4 years later you still got people learning from your videos, I just started a bucket garden early April and it's coming along well! Can't wait to incorporate this amazing hack myself! Thanks for the awesome video
I so appreciate the fact that you are kind enough to show folks like myself how to start gardening on a small scale with no land to plant in. I have a patio and I’ve got buckets so I’m ready to roll!
That potting mix is soooo important just remember that. You'll want to get some peat. Somthing like black Kow compost and a potting soil of your choice. Mix it 1:1:1 and get some perlite and mix it up. Heck just look up video of making your own potting mix.
my only issue with this is the amount of (non-food-grade) plastic you'll have up against your roots, with the intense sun and temp changes breaking down into micro-plastics for toxic trace-element uptake..
Genius!! I was collecting wine bottles from friends and neighbors to fill with water and invert, to avoid having to water everyday. But this..Total game changer and so simple!! Thank You!!
Hi Daniel and Arms Family. My wife and I have a farm in the Philippines and everyone there has Moringa (Malungay in Philippines) trees. The leaves are used in soups and also fed to pigs. It is nutrient and protein rich. I put Moringa powder in my bullet proof coffee as well as juices and smoothies. Super good for you. You will probably have to transplant it as they are a tree and will outgrow the bucket fairly quickly. God Bless. ~Mike and Ester~
May God bless people like you who learn things and immediately want to inspire and pass on the wisdom. Some folks just need the nudging to try it for themselves.......May blessings come back to you that you cannot contain as you keep sharing your wisdom and love of planting....... :)
I use 2inch pvc pipe with lots of drain holes on the bottom of the pipe that sits on the bottom of the tub with an elbow and pvc pipe coming up to the top of the dirt. Works GREAT!!
Great tips for growing in the city with no land. I'm growing 7 tomatoe plants in five gallon buckets. Just because i don't want a garden just a dozen buckets for a few things i want and tomatoes are the best off the vine. Five beefsteak and three cherrie tomatoes will do for me. Thanks Daniel!
I will say , a few years back ,about 6 years to be exact....I did my first self wicking buckets....it was my most abundant harvest ever....less insect issues and definitely less mold mildew and fungus issues....that I normally have to fight and deal with, because of state I'm in and area I have to plant...(ie, in a hollow between mountains). Sun is very limited here....this was 2015-16...I am still using stuff I caned from that harvest(wicking buckets)...I normally, even though having a full tilled garden, had to buy vegetables from my local farmer market to get enough for canning. Not so with these buckets.!!amazing just amazing.!!
I have a 10th of an acre and I put a tarp down and wooden pots (8) and placed chicken wire around them because my community is over run with cats. It actually looks pretty. It's the best food ever and I feel good about using what God gives me. Great video!
Hi, Arms Family! i just "discovered"your You Tube videos. Thank you So much! i love watching them, learning things to pass on to my grown kids (human). i homesteaded many years ago and miss the life. thank you, ALL of you, for inviting me in. Sincerely, Lori J. Maine/Wisconsin/Tennessee
I can't understand for the life of me how Dutch got to 100K before you? Your video was so inspiring this morning! Thank you for keeping it real! Stay safe!
Daniel I've been watching Leon's Channel,his knowledge always blows me away on gardening. I like the five gallon method that you're using, it works good for me.
Daniel Leon would be happy knowing your passing his self wicking tubs idea along with your viewer's he's doing the same on his channel too! I think that is a brilliant design and see that making it possible for a lot of people to garden right where they are... whether an apartment or a small home with very little ground it's possible for anyone to do that.
Such a good idea! I'm going to have to try this since all my gardening is mostly large containers. In the hot dry windy climate of Albuquerque, you need to water every day, and you do loose a lot of the water out the bottoms. Say thanks to Leon for good idea. Hope he's feeling better.
This is a great help for those in wheelchairs who can't get into the garden. My husband loves his "garden" on our driveway . Last year was tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, onions, and strawberries. Maybe this will decrease our water bill this year. Wal-Mart also carries these timers.
The self wicking planters are brilliant. I've put together a few for myself and a few for friends as well. But here's the kicker. We all know the impact that plastic has on the environment right? Well hats off to you all who re-use plastic in these planters. This world is drowning in the over production of plastic so this is just another way to help concur this global issue. Cheers to all who take this problem seriously and to those who strive to make a difference. 👍
I grew a lot of veggies in sub-irrigating solid plastic buckets similar to these that you show here. Had some good years with them and some not-so-good years. In a solid plastic bucket in full sun, the soil temperatures can get quite high, and even with air space in the bottom, the plants can get quite root-bound. I ended up switching to porous grow bags in sub-irrigating tubs with great success. The plants really thrive when the soil gets more air and is able to sink off much of the heat from the sun. I was glad to see this video, and I encourage further development with variations in sub-irrigating containers. These will allow people to grow food ANYWHERE there is full sun, such as apartment balconies, apartment/office building rooftops, etc.
Between watching you and Leon, I've decided to try changing my entire container garden to self wicking buckets this year. I already have everything I need in the basement and garden to make the change this year so it won't cost me a cent for materials, I just need to buy some good fertilizer. Thanks for doing what you do both with the videos & the OSP!
