What did you do in the garden today?

[gtaus]

I've been eating tomatoes grown in those totes and it doesn't taste like plastic.
My tomatoes are drinking a little more than a gallon of water a day, so I have been filling it with 4 gallons of water every 3 days.

Tomatoes are heavy drinkers. Have you ever made a watering system using float valves and a large reservoir bucket?

I keep trying to put an automatic watering system together that uses float valves and a 55 gallon water barrel. It would be great to have a setup up where I just filled the 55-gallon rain barrel maybe only once or twice a month but keeps all my containers properly watered.

 

[CNJ]

Tomatoes are heavy drinkers. Have you ever made a watering system using float valves and a large reservoir bucket?

I keep trying to put an automatic watering system together that uses float valves and a 55 gallon water barrel. It would be great to have a setup up where I just filled the 55-gallon rain barrel maybe only once or twice a month but keeps all my containers properly watered.

I have two such set ups, but I am using a 5-gallon reservoir and a 5 gal for the float valve. They are easy to make, I just bought a 55-gal rubber made reservoir that I will be using indoors with my 4 x 2 and 4 x 4 rated grow lights that I just ordered. I will be using three 27gallon tote for my Kratky set up.

The stacked 5-gallon buckets in this picture feeds three 20-gallon pots, so I never water these pots from the top, but I have to fill the 5-gallon bucket reservoir up daily.

 

[karenerwin]

Nothing in the garden way too cold for that. Last night we had a water pipe break in our yard. Had to call the water department around 12:30am to come shut the water off.

That is all ice on the ground from the water break. I’m not even sure how it got over there. The leak I saw was up by the foundation of our house.

Unfortunately we haven’t been able to get a hold of a plumber yet and we are getting ice starting around midnight tonight . Not sure how much of the chicken yard will have to be dug up. From what I can tell all the repairs will be on our dime because the leak is between the meter and the house. Also not sure when the ground will thaw out enough to allow for any digging. I have been filling gallon jugs at friends houses and stock piling them to hopefully get through the next day or so. Also the school just announced an AMI day ( snow day but the kids have to do their work on computers from home). So all 3 grandkids will be home all day.

 

[Cammo77]

I'm waiting for the temperature to drop and then go out and give it a good water. Good rain coming at the end of the week but it needs a drink now.

 

[jerryse]

Ice storm today. Already bust your butt slick. Staying in today no need to fall. Rain all week so no sunshine.

 

[Molpet]

I've been eating tomatoes grown in those totes and it doesn't taste like plastic.

It's not the taste I was thinking about. It's the long term endocrine disruption.

 

[Sammster]

It's been a few years but I have done some winter sowing.

Thinking about starting some perennials with this method this year. I have some sweet williams, coreopsis, foxglove, hollyhocks and echinacea seeds. Also have some cleome which are not perennial. All of these are seeds I've saved and did well last time I grew them by winter sowing.

Have you used this method before?

No. This will be a first for me. I've been watching videos on the method. Thought I'd try some marigolds, sunflowers and cabbage. I can't direct sow sunflowers because of our chipmunks.
I'm all ears, if you have any suggestions

 

[jerryse]

I ordered another native wildflower seeds. I will soon winter sow some wildflowers. I fall sowed Hollyhock and echinacea.

 

[gtaus]

Last night we had a water pipe break in our yard. Had to call the water department around 12:30am to come shut the water off.

That's too bad. Water pipes breaking out in the yard can be a mess. And, unfortunately, an expensive mess. Hope it does not cost you too much to get it fixed.

 

[gtaus]

I have two such set ups [water reservoir with float valves], but I am using a 5-gallon reservoir and a 5 gal for the float valve. They are easy to make,

In theory, I understand the concept of having a large 55-gallon rain barrel feed a control bucket with a float valve, and that feeds a number of containers down the line. If all the containers were on a level plain, I think it would be easy.

But I'm trying to figure out how to automatically water containers on a 3-tier shelf like system where the containers are not all level because of the 3-tiers. Maybe I need a control box on each tier?

In any case, it sure seems like a better option to refill one large reservoir each day, week, etc... as needed instead of having to water 20 individual containers every day.