Best Self Wicking Container 2021 - No Holes, No Fabric
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 มิ.ย. 2024
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If you are looking for the best self wicking container to grow trees or bushes you've found it.
I've made modifications to Leon's self wicking tub or bucket for gardening by adding a water gauge removing the angle cut on the watering tube and no hole or landscaping fabric.
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!
What if there are a few holes underneath? Still not enough?
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
Love the cork float. Brilliantly simple.
I really like the cork stick measure of water. Something new, an idea no one shared before.
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?
@@slahring1 This system work perfectly well if the container is protected from rain.
If not, then it can be overflooded..
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 TH-cam and it works!
How long does it last before it breaks down, months or is it pretty much a permanent solution for garden pots?
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.
You eat from that?
I would not use that plastic. Best and safest way is to use food/fish safe pond lining.
Thank you. The measuring float is really ingenious.
Glad to see gardening with Leon channel is inspiring people do these.
Yeap follow his lead, he is the best.
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.
The float alone was worth the stop. 😄 Thanks for the reminder. 👍🏻
Amazing. Affortable and pretty easy to do. Thanks for sharing.
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.
Would that creat any other problem?
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.
Yes, that is what the pre-plant mix is. It is 80% calcium.
Can I use lemon juice
@@themisstra7708 it will cause nutrient lockout. Go with a very minor amount of lime. Calcium mag carbonate especially. Watch the pH bounce
@@tomfrench8191 gotcha thanks 😊
Blueberries need the acid soil.
I did this exact thing for small containers, then saw this video. Thanks for the confirmation. I think we really over think things.
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. 💯
Your videos are always excellent. Thank you.
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.
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 would think the pipe would be cut at an angle
@@TheBbowles888 the bottom of the pipe, yes, no need to angle the top.
This is great idea you just gave me...... I love citrus & tropical trees & this is great that I can move them around as weather changes here in California
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.
Thank you.
Glad I found you. Thanks for a very clear presentation and info on where to get info and merchandise.
An excellent job. Great video. Thank you
I use pool noodles on the bottom to displace the water. Less than 20 cents per bucket...
Very inventive.
Please explain.I thought that the drainage hole was there to help hold more water. So how does the noodle compare?
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!
How did u seal the ends so dirt wouldn't get in?
@@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?
Thanks for sharing! Gonna give this a try!
I had no idea one of my favorite guitarists had such a keen interest in gardening
Thank you for that cork auto water thingy. Great idea
WHOA!! Brilliant!! Thanks for sharing!
excellent, very enlightening, educational especially that I have very little backyard, thank you sir, God bless
As usual, excellent info presented professionally. Thank you for risking your life in that wind storm to do this for us.
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.
Thank you very much! Exactly what I needed, great idea!
Needed this video three weeks ago! 🤪
Hope you enjoyed it! What happened 3 weeks ago?
What a fabulous idea!!! I'm now a fan- follower!
I love the float idea.
Excellent advice. Thanks
Great system, thank you for sharing.
Very helpful. Thanks for sharing!
Incredible!!
Great presentation will do! Thanks
Your cork floating dipstick is a great idea.
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.
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?
Beautiful!
This is perfect for an indoor container. Or a greenhouse. If it was outside you would need a hole in the side.
If a cover is used as in an Earth box, the pots don't get rain water and if not over filled the drain is not needed. His gauge handles that
@@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.
@@aleksandrabissani567 in a sip system it could easily drown the roots
Less than 10 seconds in and I already Subscribed *just* for the mere fact you mentioned your Zone. [Mine is 8 but it's frustrating hearing others I like _not_ mentioning their Zones but speaking about season specific crops or what works for them as if it would work for every Zone, at the same time.]
This has been awesome
Thank you.
Dear Sir, Please explain in detail how to grow Avacado ---
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.
Best wicking video IMHO
Very good - Improved design.
I love this !
Thank you.
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.
Nice work
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.?
Brilliant!
I believe you said you would not recommend this method for growing vegetables, why not? Thank you.
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.
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.
Your pipe bottom needs cut on diagonal to keep it from compressing down and sealing off.
In this system, the ribs of the drainage tile keep it from resting against the bottom. No need for slanted cut
Works great -- unless outside and filled with rain. This is only for under cover.
