Hello everyone! I'm looking to start growing food with my kids using 5 Gallon buckets. Any suggestions on ways you have done it and any incite on factors like watering , sun exposure, seasons, etc.
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Apr 26, 2020
· Edited: Nov 7, 2020Growing food in Hillsborough & Pasco & Pinellas & Polk & Hernando FL with 5 Gallon Buckets
Growing food in Hillsborough & Pasco & Pinellas & Polk & Hernando FL with 5 Gallon Buckets
Self-watering or buckets with water reservoir made with 5-gallon buckets like these worked really well for me:
https://www.joeshealthymeals.com/5-gallon-self-watering-planter/
http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/make-self-watering-planter-with-5-gallon-bucket/
And , you can use the same concept, but make modifications to meet your needs.
This design allows you to fill the reservoir on the bottom to a set level. The drain holes will let the excess water out while the water in the reservoir lets the plants draw from it as they need. When you water, you fill the reservoir through the PVC tube instead of over the top. I use the cover for the bucket by drilling a hole large enough to allow, say, a fruit tree stem to fit and cut a slit from the hole to the edge of the cover to allow you to split the cover to get the plant to the center of the hole. The cover will keep moisture from evaporating quickly from the surface and to keep weeds off. Or, you can simply mulch over the soil surface with straw and so on. This works if you are planting a group of plants. The plastic cover works for single plant like small fruit trees.
Before you do anything, like buying plants, seeds, or pots and soil, do a sun exposure study at the locations you plan to grow the garden. Preferably over the seasons if you are in a zone where it varies significantly. I'm in southern California, so we are nearly sunny all the time. At the planned garden location(s), you will at the beginning of the day, identify where the shadows or shades would be caused by nearby trees or buildings. Do a check about every 3 hours and mark the changes until sunset. This will tell the story of the location relating to sun exposure. If it never gets and shade, then it is a location considered to be full sun. If it gets shades or indirect light, then it is a location considered to be partial sun. If it gets zero direct sun, then it is a shaded location.
Based on that, you can match the type of plants you intend to grow. Full sun plants get to be installed at a full sun portion of the property. Depending where you are, this sun exposure map may change over the season since during fall and winter, the sun tends to be lower on the horizon versus spring and summer.
You can use this site to locate your growing zone using your ZIP code:
https://morningchores.com/planting-zones/
It also has suggestions on what to grow and when to grow based on your zone.
There are a lot of information, and we can go on and on and on. :-)
Give these a try and let me know how it goes. I like to hear your progress. We can continue the discussion as you go along. This is how we learn from each other. I don't know everything. I learn something in the garden everyday. Nature is a great teacher. LOL
I started to do beekeeping to help pollinate the garden recently. So, that is another learning adventure. I think Bear needs to start his own beekeeping adverture too. :-)
Thank you sooo much! That was the kind of incite I was looking for to plan and get organized. That is a lot to digest, so I better get on it.
I'm gonna ask my kids what fruit or veggie plant they want to start with and ask you some specific questions about growing those plants.
I can't recall Bear talking about doing his own Bee colony. He needs to get on that and school us on bee keeping..lol
My oldest is allergic to bug bites, so I need to work on her fear of bees before I start laying out buckets of plants that will have bees buzzing around.
@fitandfierce Make sure u know which plants require bees to do the pollinating before planting if u need to be careful of accidental bee stings. Remember, some plants are pollinated with the wind others with bees.
@Doug Buker Thanks Doug that's a great idea! I am going to add that to my criteria list.
You will like it. The fruits you grow tastes much better than store bought, because store bought fruits and vegetables are harvested before they are ripened for shipping and distribution purposes. If you ever taste pineapples from your own yard after picking them when they are ripe from the vine, you will never buy another pineapple. LOL
Yes, in one of his video posts a few weeks back, he mentioned that many people have told him to keep bees. He said he need to look into it. :-)
Let me know how it goes or whether I can assist further.
Best.
Pineapple growing in 5-gallon self-watering bucket planter. This one is got the flower bud in the center ready to fruit. :-)
Let the pineapple ripen on the plant before harvesting. You'll know when it's ready, because it smells really sweet when you sniff it. You will never want to buy another pineapple from the market again.
Amazing!!
Raised bed work really good, all of this is from scrap wood or pallets.
Yes, raised beds are great, especially if you have bad soil or ground condition below.
I stacked cinder blocks two high for some beds in my backyard. Most of land around the property are covered in concrete slab, so most my plants are in pots and buckets and raised beds.
Pineapple plants on the right in pots. You see a few self-watering buckets in the background.
If there is a will, there is a solution. LOL
@JChangOC looks awesome good ideas!!!
Here is one ripening on the vine from previous year.
Beautiful, way to go. Inspiring