Hi Gardener Scott, love your channel. You are the Bob Ross of gardening. Your gardening education is peaceful, clear and understandable, and your garden is beautiful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! 👍🙂
It is great to see GreenStalk has come out with this kit. I do love to hand water, but when I'm out of town I rely on my drip system. I've been using drip for years and this kit includes the best type of valve, elbow and tee fittings I've found. I asked you about using drip with the GreenStalk last year and it seemed an obvious application. My approach is to have things setup so I can either cycle the drip or water by hand throughout my garden. This will be a perfect way to bring my towers in line with the rest of the beds. Thanks for reviewing this!
OMG! I cannot believe they now have a cap for the top to keep out debris that can clog the holes! I had placed meshed fruit protector bags on top! This cap looks so finished! I was jumping with joy about the watering system, but I have the spinners then you came up with the perfect solution options! Good job Greenstalk! I love it! Thank you Gardener Scott!👍🏿
I don't have any GreenStalk towers but I am setting a drip irrigation system with a 4 value timer. I completed zone 1 yesterday and need to work on the other zones before going on vacation for 2 weeks. 😀
We added our 2 Greenstalks to the same drip irrigation we use for our other older planters on the deck. With the spinner bases all we have to do is lift the drip hose, spin the Greenstalk and set the hose back in the top; nothing to unclip/clip. I would like to get the covers for mine to keep debris out. That would be handy.
It's a nice idea to try and automate the watering but I use the spinner base and turn my GreenStalks that are on my porch not only for sun exposure but also when I'm checking over and harvesting from my plants since I can't walk around them, and this system basically makes them stationary. I suppose this will work if the planters are out in the open and far enough apart you can walk around them easily. Great explanation on how to install the system!
I made sure my hose is long enough to go half way around and spin it one way and then the other way. I need to do this because I have a house at the shore and go back and fort and need to make sure my plants get watered. I find it works quite well
I've been using a few watering systems for over 10 years now. I can tell you that you should NOT rely on these systems for a complete hands off automatic watering and I never have to do anything scenario. It doesn't work like that. While you can get some systems to be almost hands-off, you will still need to monitor and supplement your watering needs based on weather conditions such as rain, wind, humidity, and sun. Setting a system to provide X amount of water does not take into account all of the variables that are needed because the watering needs are constantly changing based on the weather. Outdoor systems are a lot more forgiving as you have plenty of runoff available for any extra water. The root systems can also reach water deep under ground when the soil up top is dry. Indoor watering is the hardest from my experiences. I rely on an automatic system for indoor plants to supplement what I normally water. It's really there to prevent the plants from drying out when I forget. It helps provide more consistency but is never relied upon as a stand alone hands off system. You will still need to check your plants periodically.
Great timing @GardenerScott ! I am literally sitting here with all my parts for the automatic watering system trying to figure out how to make it work for me!
Gardner Scott. Been a fan for a long while. Always watch your vids. I live in W. NC and my climate is much different, but the basics still apply. This is my first year with 4 GreenStalks. I need to move them out more into the sun. Not wanting to have to drag a hose out into the yard has held me back. The ability to set up an auto system like this will be transformative to optoimize my set up. Thanks again! I'm headed over to their website to get my order placed to water my 4 GreenStalks.
Looks like a nice option, if you don't want to rotate the towers each day to give sun evenly. Would have been nice to have a pole that the tube attaches to, then you could spin the green stalks without a bunch of work. Maybe they will invent something like that in the future.
I would love to get one (or more) of these GreenStalk, but unfortunately I do not live in the US 😞. So I need to wait until I can get it in Europe, and I hope this will be soon. Nevertheless what I've seen so far, they are great and I haven't seen anything similar here.
The design of the GreenStalk provides pretty consistent watering through the central reservoir system. The automatic watering system achieves the same results as filling the top reservoir with a hose.
i have an apartment with no outdoor spigot or hose, so I guess it does not make sense to buy the stalks and auto-watering system. As you put it, it would take a long time to water all those compartments.