@@randyman8984 I DID! My harvest these past two years was the most bountiful I've had in over 20 years of container gardening. I used the time off in the spring of 2020 due to the shut downs to get a dozen self wicking buckets set up. I made some more self wicking buckets in the spring of 2021 after seeing the harvest from the first 12. I still use some drained containers for things like potatoes and a tower style planter similar to the two Daniel has on his patio for lettuces and herbs. The self wicking tubs I use for peppers, tomatoes, squash, eggplant. All do better than they ever did in the traditional drained pots. I eat a lot of peppers... Every day at bare minimum there is at least a pepper in my omelet, and most days I eat peppers at every meal. I used to get just enough peppers for my own use. This year, I have trouble keeping up with the pepper harvest. We have been begging friends and family to take some... We have given away several pounds and still have been freezing and canning a bunch in addition to the large amount I consume on a daily basis. The only crop I've tried that I don't have very good luck with is butternut squash. They grow like crazy, have plenty of flowers but the female flowers have trouble successfully getting pollinated. I hand pollinate and they still don't take and the little baby squash on the female flower just shrivels up and falls off. I got 4 BN squash in the 2020 season and just 1 in the 2021 season. I won't waste space with them next year.
hand watering is a meditation in itself:) it can be a hassle for huge garden areas...but for home gardeners it is the best stress reliever:) lot of good tips...thank you:)
I've been growing in kitty litter buckets ( the kind they're bought in) & 5gal buckets for years and this year trash cans and 20 gal tote. It always surprises me that more folks don't do this.
I saw people use burlap sacks in Africa with multiple holes. They grew enough food to feed their family with extra to sell. This was where there was no grass. All dry.
Our property is full of Walnut trees. We HAVE to grow veggies in a high tunnel and in tubs so the plants don't die. These videos are essential to my situation.
For people asking why in a tub & not in the ground, I can answer one of reasons is that the area that gets the most sun on my property is the driveway. We've had vegetable plants growing in regular pots on our driveway for years. We have a lot of big trees on the property that shade the property at different times of day. With the driveway, there are no trees and no shade, so we've always put big pots of vegetables on the driveway.
Also, you can raise tubs so your back gets less strain...I put totes on old lawn chairs...work well. Paint them up in pretty colors before you plant...beautiful!!
My dogfood comes in a fabric nearly the same as the landscape fabric and I save the bags and use them. They work great for this and all kinds of gardening uses. Of course my dog uses a large bag of food being a St. Bernard, but ask your neighbors, they may have bags they don't want, and they are useful, even for cutting up and sewing into produce bags!
For folks that can't squat or bend over for very long a keyhole garden is fantastic! They are 3ft tall and 6ft across. We used cinder blocks then put matching rectangular paving stones to close off the wall top. Google keyhole garden for details on layering and planting. Counter top height is great on your back.
Hey Daniel! We love this method and your mentor Leon. So much knowledge! I want to share an idea I am considering. We love to plant so many different varieties of each thing but it makes saving seeds difficult because of cross pollination. The solution I think is to plant your seed saving plants in buckets placed elsewhere. I think I will place them in flower beds, on the deck, well you get it. Another great video. 👍
I love the idea of using containers like and with 5 gallon buckets anyone can do it. We went down and met Leon last year. He is very gracious and like you say, full of knowledge. He stressed that having an airspace was important. I was just observing that if you put the PVC through the top of the coffee can it appears to me that you can lose that air space because the coffee can will fill completely. Although it should drain quickly from the hole on the side of the bucket. Maybe I am overthinking it. Great video.
I did my first self wicking tub last week. Planted some Swiss Chard seeds I was excited they are already coming up. Thank you and Leon for the information on these tubs.
Thank you for this demonstration. You do good. I had large 4'x4' bottomless boxes built because I only have dust and sandstone here. A guy from some foreign city in Delaware was available. I'm grateful. Instead of 4'x4' I have interesting geometric shapes.But they hold soil. Don't even ponder the soaker hoses.
Love the 5 gallon pail idea. I have already started them and they are doing great in my greenhouse. I am also going to plant cucumbers in some also. Great video. Thank you.
Thank u for taking the time to share these bucket and tub container gardens. Leon is also a great place to learn about setting up these bucket planters for sure. Hi to the family hope all of u have a great day.
Perfect timing for me! I'm starting "porch gardens" for the older and lower economic folks in my county. I was using the 5 gallon tubs but didn't know how to do the reservoir. Thanks!
Monica, would you kindly update your post here, on how your "porch garden" project went? Realky excited to hear! Or private message me via FB. Thanks!!
I have to say...iv watched lots of videos about THIS but URZ is THE ABSOLUTE BEST!! LEONS is really good👍 but but yrs is much improved👍👍👍so thankQ🌱🌱🌱🌼🌼🌼🌱🌱🌱
I'm doing this project, which was inspired by your earlier video. I have the 5 gallon buckets so I appreciate this video too. I like what you said, "Just grow something," so that's my goal for this year.
These were first used for pot 😂 known as a “hempy bucket” I used expanded clay and gravel in the bottom up to the level of the drain hole. Then whatever soil medium/fertilizer to the top. You don’t really need the coffee can. You should see explosive growth once the tap root reaches down into the reservoir area
Another thumbs up Daniel I'm how to grow are vegetables your plants your fruit trees whatever you want and tubs and a water drip system is the best in the world with a timer you don't have to have all your time out there doing it just remember like Daniel said don't overthink it it's simple great video Grace educational video thank you Daniel for taking the time to share this with us you're the best be safe out there
Greeting from New Zealand! Wow! Definately the best video I have seen on making self-wicking containers. In most videos it looks terrifyingly complex, not mention expensive, yet as you have just shown, it is really so simple, easy, and affordable to do. Thank for such a fab video 😊
We have many plants in pots and some in tubs that are doing great. But we also just built raised bed gardens. Because what’s in the pots versus in the ground are doing great. Great video many blessing from our channel to yours The Goss Family ❤️🙂
I have the opposite problem in my heat, it’s awful keeping plants in pots I have a hell a time with moisture, either too much or too little things in ground do so much better for me- BUT- FIRE ANTS are a pain in my ass lol and we have the worst clay it’s like cement- so it’s a process to amend all the garden areas vs what I want to grow. This year I’m sinking pots with lots of drainage holes in the ground and the ground will wick away all my excess moisture and keep roots cool (my pots cook in this sun) for tomatoes and peppers. Here’s hoping 🤞 it works fabulous for my plumeria and angel trumpets Or other tropicals Incase i have a cooler winter or a frost streak.
