Great Video, One idea I see is to drill a few holes into pvc near bottom 2 inches where it passes into drainage pipe. Reason is the way you have it now, pvc can go all the way to bottom of drainage pipe and prevent water being filled from actually filling container.
Self wicking containers are awesome! I've been using them for a couple of years now. I add some lime to my container mix to counteract the acidity of the peat moss.
You might want to add that only no overflow outlet is needed in the controlled way of growing under a roof. If these are in a setting where rain can fill up the barrels/wicking bed then a drain IS required!
Holes in the bottom allow all the water to drain out. A hole in the side allows for the container to be self wicking. Less watering needed and less work.
What's going to happen when the tree roots grow into those corrugated pipes? My front yard trees clogged up my home drain pipes last year. The plumber had to put a tool down the pipes to cut them out. Removing the trees to clear them out isn't going to be so simple when they get big. Any updates on this 3 years later? I love the idea for a raised grow bed because I'll just remove the grow medium to clean out after the season but for trees growing year after year with tough roots??? Not so sure this will work long term with thin corrugated pipe. Maybe if you use stronger 4" pipes and drill drain holes on the bottom instead or don't even use pipes and fill with gravel, then potting soil if you are never going to remove the tree.
I really love the idea of the Mittleider method and have purchased his book recently with the hopes of trying it this year. I love the idea of your self-wicking whiskey barrels, but I just have one question. Without the drainage hole, are you not worried about the water in the barrel going stagnant? I was thinking that even if you were to cap off the drainage holes, then they would at least be there if, or when you needed (and we hope you would never need it) to refresh the water in the barrel if it becomes necessary. I really love the concept of your floating water level sticks and hope to glean that concept as well as other important information from your extensive knowledge of growing our own food. Thank you and God's Blessings to you always - ~SuzyJC-in-Pataskala-Ohio/USA_03.11.2022~
Love the design and the cork idea. I still like the idea of having an overflow port just in case. Could do the overflow port with the size to use another cork to seal it from the outside. The water level would tell you if you needed to open the drainage hole.
The air space is made from the water level in the pipe always being 1” lower than the height of the hose because his home made gauge is marked accordingly so he knows how much water to add so as not to add 4” of water, which would fill the hose totally. Not filling the hose totally with water means that he will always have a 1” space in the pipe for air. A drain hole would also allow air to come in naturally actually as the water level drops…as Leon explains in his videos. A drain hole (drilled 1” lower than the pipe height) IS needed if these pots are placed outside to allow for excess rainwater to flow out…which would always allow a 1” gap for air in the hose
if you're doing this for prepping, you should be using coconut coir, and you can store those bricks instead of using peat moss. the harvesting of that peat moss is also destructive to the environment. please use coconut coir instead. also, you definitely want to have an overflow drain if you have this planter outdoors. if it rains, that water will be trapped and you'll have root rot. this is a great design and i think i'll use it for my grape cutting that i'm currently trying to root
Fantastic design, the closest tutorial I have seen to building the beds as they were intended to be built by Colin Austin. I love that you don't waste space with rocks or sand but I would add that you can only get away with not adding a drainage hole when growing in a greenhouse or at least under a canopy to keep rainwater from flooding and suffocating the bed
I have two concerns. will the soil will saturate with water and overwater my tomatoes causing bottom end rot? Also there will be soil all the way to the bottom between the pipe and that bottom soil will be below the water line and will be super saturated, could this cause root rot or be a place for some other root disease to fester?
Here’s another way to seal the inside of the whiskey barrels. Take 1 part Namptha (spirit for painting) and 4 parts clear silicone sealant. Mix well in a disposable cup or container and the Namptha breaks down the silicone so that you can spray or brush it on like a paint. When it dries it’s waterproofed. Works in anything. Shies, tents, sheets for leantoos and more. Saw it on RU-vid and it works!
People need to think carefully whether this can be used safely without impacting the environment or your health as it has been listed as a carcinogen so if you use it wear a mask and gloves, some people seal the bottemp of pots with cement obviously it might make larger pots too heavy to move but people have been using it when making their own Ollie's.
I use five gallon buckets with a wicking cup in the top container. I just need the water to reach that cup and by putting noodles in I displaced the water and therefore need to use far less water than I would otherwise. Just think of it like a false bottom, but much cheaper!
@@knitra1980 Not sure I understand. The noodles sit in the water, so only water is getting in them. Other than that the design is just like LDSPrepper's old 5 gallon bucket design... does that make sense?
Nice adaptation. Although I plan on zip tying my watering pipe to the end of the sock, at the end of the tubing. Adding a notch at the end of the plastic will allow the watering pipe to be vertical. Also, be sure to cut the pipe at an angle so the pipe doesn't lay flat on the bottom. Thanks for sharing.