So my question is this... Is GreenStalk really a good option for someone besides an apartment dweller or a very casual patio gardener? I look at the cost and the low soil volume (probably why watering twice a day is needed!) and I have to think that continuing in-ground or setting up some raised beds is just a better option in nearly all cases if those are realistic options.
I think it depends on a number of factors including what style/method of gardening YOU prefer, time & space availability, budget, environment & climate factors as well as your gardening goals. I have a number of containers, raised beds and one Greenstalk (new this year). Some of my containers are rather small and definitely require daily and even twice daily watering on the hottest days so if I need to do the same with the Greenstalk, I’m okay with that. Watering my garden is very relaxing to me. Not everyone enjoys hand watering or has the time needed. Bottom line, you have to decide if a Greenstalk is a good match for you or if another gardening method would be better.
It really doesn’t take that long to water them because of the top water reservoir. I only have to water the individual compartments when I’m sprouting seeds, and after that the roots are growing toward the center and do fine. Having said that, I’m in an area of high humidity and I only water every few days. I use them for things I don’t want to get dirty from soil splashing in the rain - greens mostly. My mom has one for her Christmas cactus. They’re spectacular! But she gardens year round and I can’t. They’re also nice for not having to bend over so much, especially with the spinner to rotate the whole thing.
I really like the diversity, especially if one of my other methods fails for some reason, and having some of my greens and herbs closer to the house than my other beds and containers which is what I grow the most in my two greenstalks. Plus I can disassemble and reassemble my greenstalks in my little greenhouse to extend the growing season quite easily.
I am skeptical of these plastic containers - the main reason is that they ARE SO DARNED EXPENSIVE. I set up what has been called on YT a rain gutter bucket watering system, and that worked well, was automatic and very inexpensive. All it took was a float valve to keep the water level in the plastic rain gutter topped off, and as water evaporated or was taken up by roots the valve would let in more water. It was not as pretty as what you have on your porch here, but I also never had to stoop down to pick stuff off a lower lever either! ;-) The next thing they will come up with is an expensive motorized turntable to keep all your plants getting direct sun for at least part of the day. By the way ... what happens to those towers if you have a really windy day?
I'm mostly in concurrence here. I do think the GreenStalk may have good use cases for some people, but I have plenty of ground to grow in and I use a cheap composter/raised bed combo system made from net wire and landscape fabric. Taken together, I have a hard time imagining spending a hectobuck or two on one of these systems. I doubt these are likely to blow over in most situations, though. Filled with soil and well-watered they should be quite heavy. (The barley in my garden just lodged, though, from recent stormy weather. /"sad panda")
@@justgivemethetruth I can be obtuse, I suppose. A hectobuck is the metric equivalent of a benjamin, in currency terms. "Lodged" is a common term from the agriculture biz referring to the act of falling over, in crops.
@@bobbun9630 Oh yeah, I got it. Hectare is a 100 ares, ( an are is 100 square meters ) or 10,000 square meters. Hecto means 100. Lodged was new to me, but I got it.
I have two green stalk towers on my deck since last spring. We’ve had some pretty strong winds, enough to break some fairly large branches out of my large tree in the backyard. These green stalk towers are very sturdy and fairly heavy with all the soil in them. I’ve never even seen them sway in the wind. They are not the cheapest option, but I have knee problems and so they are great since I don’t have to do much kneeling or bending to plant or water.
@@GardenerScott thanks for the update. That is what I expected. Only one suggestion for other gardeners .. you might want the tallest towers closest to the hose .
You can also make the hose long enough so that you can spin it halfway around clockwise and then spin it halfway around counterclockwise and by doing that you can get to the entire planter.
I use the automatic system with a swivel base. You can just make sure that the hose is long enough so that you can spin it around at least halfway. So I spin it halfway clockwise and then halfway counterclockwise and I basically I’m able to get to all of the plants with the hose attached.
I'm working to figure out the ideal time for the water to be on to avoid that problem. Instead of one long water application, I'm finding that shorter watering a couple times a day lessens that bottom overflow.
