For more information call Leon at 580-564-5909. Please check the like button if you like and also make sure to subscribe for more up coming videos. Happy gardening!
My plants are very happy in the 5 gal self wicking buckets. I have used a variety of containers for the bottom. I have one with a half gal jug that has a handle and I tied a cord around the handle before putting in the soil... I use the cord to string up my pole type tomatoes. It makes a great anchor! Also, I had an old hose that was going to be thrown out. Instead, I keep cutting pieces off to use in my self wicking buckets instead of pipe. It fits perfectly in the top opening of plastic pop bottles! Just being resourceful during lockdown when access was difficult.
Such a sweet man. I just found his channel so I’m watching in 2022. I am a new Gardner and I’m learning to much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I really appreciate it. For instance, I never knew what the numbers on the packages meant. Now I do! I’m so excited to plant a garden this year!
In Phoenix AZ I know a man who makes wicking buckets for trees. He mooches the big rolling trash cans the city has taken back because of a broken lid. He cuts them to the height he wants with a power saw.
Hello from North Carolina. Thank you so much for doing a video using 5 gallon buckets. You are spot on - not many here have cattle feed buckets, but 5 gallon buckets are everywhere. I have been watching your videos for just a few days, and am really considering starting this. I have done a little bit of growing vegetables in containers, but keeping them watered was always an issue. Your method completely takes care of that problem. I am a mom of two teens, my husband and I have a business, and of course there is the household to run. So I don't have a lot of time. But I love to garden and raise stuff for us to eat - my kids eat a lot better when I raise stuff at home. That in itself is enough motivation for me to garden, besides my already enjoying it. The idea of using materials that would wind up in the landfill really encourages me too. Thanks again. Melody Barlow
Leon, this is the second video I've watched today. I think I got it down. 1. Get a bucket. 2. Put plastic or metal container in the bottom of bucket, each container needs a hole in the top and bottom of it. 3. Put your soil + additives over and in between containers, fill yhe dirt all the way to the top. 4. Plant your plant. 5. HOW do you know when to water again? Neither video has told us that. Without knowing when, this is no different from just watering your plants as we've done before. 6. When to water wicking planters for Dummies. Thank you.
I couldn't watch after that because anyone who doesn't understand that plastics are leaching into our food, water, soil and then to our bloodstream and suggesting we add them ourselves, well, just nevermind.
Used this design 2 weeks ago and it's been working out great! I made 2 buckets. One completely with dirt and the other using sand at the bottom for the wicking material. I used ground cover to separate the sand from the soil. The seeds in the one with sand germinated and grew much faster!!! It's crazy how quickly they've been growing!
I made one of these wicking buckets for two little 4" lemon trees that I grew from seeds. Over one season, they grew to 4 feet and beautiful. Thank you!
I didn’t read through all the comments but wanted to add that donut shops-and bakeries including grocery stores and Walmart-are an excellent source for buckets. They are icing buckets and usually less than 5 gallon. 3 gallon is common. But they usually sell them with a lid for a dollar or two. My guy makes me a deal if I buy all they have. They’ve very sturdy, with the plastic style handle like the buckets in this video. Greetings from Poteau, OK. Keep at it Leon!
Mr. Leon, I used some large rope handled tubs and followed your directions. I I planted my 1yr old fruit tree whips in them. Its now the 2nd summer, and I am very happy to report my trees have had no die off from drought and are in fact thriving and have produced 2 sets of horizontsl branches! (They are pruned as espalier trees) thank you so very much!
I’m going to share your videos to any person I can! I’ve been a gardening person for years and I have learned so much useful information from y’all! You’ve inspired me to get your message out about recycling! Keep up the great work. You’re wonderful....... just wonderful.
i.ve been out all weekend cleaning and painting my old pots and half-drums. i.ve made all of them into self watering based on your tip to leave AIR space above the water. i hope this will "cure" the overwet stinky odor in past garden bucket attempts. i used hot soldering iron to poke holes in the bottles. thank you
I made some of these with the five gallon buckets. I put some bibb lettuce in the first ones. My gosh after two weeks I've got the biggest beautiful lettuce you've ever seen. I now have planted cucumbers and cabbage, I'm also going to plant peppers and tomatoes in some, can't wait to see how they do. Thanks Leon I'll keep you informed.