@@dianeblackwood7810 True about Earth box. However I can get 55gal barrels for $10-15. When cut in half that is as cheap as $5 per planter. A similar receptacle for an Earth box is a minimum of twice the price if not more. What can I say, I'm cheap. :)
Not really, just place a narrowed tube for the level indicator. In case of rain, not much water can go in, and in any case, why wouldn't it work outdoor? The outside indicators were made on the side for esthetic purposes.
@@aleksandrabissani567 Not quite. A wicking tub outdoors with no cover will become water logged and anaerobic. The hole in the side is more than an indicator, it permits any excess water to drain out to prevent the water log condition.
I am growing tomatoes in 10 gallon plastic pots. I was watering 2 or 3 times a day. I build a water trough 18 inches x 54 inches x 3.5 inches high. I lined the trough with green house white plastic to make it water tight. I am keeping about an inch of water in each trough so the plants can draw on the watering as needed. The trough can hold a lot more water than the conventional saucers that go under the pot. The white plastic stays cool in the sun, so evaporation is held at a minimum. Most of the construction was done with reclaimed materials, so the only real cost has been the cost of the plastic, 10 ft x 10 ft plastic cost $13.
First, thank you for your teaching. Could I use litter bottles in the bottom and put holes in them instead of the drainage hose. I don't need and it's expensive to buy the drainage hose for us small yard gardens. Next, I have the Mittleider nutrients and since I use Earthboxes, and I already have potting mix, should I use both the weekly and the pre-mix each time I pot my containers. Hope this makes sense. Your garden is beautiful. I live in Meridian, Idaho. Again, thank you.
I have watched several other videos on making self watering containers. I watched yours twice. Then I went back to another. I had to just turn theirs off. Way too complicated. and this way is so clean and easy. Brilliant! Thank you!
I see you say we don’t need a hole in the side of the tub.. Doesn’t the hole in the side of the tub also help keep the container from getting flooded in heavy rains?
If the barrels were outside where they can get rain in addition to the water you add yourself, then won’t you need a drainage hole in the barrels for over flow ?
Your system will work fine for “undercover” plants, but if your wicking buckets are outside and a heavy deluge of rain occurs then your plants will drown as there is no way for the excess water to exit.
Help! A half whiskey barrel holds 4 cubic feet of soil, right? You use I/4 cup of weekly feed, which is 2 oz. or 12 teaspoons. A 5 gallon bucket hold .67 cubic feet- so you would use 2 teaspoons a week for a 5 gallon bucket? Would that translate to a scant 1/4 teaspoon for a gallon size pot?
Last question hopefully, since I seem to be figuring it out. Not grasping how the water wicks without a wick thru the 1"air space to the medium? Is the fabric contacting the water some other way or what am I missing? I'm considering putting plant in grow bags over the pipe instead of draping fabric over it. Sure would like a reply at this point.
What year did you start these fruit trees? How big are they now? How many times have you pruned them? Do you prune the roots? How many times? How many Geothermal Greenhouses do you have? Do you have any with vegetables in them in February? Any concerns with the Government & a say over what you can grow or how etc.?
Howdy Idaho Neighbor. I'm in Utah. WOW Wow Wow your brilliant video blew me away. How about some self wicking tomatoes, How large of a container do I need please? Thank You Sir.... 👍
AHHH...I see, that's why you need a hole on the side an inch below the top of the 4" pipe. Pays to watch this more than once! i think I'm good no need to explain. Guess I can't get around putt a side hole in.
Great video. Please excuse my lack of knowledge..but how does the water in the pipe....come out to water the plant? Of both ends are zip ties and the pvc pipe is sticking out, how does the water come out?
This looks interesting. Would this work for containers that are outside? Several have commented you need a drain hole in the side why? I have 18-20 gallon cattle mineral tubs that I'm using.
Mr C. You’ll need to drill one hole in the side of your mineral tub called a weep hole. Drill it 1 inch below the top of the drain pipe. This allows for excess water to drain out.
This is a great idea for the indicator stick. It will also work on the other tubs to give you an idea of how much water is in the bottom and if you really need to add some "now" or tomorrow. No need to put water in a tub that is almost full overflowing most of the water out the drain tube (on the old style). Thanks!
Excellent idea. Use this simple and inexpensive water level indicator on all your indoor plants so you don't have to worry about over filling and dripping water on your floor.
I used the sawdust n sand method, fertilized as you would for a 18" bed. Should I add more weekly & pre plant mix to top and how much n how often do you suggest. I have plastic barrels cut in half with a hole drilled 3" up. Have been following you for years thank you for all you share.