Any update on a fix for this? I just got the system and having the same issue. Filling my yard with water out the bottom but not filling the reservoir any more than half way, so its barely getting to the bottom tier
Hi Gardener Scott, love your channel. You are the Bob Ross of gardening. Your gardening education is peaceful, clear and understandable, and your garden is beautiful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! 👍🙂
It is great to see GreenStalk has come out with this kit. I do love to hand water, but when I'm out of town I rely on my drip system. I've been using drip for years and this kit includes the best type of valve, elbow and tee fittings I've found. I asked you about using drip with the GreenStalk last year and it seemed an obvious application. My approach is to have things setup so I can either cycle the drip or water by hand throughout my garden. This will be a perfect way to bring my towers in line with the rest of the beds. Thanks for reviewing this!
Wow. GreenStalk is coming out with some pretty neat things! Innovate or be left behind! Thank You for showing us how this works.
We joined the GreenStalk fun yesterday. So easy to water. The idea of an automated system for it just takes that convenience up another notch.
OMG! I cannot believe they now have a cap for the top to keep out debris that can clog the holes! I had placed meshed fruit protector bags on top! This cap looks so finished! I was jumping with joy about the watering system, but I have the spinners then you came up with the perfect solution options! Good job Greenstalk! I love it! Thank you Gardener Scott!👍🏿
My 3 Greenstalks are in addition to raised beds. I love them and just ordered a couple for my adult grandchildren.
I don't have any GreenStalk towers but I am setting a drip irrigation system with a 4 value timer. I completed zone 1 yesterday and need to work on the other zones before going on vacation for 2 weeks. 😀
Nice job Gardner Scott. I am a big fan of automation where possible. I have 3 raised beds and have soaker hoses set on a timer to water automatically.
Just bought our first GreenStalk and splurged for the auto watering system. So far, so good!
We added our 2 Greenstalks to the same drip irrigation we use for our other older planters on the deck. With the spinner bases all we have to do is lift the drip hose, spin the Greenstalk and set the hose back in the top; nothing to unclip/clip.
I would like to get the covers for mine to keep debris out. That would be handy.
It's a nice idea to try and automate the watering but I use the spinner base and turn my GreenStalks that are on my porch not only for sun exposure but also when I'm checking over and harvesting from my plants since I can't walk around them, and this system basically makes them stationary. I suppose this will work if the planters are out in the open and far enough apart you can walk around them easily. Great explanation on how to install the system!
My thoughts exactly!
I made sure my hose is long enough to go half way around and spin it one way and then the other way. I need to do this because I have a house at the shore and go back and fort and need to make sure my plants get watered. I find it works quite well
I've been using a few watering systems for over 10 years now. I can tell you that you should NOT rely on these systems for a complete hands off automatic watering and I never have to do anything scenario. It doesn't work like that. While you can get some systems to be almost hands-off, you will still need to monitor and supplement your watering needs based on weather conditions such as rain, wind, humidity, and sun. Setting a system to provide X amount of water does not take into account all of the variables that are needed because the watering needs are constantly changing based on the weather.
Outdoor systems are a lot more forgiving as you have plenty of runoff available for any extra water. The root systems can also reach water deep under ground when the soil up top is dry.
Indoor watering is the hardest from my experiences. I rely on an automatic system for indoor plants to supplement what I normally water. It's really there to prevent the plants from drying out when I forget. It helps provide more consistency but is never relied upon as a stand alone hands off system. You will still need to check your plants periodically.
Great timing @GardenerScott ! I am literally sitting here with all my parts for the automatic watering system trying to figure out how to make it work for me!
Thanks. You explain all the things clearly. Enjoy your planting season.
