Velasco Saint Cloud, Florida (Zone 9b) Chavez Jun 10, 2012 7:56 AM CST |
Budgielover said:If I tried to do a drip system I'd have hoses going everywhere. LOL. I have a bunch of equipment for drip irrigation but never tried to install it. Install it. I have enjoyed my containers much more now that I have a system installed. It takes a bit of effort but now I have no worries. I can travel as much as I want and need not worry about the plants. |
Name: woofie NE WA (Zone 5a) woofie Jun 10, 2012 10:41 AM CST |
| What are those clips you have holding the soaker hoses? And where do you get them? I like soaker hoses, but they seem to have a mind of their own when it comes to where they lay! Hmmm, come to that, where do you get 1/4" soaker hose? Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid. |
Name: Paul Velasco Saint Cloud, Florida (Zone 9b) Chavez Jun 10, 2012 5:21 PM CST |
| The big orange box store (HD) has everything you need. They carry the entire line of DIG drip irrigation that you can think of. I used to order on-line, it is easier now just to go down the road. If I have packages I will get you the number off the package. |
Name: Rick Corey Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a) Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f          RickCorey Jun 11, 2012 1:38 PM CST |
| It took a while, but here is my "pot ranch". Just a few, that I wtaer by hand. Lavatera, two lilac stems, two small Salvia, some snapdragons I had to move. And some brunera I need to get around to planting!   Just because it ISN'T complicated doesn't mean I can't MAKE it complicated! Weather Links ~ Sunset Zones ~ Degree Days ~~ National Gardening Association Kitazawa Seeds ~ Tainong Seeds ~~ ATP Member Map ~~ My Blogs ~~ Coop Extension Finder Seriously Hot Peppers ~~ Seed Library Resources ~~ Piggy Swap Chat #11 |
Name: woofie NE WA (Zone 5a) woofie Jun 11, 2012 2:33 PM CST |
Hee hee, Rick, are you sure you shouldn't be posting those over in the "Pot Ghetto" thread?  Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid. |
Name: Rick Corey Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a) Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f RickCorey Jun 11, 2012 4:39 PM CST |
| Or "pot slum". These were even less-planned than my raised beds. My usual garden planning consists of "I have these seeds here in my hand, where do I have any open space for them? Just because it ISN'T complicated doesn't mean I can't MAKE it complicated! Weather Links ~ Sunset Zones ~ Degree Days ~~ National Gardening Association Kitazawa Seeds ~ Tainong Seeds ~~ ATP Member Map ~~ My Blogs ~~ Coop Extension Finder Seriously Hot Peppers ~~ Seed Library Resources ~~ Piggy Swap Chat #11 |
Name: Jay Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)       Horntoad Jun 11, 2012 5:11 PM CST |
RickCorey said: You just described my system perfectly. wildflowersoftexas.com texasnatureonline.com |
Name: woofie NE WA (Zone 5a) woofie Jun 11, 2012 6:03 PM CST |
I have a similar method, except mine is: I started all these seedlings......now what do I do with them?   Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid. |
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