Random pics & chatter

[Shinneryfarmer]

Sorry to hear you've been hammered so hard. We've got the right in our prayers so your covered there. We got the idea from Gardening with Leon utube channel. Our grow tubs are former carwash soap barrels. The 1/2 30 gallons hold 5-7 gallons of water/ food using a 4"drain pvc pipe and the 55s hold 10-12 gallons using a 6" ribbed sewer pipe. The soil is comprised of compost, peat moss and perlite with the greatest volume compost. It wicks nice and there's always good moisture just below the top. Picture from Oct with the plastic still pulled up.

Sorry to hear you've been hammered so hard. We've got the right in our prayers so your covered there. We got the idea from Gardening with Leon utube channel. Our grow tubs are former carwash soap barrels. The 1/2 30 gallons hold 5-7 gallons of water/ food using a 4"drain pvc pipe and the 55s hold 10-12 gallons using a 6" ribbed sewer pipe. The soil is comprised of compost, peat moss and perlite with the greatest volume compost. It wicks nice and there's always good moisture just below the top. Picture from Oct with the plastic still pulled up.

Looks like it's working. Got a couple wicking beds I built 2yrs ago. Was going to add a few more, really like your use barrel's. Have some areas where those would work great, need to pick up a few barrel's and start on them. Question, do you put overflow drains in the barrel's?

 

[Timmy59]

Looks like it's working. Got a couple wicking beds I built 2yrs ago. Was going to add a few more, really like your use barrel's. Have some areas where those would work great, need to pick up a few barrel's and start on them. Question, do you put overflow drains in the barrel's?

There is one 1/2" hole drilled about an inch or less below the pipe height so that there is an air gap. I can eyeball the hole and see water and the airgap. Because of the white tubs water level is usually visable so I don't over flow.

 

[Timmy59]

Because of the Jadam book / Korean organic farming. We're making our own fertilizer now. $$$. It's all been done before many moons ago. Composting with water and leaf mold soil. We've got 3 barrels running at present. The 1st I started has all the garden/ greenhouse scraps in it. The 2nd has all the stuff that comes out of the house. The 3rd has cow manure and chicken chit, it should be some potent stuff. I run out to the woods gently push back the top leaves and collect the top soil. While it was warmer it was cooking good but the colder temps have retarded that. If I can eliminate buying supplements I'm going to be as happy as a pig in a puddle. The products that are man made can NO WAY be better then what nature itself makes.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Because of the Jadam book / Korean organic farming. We're making our own fertilizer now. $$$. It's all been done before many moons ago. Composting with water and leaf mold soil. We've got 3 barrels running at present. The 1st I started has all the garden/ greenhouse scraps in it. The 2nd has all the stuff that comes out of the house. The 3rd has cow manure and chicken chit, it should be some potent stuff. I run out to the woods gently push back the top leaves and collect the top soil. While it was warmer it was cooking good but the colder temps have retarded that. If I can eliminate buying supplements I'm going to be as happy as a pig in a puddle. The products that are man made can NO WAY be better then what nature itself makes.

You aren't peeing in the barrel to ferment for fertilizer? I thought that was what you suggested.

 

[Timmy59]

LOL, no pee of mine just the uric acid of the chickens in the 1 barrel. At least currently.

 

[John6185]

Just don't try and push poke greens off on me, that stuff is bitter.

 

[Timmy59]

Yes I used the drain that was in it. I'm using 6" drain pipe in the bottom so I had to extend the height of the drain to 5". I just used materials I had laying around . I had these tanks already when I was using them for baby chick brooders . I have had limited success with several potting mixes. Promix is my favorite for wicking ability and moisture consistency. I have my feed store order it for me. It's pricey at over $20 for 2 cf. I hate miracle grow bagged stuff.

The tall tanks worked good for carrots but shorter tanks would save money and I'd probably use 4" pipe in the bottom.

Keeping the overhead bare bones our media is peat, pearlite and goodies from the pasture and chicken coop. You'll even find feathers in the media. Bad thing is it adds weeds, grass and maintenance.

 

[Timmy59]

The one drawback I have is feeding the plants. The commercial stuff doesn't have any nutrients in it. Even the ones that claim fertilizer added will not have near enough. I use water soluble fertilizer . Depends on what I am growing as far as npk strength.

Going to be a test year here, 2 solutions 1 of chicken and cow dung and 1 of stewed vegetation. Both of which smell OH so good lol. Plus added minerals.

 

[Timmy59]

@MacFromOK , we ate maters into February and they were heads above store bought. That ole hack works wonderful. Doing something new I can't report on yet, soon. Keeping avacados submerged in water. Shouldn't take long to find out if this ole hack works.

 

[MacFromOK]

@MacFromOK , we ate maters into February and they were heads above store bought. That ole hack works wonderful.

Huh. I guess wrapping holds in gasses that are essential to ripening off the vine, similar to bananas.

Good to know.
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