Check out your local donut shops & bakeries (including grocery store bakery) for the buckets. I picked mine up for $2 each. Mine are labelled icing, chocolate filling, bavarian cream, etc. So any place using those should have some.
That is a great video. I to have plenty of land to plant. My problem is, too many ground squirrels and my goats, and free range chickens, eat everything up if they happen get into the garden area. So I have set up several of the buckets in my back yard where nothing can reach them.
we do some square foot gardening, and these buckets (18" diameter) will be ideal for up to 4 plants if you keep them fed. I use a moisture meter to check soil moisture so I don't over water or underwater. I use timers on my irrigation pump which feeds my drip irrigation and soaker hoses, and times on my yard hydrants and outside house faucets.
Leon shows you to mound the top and put plastic over it to keep from getting it rained out. The plastic keeps it moist, like mylch. I plan to use landscape material for mine.
@@sandeshketaki Landscape cloth or fabric is woven black plastic fibers into a single layer of flexible fabric sold in various widths & by the rolls, or by the foot length for small amounts. It lets liquids & water flow through it but blocks plant growth. It is used mostly to block weed growth in gardens, around landscaped plants & flowers. Also, to prevent erosion along sloping soil. And on top of soil in potted plants to keep out cats, dogs, squirrels, etc. I've read that using red colored landscape fabric for growing tomatoes increases yields. Do a search of 'landscape fabrics' for more info & retailers.
Leon's method is ideal for green houses....I put my tubs on movers dollies so I can easily move them around......Leon's fert mix is actually lime, gypsum ,sea mineral,Epsom salt,sustain, master blend or nature's source....FYI...leon normally has everything you need to get started at his garden store and his friendly staff will ship it to you with a smile....happy gardening !!
Hi, Dan. When we lived in Turkey, we lived in an apartment ( four kids, my husband and I) and all we had was a balcony. I was able to use pots to grow, tomatoes and peppers. I used broken Terra Cotta pot pieces in the bottom of the pots to let air flow and to keep the soil from compacting. It worked pretty well but I think this system would have even been better. Thanks for sharing it.
Awesome video. Thank you. Found this size tub at target in children’s linen department for $7.99. Found out Lowe’s and home only carry 4 inch corrugated tubing. Went to plumbing supply store. Last year I was unsuccessful with container gardening. Hopefully this year will be better
Can you do a video on what/how/when to "feed" the plants? In the other video, you said to feed daily? With what? how? THANK YOU for the amazing content! My fave channel!
First, someone may have already suggested this, as a truck driver I will voice to text but I don't get a lot of chance to read all the good comments! Anyway if someone is having trouble cutting the whole in a plastic container that is tight enough to keep dirt from falling into their water well a good feed of kitchen quality caulking or even hot glue around your PVC pipe and against your plastic would just give enough barrier to keep the dirt from falling in. I am loving this idea of the self-wicking pots, I have a lot of plants at home which of course means someone else is doing my watering part of the time. With two different people watering it's easy to have over watering or underwatering going on. Looks to me like if I start transitioning the most sensitive of my plants into self-wicking containers, maybe we can avoid that problem. Second, I had a question on what Leon said about feeding your plants. Commented to the effect of they want fed everyday that you eat. Which makes sense on the one hand but I'm assuming that he's not adding fertilizer everyday I'm assuming he means what he's using is time release, or that you want to make sure the nutrients/fertilizer in the soil aren't depleted at any given time, so to stay on top of your timing on that? Thanks for all the good info you're sharing!
Thank you for the information. I was just thinking about the self watering. I have a nice size backyard but I just prefer growing in containers or raised bed.
I keep 165 gallons of treated water on hand for emergencies in three 55 gallon, blue plastic, food grade drums. A friend in the baking business gets organic molasses delivered in those drums.
Buffalo also use the mineral totes. My husband manages a herd of Buffalo and I get the empty tubs for our family garden. Check with people who have Buffalo as well as Cattle.
Haven't seen this method, but we have done earth buckets. We grew cherry, grape, and heirloom tomatoes and different peppers using miracle gro. Even though they were determinant tomatoes that were supposed to get up to 4-5 feet tall they grew about 10 feet long with about 3 bushels total from 4 tomato plants. We also pruned the suckers.
Awesome video!!! What I like about your channel is your always teaching by sharing info with us and of course occasionally making fun of your stalker 😂😂. Thank you for the time you spend with us. God bless you and be safe
I really like Leon's channel. He add a little liquid fertilizer to his water every time he adds water to his bucket. I don't remember whether it is a teaspoon or a tablespoon of fertilizer but it is not much.
Drill holes in the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket 4 or 5 about 1/4 inch. Put some gravel in the bottom. get a Flo Tool 7 Quart Drain Pan from walmart Put the bucket in the drain pan and your done.
Love your blogs(?) Infomational. Took your advice to check out Leon as well. You are are a bright spot to my day as you have such enthusiuam great outlook on life. I have a pepper plant I purchased 3 springs ago. In a 12 inch pot. I am still getting peppers off of it. It was so hot the year I bought it I brought it in and put in a south facing window. It worked fine just had to remember to give it a quarter turn of the pot at least weekly. Anyhow, I waited for it to die that fall, peppers are listed as annuals right, but it didn't. I kept watering wirh weak miricle grow water and waiting. Pulled fresh peppers off for the Christmas snack tray, then for New ayears and then Easter. By this time I was guessing my plant was time sensing challenged. So figured would see how long it would live. I did add a pinch of epsom salts to the surface of the pot once a month as somewhere I gathered peppers and Tomato plants needed it. Right now have 5 small peppers setting on the plant that just turned 3. Aside from shedding a few leaves, big oldest ones, it seems to be going strong. Hasn't had to contend with 100°F+ summer temps, nor with lack of rain or snow nor the dust storms or the 75mph winds. I wonder if it thinks it is a person? Anyhow thank you for bringing a cheerful attitude and face with humor to my day. I'd say your family is very blessed to have you.