Great idea and good instructions. Keeping plastic out of the ocean - AWESOME! Thanks, I really appreciate all the info about what fertilizer to use and how much!:)
I just watched some of Leon's newer videos on this topic. But I like this one for bringing it back to the basics (including the diagram on the bucket to explain the concept). Thanks from Yukon, Canada!
Having met Leon I can tell you he is the real deal. He spent about half an hour explaining how this works. I am anxious to try it. But no joke he is for real and loves making people gardeners and he loves scholarships. I honestly think he puts all his money back into the scholarships and promotions to help other people make things grow for fun and food. Thank you sir for helping me get started and for all you do for us gardener hopefuls. May God bless your unselfish work.
Great information Leon! I just found you... where have you been my whole gardening life....Save the Environment and garden with reused plastic and aluminum waste....Very Intelligent Guy.
Glad you thinking of recycling our plastics, thank you Leon for the suggestions. Let’s recycle ♻️ our plastics people! Saying this with love for our earth 🌍🌏🌎
Looking forward to trying this with our flower tubs at Lake Guntersville State Park! We enjoyed meeting you and thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
Leon, thank you. You're such a Blessing, I wont have to carry water out, we are saving the world from awful plastics & growing some of our own food in an economical way! Ive been putting off growing tomatoes but going to give it a try now for sure.
I just harvested my first lettuces and a zucchini from my wicking buckets! Thank you for this brilliant idea. My soil is horrible so until I can fix it, this is the way to go! My cukes have flowers as of yesterday.
What a great idea. The concept is terrific. The process is simple. And it is obviously back by resolute power of experience, that a reasonable person can understand. And the result, for me, is another way we can do good by Mother Nature.👍
5 gallon buckets are FREE at your local bakery. Just call and ask them to save a few for you. You will just need to clean out the icing. Plus they are food grade.
Leon, you've inspired me to give gardening a try again. I think it would be great if you added your recipe for fertilizers in your comment section so guys like me won't forget.👍
Great info. Just wanted to add if you have a Lowes store nearby they sell a 20 gallon muck bucket for $7.98 they are about the same size as the mineral tubs and work great, they even have the bonus of having 2 rope handles if you have to move them. Thanks Leon for sharing your knowledge with us
Colleen Pritchett I’m not sure. I’d think they’re safe since they’re intended for horses but if you search muck bucket on their website you’ll see them
Hi Mr.Leon well surely enjoyed your video and your some sweet person to be doing this enjoy all and thanks for sharing your time and great gardening info now my suckers I plant them as sune as I cut them and for extra tubs if you have washer or dryers I use the inside tubs for the gardening or flowers beds great you can also cut to your advantage also take care thanks once again have a great summer
FYI: I love the ingenuity of these tubs, but please remember that Mycelium creates compounds that dissolve aluminum rather efficiently, so, if you use a mycorrhizal inoculant for your roots, it may attack your cans. If you use a fungal root stimulant that includes Trichoderma , you should use plastic. (tin cans would will last longer than aluminum)
Really glad I just saw this. Was about to make one of these buckets with aluminum cans in the bottom and use the earthbox probiotic method with various mycorrhizal inoculants. Thank you for sharing.
I love your use of cans, I never thought of that! When I make 5 gallon bucket into a wicking pot, I trim the lip off a 3 gallon icing bucket,invert it, cut slots in the bottom and use that as the reservoir. For 55 gallon and IBC totes I use inverted 5 gallon buckets. I find cutting slots rather eliminates the need to use weed cloth. I don't care to use anything as thin walled as water and pop bottles, I find then too weak. If I can figure a quick/easy way to put a slot into a glass bottle, they will be come my favorite, as they are plentiful and totally inert. I've tried a form of in the ground wicking by burying a 5 gallon wicking bucket under a transplanted tree. The idea is to give the tree an artificial reservoir to tap, while also allowing it to seek ground water. Too soon to report results.
