My Wild Boar Self Watering 5 Gals **pics**

[Boarhead]

This year I did six porkchops and six pink berkeley tie-dye. I used only urban farms texas tomato food once a week since first true leaves. I have at least 6-12 (dime to golf ball) sized tomatoes on each plant. I could not be happier with the results so far. I have more small tomatoes this year than all four previous years combined. I think it is a combo of the soil/containers/fertlizer/and advice from this forum. The PVC poles are 6ft tall from the lips of each bucket. I also trimmed all branches about a foot from the bottom. All started from seed the last week of March.

[SIP Gro-Tubs]

How did you secure the PVC poles to the inside bucket?

I, do the same type of growing but use only 1 bucket. And my watering system is 24/7/365 by itself. Its done with a 5 gl reservoir bucket, hooked to a flaat valve thru the wall of the bucket. Then all the buckets are hooked together. Never need to manually water each bucket.

Terry Layman

[edweather]

Very nice plants. So you are saying that there is NO fertilizer in the soil mix, and you are only feeding via the reservior once per week? Or do you top water/feed? It looks like the black plastic on the tops of your buckets is sunken down into the bucket. Aren't they supposed to be mounded to shed rainwater? Does that trap alot of rainwater?

[Salsacharley]

Really neat! What are those stick-like poles tied to the PVC? Are they just more support?

[Master_Gardener]

I love your rabbit repellent.

Russel

[Boarhead]

I started with two bamboo poles in each bucket for support since there is a field of it at work for free. Once the plants get tall enough, I add the PVC and roped the top of the bamboo to it.

The PVC is secured to the buckets with a zip-tie at the top of the bucket, and goes all the way down to the second bucket in which I drill a hole a tad bit bigger so it stays secure.

The soil I used this year I bought locally (Nashville TN) from Southern Nurseries and it was $50 for a truck bed full. Holy Cow mix http://www.southernnurseries.com/soils

The plastic bags on top were flush until the mix got wet and it drooped down with the soil level. I use it more to keep mosture in and it seems to work well.

I fertilize each plant with 1TB tomato food per gallon of water per plant. I always fertlize pouring it from the top and not the self watering pipe. I then top off the self watering pipe every other day until water pours out the overflow holes.

Here are some pics from a few weeks ago. (sorry, dog always wants to photobomb my pics)

[Boarhead]

I will be using the original bucket tops next year but I ran out of time to cut the holes in the lids and resorted to the trash bags instead. I would also like to make some concrete wire cages but will have to wait on that next year also.

[Jaysan]

Let's hope you don't have any serious winds when they get taller.

[GnomeGrown]

Nice looking dog.

[ArthurDent004]

Nice looking plants you have growing. So the long PVC pipe is only being used as part of the support for the bamboo and you're adding water to the plants from the T's in the PVC pipes. For the buckets sitting on the ground, have you thought sinking some rebar into the ground for extra support when the plants get bigger.

[Boarhead]

I wonder if I put T's on the top and connected the PVC poles together if that would solve the tip over risk?

[SIP Gro-Tubs]

Originally Posted by Boarhead

I wonder if I put T's on the top and connected the PVC poles together if that would solve the tip over risk?

If your going for that option of connecting them together, spend a little more and get 3 way and 4 way PVC furniture fittings, and then you will have a framed top to cover with shade cloth.

If you are interested send me a PM.

Terry Layman

[ArthurDent004]

I was going to suggest the same thing. You could get the 90-Degree PVC Sch 40 Side Outlet Elbow for the corner pieces and 90-Degree PVC Sch 40 Tees for the pipes between the corner pieces. Once you put it all together you will have a nice square.

[SIP Gro-Tubs]

Originally Posted by ArthurDent004

I was going to suggest the same thing. You could get the 90-Degree PVC Sch 40 Side Outlet Elbow for the corner pieces and 90-Degree PVC Sch 40 Tees for the pipes between the corner pieces. Once you put it all together you will have a nice square.

Using 3 way connectors on the corners, and 4 way connectors in between you will have both a exterior and interior lattice between the 2 row's

[peppero]

in the multitude of counselors there is wisdom.

jon