If you are worried about rain water washing out fertilizer and minerals or, if you want to minimize evaporation, just drill a couple of holes for the plant and the pvc pipe in the lid that came with the bucket. Attach it and then stuff a plastic bag around the plant. The PVC pipe should fit snugly enough that water will not penetrate.
Thanks Daniel that might be all I find, sure there are big pots but most have holes. I so am going to do this for sure. Grew container gardens b4 but all had the holes in the bottom.
A good way to make a useful pot. They are similar to "old school" hempy buckets. You are using waste as airspace in these but the other versions fill the bottom up to the hole with perlite. Fairly inexpensive and reusable if you were to till it in or mix it in garden or compost afterwords. Still very nice.
I have 2 maringa trees I eat or tea every day..I'm in south Florida is growing weather for the trees..I'm also drying them out and making powder to sprinkle over food..I'm still learing about them hoeing to improve my health with this plant ..trying to get off meds for blood pressure and Cholesterol
For drain openings that size on that type of plastic it is easier, faster and safer to use a soldering iron. I built some of those “earth boxes or planters for my greenhouse. Great video, thanks!
Leon is a hoot! Thanks for the link to his channel. I found your channel recently and enjoy your content. I'm self-wicking all my containers before planting this year. I will keep it simple!
Awesome we have tons of 5 gal buckets left over from mudding/sheetrock. Clean em up and use them, but we have 10 acre farm, but moved out here last Aug, lots of cleaning up dead trees etc, so need other options. Perfect. Thanks!! God Bless from ND!
I did some of these... figure in Texas its gonna work well cuz our summers are usually brutal. But now we got like a solid week of rain! I found the buckets got water logged fast .... I've had to move them up under a tree to shield them some and move them back when theres some sun. It's a real pain. They are growing great though
I use a digital timer to fill the reservoirs of my self watering containers on my deck. I water once a season to get the wick started and then it is all automatic.
Thank you.. I enjoy your videos... pretty simple for me.. I just wanted to share an easier way I found to put the holes in the buckets - I saw a wood burner used to make the holes in the plastic. For me safer... even with having to plug it in.... Thank you again.. Ruth
The plastic MUST be a food grade plastic or it will leach chemicals into your food. Most containers from the grocery store are safe like the coffee jug used here. Be careful on the 5 gal or farm buckets, not all are safe. Look for the recycle markings on bottom, a 2,4,& 5 are good to go. A 1 or 7 are OK, AVOID 3 and 6. Landscaping fabric must also be safe and if made out of HDPE it is. PS, I use mineral buckets from my animals and mine are food safe.
I chose poorly. My bucket didn't survive the Sun's UV rays for even one season. I created plastic waste and felt horrible about it. Any advice on containers that can be used a long time?
@@samuraioodon Most paint is NOT food grade and thus the bucket should not be used for vegetable gardening. They are ok for flower gardens. Paint has a VEP rating for safety but I know of none that are food grade.
4 years later you still got people learning from your videos, I just started a bucket garden early April and it's coming along well! Can't wait to incorporate this amazing hack myself! Thanks for the awesome video
I so appreciate the fact that you are kind enough to show folks like myself how to start gardening on a small scale with no land to plant in. I have a patio and I’ve got buckets so I’m ready to roll!
Me too!!! Awesomeness and I can't wait to see how it turns out!
That potting mix is soooo important just remember that. You'll want to get some peat. Somthing like black Kow compost and a potting soil of your choice. Mix it 1:1:1 and get some perlite and mix it up. Heck just look up video of making your own potting mix.
Me too🥰
my only issue with this is the amount of (non-food-grade) plastic you'll have up against your roots, with the intense sun and temp changes breaking down into micro-plastics for toxic trace-element uptake..
@@pobedapatsfanyou buy food grade buckets and lowes and home base is that type if plastic.
Genius!! I was collecting wine bottles from friends and neighbors to fill with water and invert, to avoid having to water everyday. But this..Total game changer and so simple!! Thank You!!
Hi Daniel and Arms Family. My wife and I have a farm in the Philippines and everyone there has Moringa (Malungay in Philippines) trees. The leaves are used in soups and also fed to pigs. It is nutrient and protein rich. I put Moringa powder in my bullet proof coffee as well as juices and smoothies. Super good for you. You will probably have to transplant it as they are a tree and will outgrow the bucket fairly quickly. God Bless. ~Mike and Ester~
May God bless people like you who learn things and immediately want to inspire and pass on the wisdom. Some folks just need the nudging to try it for themselves.......May blessings come back to you that you cannot contain as you keep sharing your wisdom and love of planting....... :)
I use 2inch pvc pipe with lots of drain holes on the bottom of the pipe that sits on the bottom of the tub with an elbow and pvc pipe coming up to the top of the dirt. Works GREAT!!
Great tips for growing in the city with no land. I'm growing 7 tomatoe plants in five gallon buckets. Just because i don't want a garden just a dozen buckets for a few things i want and tomatoes are the best off the vine. Five beefsteak and three cherrie tomatoes will do for me. Thanks Daniel!
Daniel what a kind thing you did for Dutch .... he is one happy guy . Your a real Gentleman with a lovely family . Best wishes from me in the UK 🇬🇧
Wonderful how you give Leon the credit.You are a true gentleman!
Actually makes me think that I should be watching Leon’s videos not this guy’s.