Hi cutie! been watching videos like this all morning cuz Im not planting in my drought stricken NM yard this year. Lots of the videos have a big tub with a plant in a pot sitting in them, and the tub gets filled with water, like 3". Ive always heard that plants shouldnt be sitting in water for a long time, it saturates the soil completely. Your bucket ideas are a better way to do this! Glad someone is paying attention! My only trouble is I dont drink sodas or buy water in bottles! BUT I can find tons of Bud Lite cans on the sides of the road everywhere I go, haha. thanks and take care
Thank you for sharing! Perfect timing, I already had the five gallon buckets when I saw your video. I'm doing some of these for my dad, for he cannot garden like he use to. This way he can still have fresh tomatoes close to hand and not have to water three times a day. BTW grocery stores that have a bakery have food grade( five gallon and 2.5 gallon buckets) you can usually get for free. We've got ours that way for many years, we mainly used them to collect produce in and water plants from. Have a great day!
Wonderful conservation method as well as a wildlife saver. I recently saw a video of sea turtles who had been strangled by the plastic the cans and bottles come in.
Thanks for sharing. I'm in SC now, when lived in TX, MUCH MORE choices since all livestock ranches. There is a Tractor Supply about 30 miles away. I TRY to make order online, then pick up at store-muck buckets, stock tanks etc. Plus there is NO dirt, only sand! Composting is a MUST, unless you want to go broke buying dirt at Lowe's.😊🌴🌴🐋🐋🌺
My plants are very happy in the 5 gal self wicking buckets. I have used a variety of containers for the bottom. I have one with a half gal jug that has a handle and I tied a cord around the handle before putting in the soil... I use the cord to string up my pole type tomatoes. It makes a great anchor!
Also, I had an old hose that was going to be thrown out. Instead, I keep cutting pieces off to use in my self wicking buckets instead of pipe. It fits perfectly in the top opening of plastic pop bottles! Just being resourceful during lockdown when access was difficult.
Leon, you are a national treasure. THANK YOU, SIR!
Such a sweet man. I just found his channel so I’m watching in 2022. I am a new Gardner and I’m learning to much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I really appreciate it. For instance, I never knew what the numbers on the packages meant. Now I do! I’m so excited to plant a garden this year!
In Phoenix AZ I know a man who makes wicking buckets for trees. He mooches the big rolling trash cans the city has taken back because of a broken lid. He cuts them to the height he wants with a power saw.
As I am a German Lutheran I hope beer cans will work as well as soda pop cans.
they will work better.
Okay, thanks!
genius
Me I got plenty of empties
German Lutheran?... Are you from South Australia?
Hello from North Carolina. Thank you so much for doing a video using 5 gallon buckets. You are spot on - not many here have cattle feed buckets, but 5 gallon buckets are everywhere. I have been watching your videos for just a few days, and am really considering starting this. I have done a little bit of growing vegetables in containers, but keeping them watered was always an issue. Your method completely takes care of that problem. I am a mom of two teens, my husband and I have a business, and of course there is the household to run. So I don't have a lot of time. But I love to garden and raise stuff for us to eat - my kids eat a lot better when I raise stuff at home. That in itself is enough motivation for me to garden, besides my already enjoying it. The idea of using materials that would wind up in the landfill really encourages me too. Thanks again. Melody Barlow
Duke Norfolk I am going to try this method too. I’m so glad I came across this video!
Leon, this is the second video I've watched today. I think I got it down. 1. Get a bucket. 2. Put plastic or metal container in the bottom of bucket, each container needs a hole in the top and bottom of it. 3. Put your soil + additives over and in between containers, fill yhe dirt all the way to the top. 4. Plant your plant. 5. HOW do you know when to water again? Neither video has told us that. Without knowing when, this is no different from just watering your plants as we've done before. 6. When to water wicking planters for Dummies. Thank you.
I second this question. You never mention when or how to water the plants. Please advise.
I teared up when he said he was using the water bottles, because he had heard about a whale dying from ingesting bottles. Thank you, sir.
Heartbreaking
I couldn't watch after that because anyone who doesn't understand that plastics are leaching into our food, water, soil and then to our bloodstream and suggesting we add them ourselves, well, just nevermind.