Thank you very much
Can you use this method on regular fruit trees such as apple, peach and pear trees without the greenhouse?
Very cool! I never liked how you had to drill a side hole through the container.
You'd need the drainhole if your plant is outside so rain doesn't put too much water in. You don't want the roots sitting in water because of root rot.
Thanks for your great tutorials. A friend that lives in Yuma, Arizona has a Lemon tree and an orange tree very close to each other grown in the ground. The oranges are very bitter like a lemon. How far apart should those trees be from each other?
Roots wont self prune in the humid air space between the water and the medium.. they will grow right through it and into the water.
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.
Thank you
Thank you for the video. I can’t find the flashlight from one of your earlier videos on your website. Can you please link me to the flashlight?
Here is the link to the self defense flashlight giveaway LDSPrepper.com/flashlight
That might work for indoors however if outside wouldn’t you need the drain hole or the rain will fill the whole barrel?
Correct. If yours are outdoors just add the drain hole.
@@LDSPrepper Yes you need a drain hole alright, I knew something was missing.
brilliant
Will lemon trees do ok in a wicking container? What other vegetables do well in them?
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
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?
I like the water gauge idea, but when it rains your kinda SOL without a weeping hole on the side.
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.
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
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~
His are under a cover thus only receives the water they add. If your barrel is outside and it rains then you'd need a drain likely.
I would like to do self wicking but I have question. Can we incorporate some earthworms?
Hi, how does your blueberries do with that watering system in the wine barrel? Does the top half stay moist? I’m thinking of doing the same thing with my blueberries. Thanks!
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.
I would think fishing corks would work just fine.
Nice restaurants would probably be happy to give you some.
Thanks for sharing your idea. Did you place a layer of barrier between the socked black pipe and the soil?
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.... 👍
Wow, this is brilliant! I'm new to this wicking system. Why is it that you need an air space at the bottom? Trying to understand. Thank you so much.
how do you remove excess water in the containers after heavy rains? seems like the container could become waterlogged with no drain hole in the side
The greenhouse has a roof so this would keep rain water out.
Awesomeness 💯💯🤩🤩🤩
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 ?
Correct. I have added a drain hole since I made the video.
This presentation was so awesome but...there is a problem. The shocked drain pipe keeps dirt out of the water, but you have cancelled the effect of air pruning by allowing the roots to follow down the spaces between the pipe. Wicking yes; Air pruned partially. The entire root ball should be contained above the air space, hence, the landscape fabric pouch or lined grate. You would need a wick column. Also, the flexible 50 ft perforated drain pipe is cheaper than standard pipe. Love the gauge!!!! Happy potting!
Oops "socked" drain pipe
I agree about air pruning, but how can one wick AND airprune at the same time?? That's my conundrum!
awesome
I live in IF also. I am wondering if you could tell me where you found the whiskey barrels?
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.
Can you do this with plastic storage containers for veggies
Would this work in pot plants that aren't in a greenhouse? Also do you think would work in Australia's harsh summers?
Nice video, if this container was outside and it rained heavily would it be advisable to have a drain hole on the side to prevent overwatering?
Where do you get the pre plant mix?
How much nutrient/weekly feed per tub each week? 1/2 cup replant an 1/4 cup weekly feed when you start..,but after that...
Isn't it necessary to have varieties of each tree as each variety ripens at a different time?
How do the fruit trees get pollinated in the green house? I will for sure try this self wicking method. Thank you!
Looks like the sides are open. Usually during flowering months it’s too hot to keep closed up.
I love planting in these wine barrels, and bought six of them last summer at Home Depot for $39 apiece! Now I can’t find them anywhere. Some places have the whiskey barrels, but they are way more rusted and rustic…not as pretty and they are running $55 to $60 apiece.
so what is in the mix for nutrients and such?
How long is the cork with the skewr added on? How long is the pipe? How are you gusging the intitial fill? Mr. Leons method seems to be safer.
Without an overflow drain hole it seems the barrel is at risk of getting waterlogged in heavy rain.
Perhaps keeping the plastic lower and allowing natural transpiration through the wood could be effective and if the barrel is too water tight an intentional drain hole could still be added above this level.
So if we don’t have a green house and have to contend with rain. Would it be better to add a drain hole?