I will say , a few years back ,about 6 years to be exact....I did my first self wicking buckets....it was my most abundant harvest ever....less insect issues and definitely less mold mildew and fungus issues....that I normally have to fight and deal with, because of state I'm in and area I have to plant...(ie, in a hollow between mountains).
Sun is very limited here....this was 2015-16...I am still using stuff I caned from that harvest(wicking buckets)...I normally, even though having a full tilled garden, had to buy vegetables from my local farmer market to get enough for canning. Not so with these buckets.!!amazing just amazing.!!
I have a 10th of an acre and I put a tarp down and wooden pots (8) and placed chicken wire around them because my community is over run with cats. It actually looks pretty. It's the best food ever and I feel good about using what God gives me. Great video!
Wow, wooden pots like the cedar or wine barrel type pots?
Hi, Arms Family!
i just "discovered"your You Tube videos. Thank you So much! i love watching them, learning things to pass on to my grown kids (human).
i homesteaded many years ago and miss the life. thank you, ALL of you, for inviting me in. Sincerely,
Lori J. Maine/Wisconsin/Tennessee
I can't understand for the life of me how Dutch got to 100K before you? Your video was so inspiring this morning! Thank you for keeping it real! Stay safe!
@@Mikaiah72 Now I'm hungry...
You really are very considerate of others.Thanks for doing this video for people who dont have the luxury of space!👍
Daniel I've been watching Leon's Channel,his knowledge always blows me away on gardening. I like the five gallon method that you're using, it works good for me.
Daniel Leon would be happy knowing your passing his self wicking tubs idea along with your viewer's he's doing the same on his channel too! I think that is a brilliant design and see that making it possible for a lot of people to garden right where they are... whether an apartment or a small home with very little ground
it's possible for anyone to do that.
Such a good idea! I'm going to have to try this since all my gardening is mostly large containers. In the hot dry windy climate of Albuquerque, you need to water every day, and you do loose a lot of the water out the bottoms. Say thanks to Leon for good idea. Hope he's feeling better.
Honest and honorable of you to give Leon a lot of credits for this watering system! I appreciate the clear and simple way you explained. Thanks.
This is a great help for those in wheelchairs who can't get into the garden. My husband loves his "garden" on our driveway . Last year was tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, onions, and strawberries. Maybe this will decrease our water bill this year. Wal-Mart also carries these timers.
The self wicking planters are brilliant. I've put together a few for myself and a few for friends as well. But here's the kicker. We all know the impact that plastic has on the environment right? Well hats off to you all who re-use plastic in these planters. This world is drowning in the over production of plastic so this is just another way to help concur this global issue. Cheers to all who take this problem seriously and to those who strive to make a difference. 👍
Sweet how you explained everything without saying "look dummy!" Way cool!
I grew a lot of veggies in sub-irrigating solid plastic buckets similar to these that you show here. Had some good years with them and some not-so-good years. In a solid plastic bucket in full sun, the soil temperatures can get quite high, and even with air space in the bottom, the plants can get quite root-bound.
I ended up switching to porous grow bags in sub-irrigating tubs with great success. The plants really thrive when the soil gets more air and is able to sink off much of the heat from the sun.
I was glad to see this video, and I encourage further development with variations in sub-irrigating containers. These will allow people to grow food ANYWHERE there is full sun, such as apartment balconies, apartment/office building rooftops, etc.
Between watching you and Leon, I've decided to try changing my entire container garden to self wicking buckets this year. I already have everything I need in the basement and garden to make the change this year so it won't cost me a cent for materials, I just need to buy some good fertilizer. Thanks for doing what you do both with the videos & the OSP!
did you get good results with your garden in these self wicking containers?
@@randyman8984 I DID! My harvest these past two years was the most bountiful I've had in over 20 years of container gardening. I used the time off in the spring of 2020 due to the shut downs to get a dozen self wicking buckets set up. I made some more self wicking buckets in the spring of 2021 after seeing the harvest from the first 12. I still use some drained containers for things like potatoes and a tower style planter similar to the two Daniel has on his patio for lettuces and herbs. The self wicking tubs I use for peppers, tomatoes, squash, eggplant. All do better than they ever did in the traditional drained pots. I eat a lot of peppers... Every day at bare minimum there is at least a pepper in my omelet, and most days I eat peppers at every meal. I used to get just enough peppers for my own use. This year, I have trouble keeping up with the pepper harvest. We have been begging friends and family to take some... We have given away several pounds and still have been freezing and canning a bunch in addition to the large amount I consume on a daily basis. The only crop I've tried that I don't have very good luck with is butternut squash. They grow like crazy, have plenty of flowers but the female flowers have trouble successfully getting pollinated. I hand pollinate and they still don't take and the little baby squash on the female flower just shrivels up and falls off. I got 4 BN squash in the 2020 season and just 1 in the 2021 season. I won't waste space with them next year.
Just got my buckets, pvc pipe and have saved up my jugs! I’m ready to Rock-n-Roll!! Can’t wait to try this system!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
On the sad day when Leon passes on, I sure hope you pick up his torch and carry on these fine messages of gardening.
Just the simple fact that you filmed with the camera in the correct position (horizontal) makes me trust what you're talking about!
Firehouse Subs sells their 5 gallon buckets for $3 each and the money goes to support your local fire department so that's where we get all of ours.
I bought three. They are pickle bucket. It smells so garlicky. I guess plants won’t mind.
Thanks for the reminder
hand watering is a meditation in itself:) it can be a hassle for huge garden areas...but for home gardeners it is the best stress reliever:)
lot of good tips...thank you:)
I've been growing in kitty litter buckets ( the kind they're bought in) & 5gal buckets for years and this year trash cans and 20 gal tote. It always surprises me that more folks don't do this.