The USA recycles. The plastic trash in the oceans is coming from you know where.
Took me a few seconds to realize it was a whale and not a "quail" as I initially heard 😅
Used this design 2 weeks ago and it's been working out great!
I made 2 buckets. One completely with dirt and the other using sand at the bottom for the wicking material. I used ground cover to separate the sand from the soil.
The seeds in the one with sand germinated and grew much faster!!! It's crazy how quickly they've been growing!
Curious how the plants grew throughout the season. I am interested in trying sand in bottom and then soil.
What kind of ground cover did you use?
Arms Family Homestead recommended your channel. Love it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the world.
I made one of these wicking buckets for two little 4" lemon trees that I grew from seeds. Over one season, they grew to 4 feet and beautiful. Thank you!
Thank ya for the information I'm a disabled vet trying to learn how to garden and this is an awesome tutorial.
I didn’t read through all the comments but wanted to add that donut shops-and bakeries including grocery stores and Walmart-are an excellent source for buckets. They are icing buckets and usually less than 5 gallon. 3 gallon is common. But they usually sell them with a lid for a dollar or two. My guy makes me a deal if I buy all they have. They’ve very sturdy, with the plastic style handle like the buckets in this video.
Greetings from Poteau, OK. Keep at it Leon!
Dang.... how lucky am I. Another great video with Leon. Loving It!
This was a great video. I felt like I was sitting with Leon, learning your wisdom.
Thank you Leon for your great expertise on this sustainable environmental gardening - it's wonderful - I can't wait to try it! :) Blessings to you ~
Mr. Leon, I used some large rope handled tubs and followed your directions. I I planted my 1yr old fruit tree whips in them. Its now the 2nd summer, and I am very happy to report my trees have had no die off from drought and are in fact thriving and have produced 2 sets of horizontsl branches! (They are pruned as espalier trees) thank you so very much!
I’m going to share your videos to any person I can! I’ve been a gardening person for years and I have learned so much useful information from y’all! You’ve inspired me to get your message out about recycling! Keep up the great work. You’re wonderful....... just wonderful.
I just got a couple dozen food-grade 5's and have been pondering the best way to employ them in our garden. This looks like just the ticket, thanks!
Thank you Leon! Love this idea for my pepper plants!
i.ve been out all weekend cleaning and painting my old pots and half-drums. i.ve made all of them into self watering based on your tip to leave AIR space above the water. i hope this will "cure" the overwet stinky odor in past garden bucket attempts. i used hot soldering iron to poke holes in the bottles. thank you
I am a teacher and I am using this with my students. Thanks so much for you Leon!
I made some of these with the five gallon buckets. I put some bibb lettuce in the first ones. My gosh after two weeks I've got the biggest beautiful lettuce you've ever seen. I now have planted cucumbers and cabbage, I'm also going to plant peppers and tomatoes in some, can't wait to see how they do. Thanks Leon I'll keep you informed.
I am so happy to meet you. You sound like my grandfather who I loved dearly. You have a novice gardener and a true fan. Thank You
Arms family Homestead told me to check out your channel 👍
God love ya Mr Leon. Thank you so much for the help.
Great idea and good instructions. Keeping plastic out of the ocean - AWESOME! Thanks, I really appreciate all the info about what fertilizer to use and how much!:)
Thanks, Leon. Very clear directions. Wonderful thing teaching ppl to reuse & grow!
This is fantastic, thank you, Leon. You've made it clear and easy to do.
I just watched some of Leon's newer videos on this topic. But I like this one for bringing it back to the basics (including the diagram on the bucket to explain the concept). Thanks from Yukon, Canada!
Having met Leon I can tell you he is the real deal. He spent about half an hour explaining how this works. I am anxious to try it. But no joke he is for real and loves making people gardeners and he loves scholarships. I honestly think he puts all his money back into the scholarships and promotions to help other people make things grow for fun and food. Thank you sir for helping me get started and for all you do for us gardener hopefuls. May God bless your unselfish work.
Great information Leon! I just found you... where have you been my whole gardening life....Save the Environment and garden with reused plastic and aluminum waste....Very Intelligent Guy.
