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Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 12:26 PM CST |
Short on growing space? Make an "eBucket!" View illustrated instructions to turn 5-gallon buckets (or large containers) into self-watering containers for veggies & plants. Construct in 5 minutes - plant in 10! Pictorial Instructions for the eBucket construction follow in the next posts downward! The original, one-bucket design was brainstormed by Molamola (Coconut), Gessieviolet, and me. It is the best wicking system I've dealt with, and the plants love it! They take in all the water they need -- no over- or under-watering, ever! If you have any questions, just ask away! Linda ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 1:26 PM CST |
![]() ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:02 PM CST |
Welcome to my step-by-step PICTORIAL instructions on how to make a self-watering eBucket!![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:08 PM CST |
Step #1 Secure your components:
![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:31 PM CST |
Step #2 Cut your holes: ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:33 PM CST |
Step #2, view #2 Here's another view of the components in place from above, showing a different type of colander. Just give any colander you chose the old "lean to" test. Place it on the floor and lean on it. If it doesn't collapse under your weight, chances are it won't collapse under the weight of the heavy, damp potting mix in your eBucket! ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:36 PM CST |
Step #3 Pack potting mix tightly around sides of colander, under and over the drainage straw, and behind the fill tube. Pack tightly just to immediately over the top of the colander. ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:37 PM CST |
Step #4 Bring potting mix over top of colander and fill eBucket 1/4 full. Pat mix down gently. Use garden hose sprinkler to water in well until run-off occurs. ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:38 PM CST |
Step #4, continued Overflow is established and system is tested. ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:39 PM CST |
Step #5 Fill eBucket to halfway. Pat potting mix down gently and water in well again. ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:40 PM CST |
Step #5, continued Overflow system working very well. No obstructions! If water only spurts or gurgles out, grip straw firmly and push in and out of drain hole a few times (carefully) until a continuous flow is established. Be careful not to push straw all the way in or pull it all the way out! If straw ever plugs up, run a wire hanger through to remove debris and re-establish flow. ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:42 PM CST |
Step #6 To the final 1/2 of your potting mix add your amendments and mix in well: FOR TOMATOES, add 2 cups pelleted Dolomitic lime FOR BRASSICAS, mix in 2 Tbsps. Bloodmeal (Nitrogen), aged compost, and/or decomp leaves. Cabbages, broccolis, cauliflowers, squash, cukes, and kohlrabis love growing in organic mediums! ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 2:58 PM CST |
Step #7 Fill eBucket to the top with the final 1/2 of your amended mix, set your plant, and water in well one final time, until run-off is established. After watering in, pour 1 cup of balanced fertilizer in a 2" ring around your eBucket, close to the edge, and as far away from new roots as possible. Recommended fertilizers for eBuckets/ePlanters will have any combination of numbers between 10 and 15, e.g., 10-10-10, 13-13-13, 10-12-15, etc. Balanced means all three numbers will be the same. Sprinkle top gently with garden hose so as to moisten (but not disturb) the fertilizer ring (run-off has already been established). Position trellis and/or plant stake. NOTES: Hope these pictorials are helpful to you! ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 15, 2011 3:01 PM CST |
All Done!![]() This "Black Beauty" Eggplant stalk grew to about 5' tall overall. The eggplant resting on the bucket top is about 8 lbs., and 10" long. It was a BIG eggplant! Linda ![]() My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
leaflady Jul 15, 2011 10:17 PM CST |
I take it the fill tube is for watering all thru the season. If so, does it collect much if any rainwater for the plants? It seems the lid is intended to keep out rainwater which is better for plants than well or city water. |
Gymgirl Jul 16, 2011 6:38 AM CST |
Leaflady, Yes, the tube is for keeping the reservoir filled. "Self-watering" is more about the plant's ability to draw water from the reservoir as they want/need to. Some rain water will be caught thru the fill tube, and some will be caught thru the plant hole. If you prefer only rainwater, which, I agree, is God's plant tonic, you should probably capture it in another vessel or rainbarrel, and fill the eBuckets directly from those. Remember, once water comes out the overflow hole, your reservoir is at its maximum capacity. My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Gymgirl Jul 27, 2011 9:29 AM CST |
bump! My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Melissa Jul 28, 2011 10:18 AM CST |
Great information!!! |
Gymgirl Jul 28, 2011 11:05 AM CST |
Thanks, Melissa! Hope you go build a couple and post success stories here, or there, or everywhere! My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Melissa Jul 28, 2011 7:17 PM CST |
I just might. ;) |
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