I saw people use burlap sacks in Africa with multiple holes. They grew enough food to feed their family with extra to sell. This was where there was no grass. All dry.
Sounds like a precursor to potato grow bags.
I planted 6 blueberry plants in self wicking tubs and they are my most successful growing plant of all....
Thanks for sharing that. That what I’m gonna put in a big tub.
May I ask what you do with your blueberry plants during the Winter? I have a basement - can the buckets be stored there during Winter?
I've gotta try that for my next blueberry plants!
Our property is full of Walnut trees. We HAVE to grow veggies in a high tunnel and in tubs so the plants don't die. These videos are essential to my situation.
For people asking why in a tub & not in the ground, I can answer one of reasons is that the area that gets the most sun on my property is the driveway. We've had vegetable plants growing in regular pots on our driveway for years. We have a lot of big trees on the property that shade the property at different times of day. With the driveway, there are no trees and no shade, so we've always put big pots of vegetables on the driveway.
My garden needs deer fencing. Rather than buy more fencing I can place containers in the isles and just move them if I need to get to those beds
Also, you can raise tubs so your back gets less strain...I put totes on old lawn chairs...work well. Paint them up in pretty colors before you plant...beautiful!!
Daniel Thank you for your service to the people of Oklahoma. I don't live there but I still appreciate what you do every day.
My dogfood comes in a fabric nearly the same as the landscape fabric and I save the bags and use them. They work great for this and all kinds of gardening uses. Of course my dog uses a large bag of food being a St. Bernard, but ask your neighbors, they may have bags they don't want, and they are useful, even for cutting up and sewing into produce bags!
What brand of dog food is that?
For folks that can't squat or bend over for very long a keyhole garden is fantastic! They are 3ft tall and 6ft across. We used cinder blocks then put matching rectangular paving stones to close off the wall top. Google keyhole garden for details on layering and planting. Counter top height is great on your back.
Hey Daniel! We love this method and your mentor Leon. So much knowledge! I want to share an idea I am considering. We love to plant so many different varieties of each thing but it makes saving seeds difficult because of cross pollination. The solution I think is to plant your seed saving plants in buckets placed elsewhere. I think I will place them in flower beds, on the deck, well you get it. Another great video. 👍
You can also put mesh bags over the flowers
I love the idea of using containers like and with 5 gallon buckets anyone can do it. We went down and met Leon last year. He is very gracious and like you say, full of knowledge. He stressed that having an airspace was important. I was just observing that if you put the PVC through the top of the coffee can it appears to me that you can lose that air space because the coffee can will fill completely. Although it should drain quickly from the hole on the side of the bucket. Maybe I am overthinking it. Great video.
I started doing this last year in some old totes. It worked great!
This Follow Up video with the "Low-Tech" Solution is Phenomenal. Keep Posting!
We used old feed sacks. For the wicking material. Works great! We made ours this past weekend. Thanks for the tutorial...we love your channel.
What kind of feed sacks?
Great video. You're right, people are hungry for this information and it is liberating to learn how to feed yourself. Thank you!!!!
I did my first self wicking tub last week. Planted some Swiss Chard seeds I was excited they are already coming up. Thank you and Leon for the information on these tubs.
Thank you for this demonstration. You do good.
I had large 4'x4' bottomless boxes built because I only have dust and sandstone here. A guy from some foreign city in Delaware was available. I'm grateful. Instead of 4'x4' I have interesting geometric shapes.But they hold soil. Don't even ponder the soaker hoses.
Love the 5 gallon pail idea. I have already started them and they are doing great in my greenhouse. I am also going to plant cucumbers in some also. Great video. Thank you.
Thank u for taking the time to share these bucket and tub container gardens. Leon is also a great place to learn about setting up these bucket planters for sure. Hi to the family hope all of u have a great day.
Perfect timing for me! I'm starting "porch gardens" for the older and lower economic folks in my county. I was using the 5 gallon tubs but didn't know how to do the reservoir. Thanks!
Monica, would you kindly update your post here, on how your "porch garden" project went? Realky excited to hear! Or private message me via FB. Thanks!!
I have to say...iv watched lots of videos about THIS but URZ is THE ABSOLUTE BEST!! LEONS is really good👍 but but yrs is much improved👍👍👍so thankQ🌱🌱🌱🌼🌼🌼🌱🌱🌱
I'm doing this project, which was inspired by your earlier video. I have the 5 gallon buckets so I appreciate this video too. I like what you said, "Just grow something," so that's my goal for this year.
A
Leon is adorable. Thanks for introducing us to him.
These were first used for pot 😂 known as a “hempy bucket” I used expanded clay and gravel in the bottom up to the level of the drain hole. Then whatever soil medium/fertilizer to the top.
You don’t really need the coffee can. You should see explosive growth once the tap root reaches down into the reservoir area
Why not? Where's your video? I want to hear more. This is better than Leo's idea with all those bottles etc. I'm going to try this this year.
Another thumbs up Daniel I'm how to grow are vegetables your plants your fruit trees whatever you want and tubs and a water drip system is the best in the world with a timer you don't have to have all your time out there doing it just remember like Daniel said don't overthink it it's simple great video Grace educational video thank you Daniel for taking the time to share this with us you're the best be safe out there
Greeting from New Zealand! Wow! Definately the best video I have seen on making self-wicking containers. In most videos it looks terrifyingly complex, not mention expensive, yet as you have just shown, it is really so simple, easy, and affordable to do. Thank for such a fab video 😊
This is best so far. Most of the DIY's I've seen requires a lot of effort and materials. Thanks for this idea.