I also "invented" the wine cork float valve last summer to water a large flower pot. It works really well. PS: I have followed your prepping a long time. I think you used to be in Houston. There is no cure for a gardening addiction. It IS the cure! LOL. 💯
i've seen many people use some sort of tarp or garbage bag, slit an x where you want your plant to be and put it though the incision and drape it over the top of the container wine barrel/container
Is the reason why there doesn't need to be a wicking agent (like sand or gravel) present between the reservoir and the soil because these tubs will never be top-watered? Looking to set up one of these for a larger house plant. Thanks for any answers!
Best replied question was " Are you not worried about the water in the barrel going stagnant? " cos it will do more damage to your plant then what its worth . Sitting water require`s Aeration
Those are half wine barrels…pretty big. They will probably grow a smaller tree for several years, and keep the trees a small size, but you can also cut the bottom out if you want a more permanent container plant and don’t plan on moving it around. Bunny Guinness RU-vid channel has an awesome video in bottomless container planting. ☺️
Dear Sir, Excellent, Please show and explain on a micro basis , after putting the perforated hose pipe how to provide holes to it so that water comes out
Whiskey barrels look lovely and are practical. I used to put sand in the bottom to cover the pipe too, and the hole. Prefer your method. Thanks for sharing.
The omission of the drain hole would be a disaster for anyone like me who lives in an area prone to torrential rainstorms. One night's rain would fill that barrel/container to the rim. The drain hole is the insurance that your plants aren't going to drown. It is NOT to make it easier to see when you've filled the container with enough water. Additionally, when you have the drain/overflow hole, you don't need the float indicator.
I have wicking tubs with drilled holes that I made earlier this year and I really like the idea of the water gauge. My containers have different lengths of the pvc pipe in them can I still use the same measurements that you used for making the water gauges?
My understanding was that he cut the skewer 18 inches because his pipe was 18 inches. Match the skewers to the length of your pipes and it will work no matter how tall your pipes are.
That works fine in a greenhouse or tunnel garden. But my tomatoes are outside, so I need the hole in the side. So the rain doesn't drown my plants. And a large tote is easier for most of us to pick up in a big box store. Great idea on the water level indicator though.
Your greenhouse/high tunnel looks great, but the link you give now redirects to a store or to your youtube channel. Where can we get info on your greenhouse project?
To clarify - you simply fill the barrel with dirt and then add water into the white pipe? That forms the reservoir of water without putting any barrier on top of the pipe?
I just hope you will plant other, annuals in between those trees to fully utilize the precious space. This greenhouse is fantastic. geothermal greenhouses work well even in the North, in northern parts of Canada's provinces.
do i need to put the pvc filler tube? I was made a small container using a small tiny bowl with holes for air and made the hole 1" below the small hole to let out extra water. the hole is 1" below the the space inside the empty container with small holes
Thank you. Yeah, the wind was 20-30 mph when I was filming. I had a mic on to help with the noise. You may have noticed how I had the roll up greenhouse side rolled down a bit to minimize the wind but still keep the greenhouse cool.
I am happy to see this tutorial as I have several ceramic pots and do not want to put a hole in them. I think I am going to try to use styrofoam instead of the cork as I do not have access to a winery and I don't drink. And to solve the rain issue, what do you think about covering each pot with plastic? I live in zone 9, california, and we don't get much rain until fall so it would not be all the time.
You can water through the pvc pipe or through the soil. When I fertilize I'll sprinkle the weekly feed and pre-plant food on the soil and water it in through the soil instead of watering through the pipe.
Hi David! I found your channel several years ago when you were in Houston, TX. I bought the older Mittleider gardening book and liked the program. I haven't used it yet because I underwent several spine surgeries, and during that time, I let my preps lapse a bit. I live 40 miles east of San Antonio. We are zone 8b with very sandy loam soil. I am wanting to use these wicking beds this year for my citrus (I lost 20 producing trees during the freeze last year) so I can move them into the house, with my tractor in the winter. I also want to grow my vegetables in them. I cannot do raised beds like you had in Houston because we have a severe problem with fire ants, gophers, and moles. Also, my chickens get into them, and they take too much pasture from my dairy cows. (Part of my preps, meat, cheese, milk, and butter) . Not to mention I can no longer bend over.. My guestion is how do you think these will hold up to the hurricanes ( we were on the western edge of Harvey with 80 mph winds) and torential rain we get in Texas? Would you use a drip system into the pipes? I'll be using black plastic cattle mineral barrels to grow in. We do not have a well. What advice can you give for these in Texas?
You could get rebar or cheap electrical conduit, cut it into sections and then bend them over on the top to go over the top lip of a raised bed. The long spike on each "hook" could be driven into the soil at intervals around each raised bed. That and the weight of the soil will hold them down during 80 or higher mph winds.
@tanyawales5445 thank you, but that's not my problem. I can't use regular raised beds that contact the soil because of gophers, fire ants and Bermuda grass.