Tammy W I agree!
Leo, you are an amazing ingenious individual. Thanks!
Glad you thinking of recycling our plastics, thank you Leon for the suggestions. Let’s recycle ♻️ our plastics people! Saying this with love for our earth 🌍🌏🌎
Daniel sent me over. Thanks for the garden tips. Have a Great Day
Looking forward to trying this with our flower tubs at Lake Guntersville State Park! We enjoyed meeting you and thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
Leon, thank you. You're such a Blessing, I wont have to carry water out, we are saving the world from awful plastics & growing some of our own food in an economical way! Ive been putting off growing tomatoes but going to give it a try now for sure.
This is absolutely riveting, im using this method to grow my next cannabis crop
They work like magic i tell yah thank you Leon you ole legend
Works great. Just be cautious of nutes. Can easily over do it with this system. Highly recomend a good flush more often then usual.
Great videos love watching new info to learn thank you so much for taken time to share Leon
I can say I tried this and am very happy to say it works
I just harvested my first lettuces and a zucchini from my wicking buckets! Thank you for this brilliant idea. My soil is horrible so until I can fix it, this is the way to go! My cukes have flowers as of yesterday.
Loved your information on this, we are going to try it.. Thanks
Amazing! I smile every time. Keep it up.
Thank you sir! I really appreciate your time. Amazing recycling skills.
Love your show Leon!
What a great idea. The concept is terrific. The process is simple. And it is obviously back by resolute power of experience, that a reasonable person can understand. And the result, for me, is another way we can do good by Mother Nature.👍
5 gallon buckets are FREE at your local bakery. Just call and ask them to save a few for you. You will just need to clean out the icing. Plus they are food grade.
Yes and you can get them at donut shops as well plus there’s a great American cookie company in our mall that I’ve gotten several
Great tip--thanks!
I love your instruction videos, saving for later. Thank you!
You are a genius sir! Thanks a lot for sharing your valuable knowledge
Love this idea. Thanks for sharing
Awesome video! Very helpful!
Leon, you've inspired me to give gardening a try again. I think it would be great if you added your recipe for fertilizers in your comment section so guys like me won't forget.👍
Great info. Just wanted to add if you have a Lowes store nearby they sell a 20 gallon muck bucket for $7.98 they are about the same size as the mineral tubs and work great, they even have the bonus of having 2 rope handles if you have to move them. Thanks Leon for sharing your knowledge with us
countryboy31B are they food grade?
Colleen Pritchett I’m not sure. I’d think they’re safe since they’re intended for horses but if you search muck bucket on their website you’ll see them
countryboy31B thank you
@@colleenpritchett6914 If anyone has ever planted a vegetable plant in an outdoor container/planter, none of those are food grade.
where did you find that price for a 20 gal. muck bucket?
Love your info. Thank you for sharing
I LOVE that you care about the whales. :)
Escape From NY me too! 💚
Thank you for sharing your experience and ideas. I’m hoping to get out your way for a visit to your place
Thank you for showing us an economically friendly way to make these
Thanks for the information Mr. Leon. It was good talking to you over the phone.
Aw he cares about the whales. That was so cute ❤️
Thank you so much. You have given me the courage to do this.
These are working FANTASTIC for me.
I love you Leon! Thank you!
Ur AWESOME Mr. Leon New subbie here! Thank u so much for ur information. I'm a new gardner who knows nothing...yet! This looks doable. Thnx again! :-)
Thanks for sharing with North Carolina
Hi Mr.Leon well surely enjoyed your video and your some sweet person to be doing this enjoy all and thanks for sharing your time and great gardening info now my suckers I plant them as sune as I cut them and for extra tubs if you have washer or dryers I use the inside tubs for the gardening or flowers beds great you can also cut to your advantage also take care thanks once again have a great summer
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing this great tip.
Thank you Leon, for clarifying the hole position for me! Candace Faith
Thank you from middle east.
I wish that I had a Leon.🥰
Thank you Mr. Leon, I have about 8 buckets with this system!!
Fantastic, thanks for this video. I'm going to try this!