We have many plants in pots and some in tubs that are doing great. But we also just built raised bed gardens. Because what’s in the pots versus in the ground are doing great. Great video many blessing from our channel to yours The Goss Family ❤️🙂
I have the opposite problem in my heat, it’s awful keeping plants in pots I have a hell a time with moisture, either too much or too little things in ground do so much better for me- BUT- FIRE ANTS are a pain in my ass lol and we have the worst clay it’s like cement- so it’s a process to amend all the garden areas vs what I want to grow. This year I’m sinking pots with lots of drainage holes in the ground and the ground will wick away all my excess moisture and keep roots cool (my pots cook in this sun) for tomatoes and peppers. Here’s hoping 🤞 it works fabulous for my plumeria and angel trumpets Or other tropicals Incase i have a cooler winter or a frost streak.
Check out your local donut shops & bakeries (including grocery store bakery) for the buckets. I picked mine up for $2 each. Mine are labelled icing, chocolate filling, bavarian cream, etc. So any place using those should have some.
Asian food restaurants are a good source also. Most get all of their sauces in
5gal buckets.
That is a great video. I to have plenty of land to plant. My problem is, too many ground squirrels and my goats, and free range chickens, eat everything up if they happen get into the garden area. So I have set up several of the buckets in my back yard where nothing can reach them.
❤❤❤❤❤!!! Every time I watch it becomes clearer. Thanks!!!
You are making it easy to garden! No excuses! Thanks! Be safe! 💕
we do some square foot gardening, and these buckets (18" diameter) will be ideal for up to 4 plants if you keep them fed. I use a moisture meter to check soil moisture so I don't over water or underwater. I use timers on my irrigation pump which feeds my drip irrigation and soaker hoses, and times on my yard hydrants and outside house faucets.
Leon shows you to mound the top and put plastic over it to keep from getting it rained out. The plastic keeps it moist, like mylch. I plan to use landscape material for mine.
What is Landscape fabric?
@@sandeshketaki Landscape cloth or fabric is woven black plastic fibers into a single layer of flexible fabric sold in various widths & by the rolls, or by the foot length for small amounts. It lets liquids & water flow through it but blocks plant growth. It is used mostly to block weed growth in gardens, around landscaped plants & flowers. Also, to prevent erosion along sloping soil. And on top of soil in potted plants to keep out cats, dogs, squirrels, etc.
I've read that using red colored landscape fabric for growing tomatoes increases yields.
Do a search of 'landscape fabrics' for more info & retailers.
@@carolynchadwick7867 Thank you very much.
Leon's method is ideal for green houses....I put my tubs on movers dollies so I can easily move them around......Leon's fert mix is actually lime, gypsum ,sea mineral,Epsom salt,sustain, master blend or nature's source....FYI...leon normally has everything you need to get started at his garden store and his friendly staff will ship it to you with a smile....happy gardening !!
Hi, Dan. When we lived in Turkey, we lived in an apartment ( four kids, my husband and I) and all we had was a balcony. I was able to use pots to grow, tomatoes and peppers. I used broken Terra Cotta pot pieces in the bottom of the pots to let air flow and to keep the soil from compacting. It worked pretty well but I think this system would have even been better. Thanks for sharing it.
Awesome video. Thank you. Found this size tub at target in children’s linen department for $7.99. Found out Lowe’s and home only carry 4 inch corrugated tubing. Went to plumbing supply store. Last year I was unsuccessful with container gardening. Hopefully this year will be better
Can you do a video on what/how/when to "feed" the plants? In the other video, you said to feed daily? With what? how? THANK YOU for the amazing content! My fave channel!
I love this family! May Jesus keep you close. God has blessed you all
I've been using moringa for 4 months now, and feeling great and sleeping great, make a tea with it every night with a teaspoon of powder.
It’s a gorgeous tree too you just have to keep hacking it back or it’ll go crazy and be 40 ft tall lol
You and the old timer Leon are true legends Daniel!!! the wicking tubs are the greatest
Thank you Daniel. My tub garden is growing. God bless you.
First, someone may have already suggested this, as a truck driver I will voice to text but I don't get a lot of chance to read all the good comments! Anyway if someone is having trouble cutting the whole in a plastic container that is tight enough to keep dirt from falling into their water well a good feed of kitchen quality caulking or even hot glue around your PVC pipe and against your plastic would just give enough barrier to keep the dirt from falling in.
I am loving this idea of the self-wicking pots, I have a lot of plants at home which of course means someone else is doing my watering part of the time. With two different people watering it's easy to have over watering or underwatering going on. Looks to me like if I start transitioning the most sensitive of my plants into self-wicking containers, maybe we can avoid that problem.
Second, I had a question on what Leon said about feeding your plants. Commented to the effect of they want fed everyday that you eat. Which makes sense on the one hand but I'm assuming that he's not adding fertilizer everyday I'm assuming he means what he's using is time release, or that you want to make sure the nutrients/fertilizer in the soil aren't depleted at any given time, so to stay on top of your timing on that? Thanks for all the good info you're sharing!
Thank you for the information. I was just thinking about the self watering. I have a nice size backyard but I just prefer growing in containers or raised bed.
I keep 165 gallons of treated water on hand for emergencies in three 55 gallon, blue plastic, food grade drums. A friend in the baking business gets organic molasses delivered in those drums.
Buffalo also use the mineral totes. My husband manages a herd of Buffalo and I get the empty tubs for our family garden. Check with people who have Buffalo as well as Cattle.
Haven't seen this method, but we have done earth buckets. We grew cherry, grape, and heirloom tomatoes and different peppers using miracle gro. Even though they were determinant tomatoes that were supposed to get up to 4-5 feet tall they grew about 10 feet long with about 3 bushels total from 4 tomato plants. We also pruned the suckers.
Awesome video!!! What I like about your channel is your always teaching by sharing info with us and of course occasionally making fun of your stalker 😂😂. Thank you for the time you spend with us. God bless you and be safe
I am so glad I have the right tools ...I have a whole box of drill bits like that
Appreciate the videos Daniel. Keep it up and stay safe out on the streets brother.
