Supports for 5 gal. bucket tomatoes - Page 2

Rockporter · May 21, 2012

PonyMan, that is a neat contraption you built there. Are those self watering containers or setup on drip irrigation?

sprtsguy76 · May 21, 2012

Hey I like that too! Awsome job. You could wheel that around your neighborhood and probably make a fortune selling your tomatoes.

Damon

Sun City Linda · May 21, 2012

Probably need a horse just to pull it!

amideutch · May 21, 2012

PonyMan, Welcome to Tville and a very nice setup indeed. Do to the close spacing on your tomatoes I imagine you are pruning your plants to a single stem or you could end up with a jungle. For those growing Dwarfs from our Dwarf project this would be an oustanding setup. Ami

chrisrap1 · May 21, 2012

I worked out something and because I have a small space to work with I think it will fit my needs (really great ideas thanks to all for the suggestions)......I will post some pics in the coming days

ddsack · May 21, 2012

Beautiful set-up, PonyMan! The wheels would be great for someone who has a shady yard and wants to follow the sun.

FILMNET · May 21, 2012

When you make hole in the bottom, just get a hole the middle, put the stick n the bucket to the ground.

PonyMan · May 21, 2012

Thanks for the comments and the warm welcome you guys!

I am indeed growing the single stem method on all but the last one on the far end. And I honestly have no particular reason why LOL! The pic is about 3 weeks old (the ones I've included today too), I have since pruned the plants. And JFYI this thing is too heavy to roll around with the buckets loaded. I guess I could get some help moving it if I need to do so. And to answer another question, I had a drip irrigation system but ended up changing the drippers to 1/4 inch soaker tube hoses on each plant. It seems to water more evenly? I'm new to the container growing and I have to say I love it. Next year will be better. I'm learning so much here reading the forum threads and such.

I have a small concern. The way I have the buckets set up to drain is I placed 3 small holes about 3 1/2 inches up from the bottom, spaced evenly on the sides. Thinking that there will be some "water" still soaked into the soil at that level and that way will always have some water to draw off of. I fill til they run out the side drain holes. And right now I'm watering almost daily. I have a feeling that I may be over watering this way?? Any ideas?

Thanks again for the welcome guys! Looking forward to learning more and participating in the forum and getting to know ya'll!

Steve

elight · May 22, 2012

I'm sure others with more experience with traditional containers will chime in, but with overflow holes that high up, I wold worry about too much water sitting at the bottom. Also, I'd worry about a lack of aeration. The good news is you can always drill more holes if it seems necessary.

Rockporter · May 22, 2012

I would check your water levels daily for at least 1 week, sink your finger down into the mix and see how wet the mix is. If it's too wet midday after you have watered I would say there is too much water in the mix. Then you could drill more holes to allow more water to drain out.

The goal is to have your mix drain well but to also hold enough water to allow the roots to drink when they need to. If the roots sit in too much water they will be drowned and not get the oxygen they need. Also, having too much water consistently draining from your buckets means your nutrients will wash out of them.

The next time I would put a couple inches of rock in the bottom, cover with a weed cloth and then fill with mix. This would allow the mix to drink water when it needed it and you would have less sitting in the mix while the excess drains out of the holes you drilled in the sides.

I am no expert here but this is what I would do.

lakelady · May 22, 2012

very cool setups indeed! I have several nursery bags I'm using in one area this year and was wondering the same thing, although I have peppers mostly in them which don't require too big of a support.

Ivy123 · May 30, 2012

Hi everyone,

I have a question/s if any of you return to this thread. I read on here about the grids rockporter mentioned above and I was just about to order those tonight.. Then I just seen/read Damon speak of the CRW cages he made...May I ask what CRW stands for and where I might purchase the cages/ fencing?(home depot/menards?). Also does it come in smaller amounts? Pricing?... I think thats all the questions (laugh)..Thanks for any help

johnnytwofingers · May 30, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by PonyMan

And to answer another question, I had a drip irrigation system but ended up changing the drippers to 1/4 inch soaker tube hoses on each plant. It seems to water more evenly?Steve

Steve, where did you get those 1/4" soaker hoses? Are they designed to be able to replace a standard dripper? I need something just like that for window boxes.

Mohntr · May 30, 2012

Concrete reinforcement wire

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

PonyMan · May 31, 2012

here ya go Johnny: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_2816wt_1110

May 21, 2012	#16
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	PonyMan, that is a neat contraption you built there. Are those self watering containers or setup on drip irrigation? __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

May 21, 2012	#19
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	PonyMan, Welcome to Tville and a very nice setup indeed. Do to the close spacing on your tomatoes I imagine you are pruning your plants to a single stem or you could end up with a jungle. For those growing Dwarfs from our Dwarf project this would be an oustanding setup. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

May 21, 2012	#21
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Beautiful set-up, PonyMan! The wheels would be great for someone who has a shady yard and wants to follow the sun. __________________ Dee **************

May 22, 2012	#25
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	I would check your water levels daily for at least 1 week, sink your finger down into the mix and see how wet the mix is. If it's too wet midday after you have watered I would say there is too much water in the mix. Then you could drill more holes to allow more water to drain out. The goal is to have your mix drain well but to also hold enough water to allow the roots to drink when they need to. If the roots sit in too much water they will be drowned and not get the oxygen they need. Also, having too much water consistently draining from your buckets means your nutrients will wash out of them. The next time I would put a couple inches of rock in the bottom, cover with a weed cloth and then fill with mix. This would allow the mix to drink water when it needed it and you would have less sitting in the mix while the excess drains out of the holes you drilled in the sides. I am no expert here but this is what I would do. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

May 22, 2012	#26
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	very cool setups indeed! I have several nursery bags I'm using in one area this year and was wondering the same thing, although I have peppers mostly in them which don't require too big of a support. __________________ Antoniette

May 21, 2012	#17
sprtsguy76 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Santa Clara CA Posts: 1,125	Hey I like that too! Awsome job. You could wheel that around your neighborhood and probably make a fortune selling your tomatoes. Damon

May 21, 2012	#18
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Probably need a horse just to pull it!

May 21, 2012	#20
chrisrap1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Garden State (NJ) Posts: 10	I worked out something and because I have a small space to work with I think it will fit my needs (really great ideas thanks to all for the suggestions)......I will post some pics in the coming days

May 21, 2012	#22
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	When you make hole in the bottom, just get a hole the middle, put the stick n the bucket to the ground.

May 22, 2012	#24
elight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Allentown, PA Posts: 349	I'm sure others with more experience with traditional containers will chime in, but with overflow holes that high up, I wold worry about too much water sitting at the bottom. Also, I'd worry about a lack of aeration. The good news is you can always drill more holes if it seems necessary.

May 30, 2012	#27
Ivy123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Indianapolis zone 5 Posts: 37	Hi everyone, I have a question/s if any of you return to this thread. I read on here about the grids rockporter mentioned above and I was just about to order those tonight.. Then I just seen/read Damon speak of the CRW cages he made...May I ask what CRW stands for and where I might purchase the cages/ fencing?(home depot/menards?). Also does it come in smaller amounts? Pricing?... I think thats all the questions (laugh)..Thanks for any help

May 30, 2012	#29
Mohntr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Missouri Posts: 2	Concrete reinforcement wire Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

May 31, 2012	#30
PonyMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Central, La Posts: 14	here ya go Johnny: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_2816wt_1110