Internet Shaquille sent me here. Amazing content.
You are awesome. Thank you for sharing.
of all of his videos, this remains my favorite
FYI: I love the ingenuity of these tubs, but please remember that Mycelium creates compounds that dissolve aluminum rather efficiently, so, if you use a mycorrhizal inoculant for your roots, it may attack your cans. If you use a fungal root stimulant that includes Trichoderma , you should use plastic. (tin cans would will last longer than aluminum)
Really glad I just saw this. Was about to make one of these buckets with aluminum cans in the bottom and use the earthbox probiotic method with various mycorrhizal inoculants. Thank you for sharing.
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰Thank you, Leon & May God Bless You😊
Thanks for sharing this with me
i am really enjoying you videos! i am going to make a 5 gallon self wisking bucket next weekend!
I love your use of cans, I never thought of that!
When I make 5 gallon bucket into a wicking pot, I trim the lip off a 3 gallon icing bucket,invert it, cut slots in the bottom and use that as the reservoir.
For 55 gallon and IBC totes I use inverted 5 gallon buckets.
I find cutting slots rather eliminates the need to use weed cloth.
I don't care to use anything as thin walled as water and pop bottles, I find then too weak.
If I can figure a quick/easy way to put a slot into a glass bottle, they will be come my favorite, as they are plentiful and totally inert.
I've tried a form of in the ground wicking by burying a 5 gallon wicking bucket under a transplanted tree.
The idea is to give the tree an artificial reservoir to tap, while also allowing it to seek ground water.
Too soon to report results.
How goes the tree?
Thank you from Florida
Thank you! I can find all of these items easily.
That's very clever! Thanks!
Thanks again!!!! Just amazing!!!
Awesome information. Thank you
Hi cutie! been watching videos like this all morning cuz Im not planting in my drought stricken NM yard this year. Lots of the videos have a big tub with a plant in a pot sitting in them, and the tub gets filled with water, like 3". Ive always heard that plants shouldnt be sitting in water for a long time, it saturates the soil completely. Your bucket ideas are a better way to do this! Glad someone is paying attention! My only trouble is I dont drink sodas or buy water in bottles! BUT I can find tons of Bud Lite cans on the sides of the road everywhere I go, haha. thanks and take care
Thank you sir, I have a plenty of bottles to do this. Just need to go to Tractor Supply to get a couple of 5 gallon buckets.
Damn if this ain't THE smartest thing I've seen in a LONG time
Ur r dumb.
great video, thank you Leon. But I don't understand how the water gets into the bottom of the bucket.
Water from the top until it begins to come out the hole on the side of the bucket.
Thank you for sharing! Perfect timing, I already had the five gallon buckets when I saw your video. I'm doing some of these for my dad, for he cannot garden like he use to. This way he can still have fresh tomatoes close to hand and not have to water three times a day. BTW grocery stores that have a bakery have food grade( five gallon and 2.5 gallon buckets) you can usually get for free. We've got ours that way for many years, we mainly used them to collect produce in and water plants from. Have a great day!
Wonderful conservation method as well as a wildlife saver. I recently saw a video of sea turtles who had been strangled by the plastic the cans and bottles come in.
Thanks for sharing. I'm in SC now, when lived in TX, MUCH MORE choices since all livestock ranches. There is a Tractor Supply about 30 miles away. I TRY to make order online, then pick up at store-muck buckets, stock tanks etc. Plus there is NO dirt, only sand! Composting is a MUST, unless you want to go broke buying dirt at Lowe's.😊🌴🌴🐋🐋🌺
I'm going to try this!-thanks!
Awesomeness!!🤗🤗
I never got to meet either of my grandpas, so I’m adopting him as my papa!
Thank you very much Sir, and God bless you
Awesome video
Yo Leon you the man my bro 😎
Another option to replace the tubs is 55 gallon drums cut in half
Clint Rider - That's what he said in another video. I'm still trying to figure out how the water gets into the containers.
@@annwithaplan9766 HAHA! Me too!
You rock!
Hey Leon. This is uncle Rico, Dutch's uncle, going to make some buckets next week. I will come visit next month when I visit Dutch
Great video