I really like Leon's channel. He add a little liquid fertilizer to his water every time he adds water to his bucket. I don't remember whether it is a teaspoon or a tablespoon of fertilizer but it is not much.
Good informative video. Thanks Dan. Hope the meet and greet is a huge success for y'all.
Drill holes in the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket 4 or 5 about 1/4 inch.
Put some gravel in the bottom.
get a Flo Tool 7 Quart Drain Pan from walmart
Put the bucket in the drain pan and your done.
Love your blogs(?) Infomational. Took your advice to check out Leon as well. You are are a bright spot to my day as you have such enthusiuam great outlook on life.
I have a pepper plant I purchased 3 springs ago. In a 12 inch pot. I am still getting peppers off of it. It was so hot the year I bought it I brought it in and put in a south facing window. It worked fine just had to remember to give it a quarter turn of the pot at least weekly. Anyhow, I waited for it to die that fall, peppers are listed as annuals right, but it didn't. I kept watering wirh weak miricle grow water and waiting. Pulled fresh peppers off for the Christmas snack tray, then for New ayears and then Easter. By this time I was guessing my plant was time sensing challenged. So figured would see how long it would live. I did add a pinch of epsom salts to the surface of the pot once a month as somewhere I gathered peppers and Tomato plants needed it. Right now have 5 small peppers setting on the plant that just turned 3. Aside from shedding a few leaves, big oldest ones, it seems to be going strong. Hasn't had to contend with 100°F+ summer temps, nor with lack of rain or snow nor the dust storms or the 75mph winds. I wonder if it thinks it is a person?
Anyhow thank you for bringing a cheerful attitude and face with humor to my day. I'd say your family is very blessed to have you.
Came back a year later to watch this again and try this out on our deck this summer. Lots of Alaska sun coming soon.
Camped at Sulphur all my life, dear to my heart!
If you are worried about rain water washing out fertilizer and minerals or, if you want to minimize evaporation, just drill a couple of holes for the plant and the pvc pipe in the lid that came with the bucket. Attach it and then stuff a plastic bag around the plant. The PVC pipe should fit snugly enough that water will not penetrate.
Thanks Daniel that might be all I find, sure there are big pots but most have holes. I so am going to do this for sure. Grew container gardens b4 but all had the holes in the bottom.
A good way to make a useful pot. They are similar to "old school" hempy buckets. You are using waste as airspace in these but the other versions fill the bottom up to the hole with perlite. Fairly inexpensive and reusable if you were to till it in or mix it in garden or compost afterwords. Still very nice.
I have 2 maringa trees I eat or tea every day..I'm in south Florida is growing weather for the trees..I'm also drying them out and making powder to sprinkle over food..I'm still learing about them hoeing to improve my health with this plant ..trying to get off meds for blood pressure and Cholesterol
For drain openings that size on that type of plastic it is easier, faster and safer to use a soldering iron. I built some of those “earth boxes or planters for my greenhouse. Great video, thanks!
What size are the drain holes in the bucket and coffee can?
Well I'll be! I never new you could get a timer for water.. Cool thanks
Thanks for such a concise, clear video! I'm doing this with my free frosting buckets tomorrow! Thanks so much!!!!
Leon is a hoot! Thanks for the link to his channel. I found your channel recently and enjoy your content. I'm self-wicking all my containers before planting this year. I will keep it simple!
You can timers a your local hardware store. I did and works great saves me time. I use it with soaking hose strung through the garden.
Awesome we have tons of 5 gal buckets left over from mudding/sheetrock. Clean em up and use them, but we have 10 acre farm, but moved out here last Aug, lots of cleaning up dead trees etc, so need other options. Perfect. Thanks!! God Bless from ND!
Shasha ND buy pots made out proper plastic, those buckets will leech chemicals when exposed to sunlight
Great.. I just germinated red pepper seeds in paper towel and I got a 5 gal bucket...yup... time to plant some peppers!!!
How did it work out for you?
Great information on this DIY project. Always like ideas on working smarter not harder.
I did some of these... figure in Texas its gonna work well cuz our summers are usually brutal. But now we got like a solid week of rain! I found the buckets got water logged fast .... I've had to move them up under a tree to shield them some and move them back when theres some sun. It's a real pain. They are growing great though
I use a digital timer to fill the reservoirs of my self watering containers on my deck. I water once a season to get the wick started and then it is all automatic.
Thank you.. I enjoy your videos... pretty simple for me.. I just wanted to share an easier way I found to put the holes in the buckets - I saw a wood burner used to make the holes in the plastic. For me safer... even with having to plug it in.... Thank you again.. Ruth
The plastic MUST be a food grade plastic or it will leach chemicals into your food. Most containers from the grocery store are safe like the coffee jug used here. Be careful on the 5 gal or farm buckets, not all are safe. Look for the recycle markings on bottom, a 2,4,& 5 are good to go. A 1 or 7 are OK, AVOID 3 and 6. Landscaping fabric must also be safe and if made out of HDPE it is. PS, I use mineral buckets from my animals and mine are food safe.
Great info thank you!!
I chose poorly. My bucket didn't survive the Sun's UV rays for even one season. I created plastic waste and felt horrible about it. Any advice on containers that can be used a long time?
What if there was paint inside? I see recycle symbol and#2 under bucket as well
@@samuraioodon Most paint is NOT food grade and thus the bucket should not be used for vegetable gardening. They are ok for flower gardens. Paint has a VEP rating for safety but I know of none that are food grade.
@@DR-zj4od thank you for confirming
Thank you so much. Moved from the mountains to the beach and miss fresh vegetables. Going to try this this summer.