my vegetable garden 2015

[davefrommd]

have an automatic rain watering system using a 275 gallon storage tank for my garden, have 5 seperate zones each zone has a mini float to turn on and off the rain water automatically. i also grow vegetable plants in the ground but the plants in the 5 gallon buckets seem to grow faster.

 

[davefrommd]

here is the mini float, it comes in 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch, i am using 1/2 inch.

 

[Claire]

So this is pretty cool, actually. Can't say I love the look of the orange buckets, but I can see where they'd be super effective as growing vessels. Did you score those for free or very cheap?

I'm still in the process of arranging my container garden. I would love to rig up a watering system as well, for ease more than anything. My garden is easily half (or more) the size of yours, so right now I'm not desperate, but seeing other people's ideas always gets my wheels turning.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[davefrommd]

My first flush rain water diverter. i installed a first flush rain water divert-er system, when it first rains contaminates are first diverted away, as a plastic ball inside the 4" pvc pipe raises to the top as the water fills up the pvc pipe it seals causing the rain water to go directly into the 275 gallon storage tank which goes to the garden. this system resets after each rain fall. my garden has 5 separate zones. each zone waters the plants with natural rain water automatically. zone one has 11 vegetable plants, zone 2 has 9 vegetable plants, zone 3 has 9 vegetable plants, zone 4 has 9 vegetable plants, and zone 5 has 9 vegetable plants all watered automatically with natural rain water.

 

[davefrommd]

So this is pretty cool, actually. Can't say I love the look of the orange buckets, but I can see where they'd be super effective as growing vessels. Did you score those for free or very cheap?

I'm still in the process of arranging my container garden. I would love to rig up a watering system as well, for ease more than anything. My garden is easily half (or more) the size of yours, so right now I'm not desperate, but seeing other people's ideas always gets my wheels turning.

Thanks for sharing!

here is an oatey brand rain water dirverter that works good. i don't like the white vinyl hose that comes with it, it is to stiff, you can find something better. it does collect rainwater good.

 

[claudine]

Wow, your garden looks very professional, Davefrommd, I like it! I bet you get lots and lots of delicious vegetables All your plants are so big and healthy! You're doing a great job

 

[Pat]

I like your set-up and you have given me an idea. I am late setting up my garden because the space has been over grown with a volunter tree that needs to be removed, it has cut off all the sun light for the space I use to garden. I have a space on the fence that gets good light that I can use a few containers to grow the few plants I want to grow. I hope I can get them done by the weekend now that I know what to do. Thanks for sharing.

 

[davefrommd]

i am having blossom end rott on some of the tomatoes, i thought i added enough lime but i guess i didn't, i added more, i thing growing in 5 gallon buckets the plants take out more of the nutrients faster then in the ground. the larger tomato plants almost looking like small trees i used alaska fish fertalizer in the liquid and dry form. 2 cap fulls per 2 gallons of the liquid fertalizer and a small hand shovel scoop of the dry alaska fertalizer mixed into the potting mix with lime and epsom salt. potting mix 3 cubic feet peat moss with 6 bags of manure/compost.

 

[IcyBC]

I like also like your set up and the orange buckets with the plants look amazing! I can see they like those buckets.

 

[Trellum]

My dad did the exact same thing with chillies and tomatoes, he used those plastic buckets for his plants because we didn't have the best soil. No idea where he got the seeds from actually, he always had such a green thumb (my step dad).

 

[Cassie K]

Cool!