That is the bomb! How cool and nice to make watering so much easier. TFS 🌱👍
Hi Scott how are you doing today iam doing fine today thank you for sharing stay safe 🎉🎉😂
Gardner Scott. Been a fan for a long while. Always watch your vids. I live in W. NC and my climate is much different, but the basics still apply. This is my first year with 4 GreenStalks. I need to move them out more into the sun. Not wanting to have to drag a hose out into the yard has held me back. The ability to set up an auto system like this will be transformative to optoimize my set up. Thanks again! I'm headed over to their website to get my order placed to water my 4 GreenStalks.
Got mine at pre-sale. Haven't set up yet though.
Those extra elbows had me flummoxed 😅
Looks like a nice option, if you don't want to rotate the towers each day to give sun evenly. Would have been nice to have a pole that the tube attaches to, then you could spin the green stalks without a bunch of work. Maybe they will invent something like that in the future.
I would love to get one (or more) of these GreenStalk, but unfortunately I do not live in the US 😞. So I need to wait until I can get it in Europe, and I hope this will be soon. Nevertheless what I've seen so far, they are great and I haven't seen anything similar here.
Cool!
Blessings, julie
would love to know if all of the pockets get watered when hooked up with automatic watering system. Thanks for the video!
The design of the GreenStalk provides pretty consistent watering through the central reservoir system. The automatic watering system achieves the same results as filling the top reservoir with a hose.
i have an apartment with no outdoor spigot or hose, so I guess it does not make sense to buy the stalks and auto-watering system. As you put it, it would take a long time to water all those compartments.
Easy job
So my question is this... Is GreenStalk really a good option for someone besides an apartment dweller or a very casual patio gardener? I look at the cost and the low soil volume (probably why watering twice a day is needed!) and I have to think that continuing in-ground or setting up some raised beds is just a better option in nearly all cases if those are realistic options.
For anyone who does container gardening it can be a good option.
I love my green stalk because it keeps my strawberries and lettuce off the ground.
I think it depends on a number of factors including what style/method of gardening YOU prefer, time & space availability, budget, environment & climate factors as well as your gardening goals.
I have a number of containers, raised beds and one Greenstalk (new this year). Some of my containers are rather small and definitely require daily and even twice daily watering on the hottest days so if I need to do the same with the Greenstalk, I’m okay with that. Watering my garden is very relaxing to me.
Not everyone enjoys hand watering or has the time needed. Bottom line, you have to decide if a Greenstalk is a good match for you or if another gardening method would be better.
It really doesn’t take that long to water them because of the top water reservoir. I only have to water the individual compartments when I’m sprouting seeds, and after that the roots are growing toward the center and do fine. Having said that, I’m in an area of high humidity and I only water every few days. I use them for things I don’t want to get dirty from soil splashing in the rain - greens mostly. My mom has one for her Christmas cactus. They’re spectacular! But she gardens year round and I can’t. They’re also nice for not having to bend over so much, especially with the spinner to rotate the whole thing.
I really like the diversity, especially if one of my other methods fails for some reason, and having some of my greens and herbs closer to the house than my other beds and containers which is what I grow the most in my two greenstalks. Plus I can disassemble and reassemble my greenstalks in my little greenhouse to extend the growing season quite easily.
I am skeptical of these plastic containers - the main reason is that they ARE SO DARNED EXPENSIVE.
I set up what has been called on YT a rain gutter bucket watering system, and that worked well, was automatic and very inexpensive.
All it took was a float valve to keep the water level in the plastic rain gutter topped off, and as water evaporated or was taken up by roots the valve would let in more water. It was not as pretty as what you have on your porch here, but I also never had to stoop down to pick stuff off a lower lever either! ;-)
The next thing they will come up with is an expensive motorized turntable to keep all your plants getting direct sun for at least part of the day.
By the way ... what happens to those towers if you have a really windy day?
I'm mostly in concurrence here. I do think the GreenStalk may have good use cases for some people, but I have plenty of ground to grow in and I use a cheap composter/raised bed combo system made from net wire and landscape fabric. Taken together, I have a hard time imagining spending a hectobuck or two on one of these systems.
I doubt these are likely to blow over in most situations, though. Filled with soil and well-watered they should be quite heavy. (The barley in my garden just lodged, though, from recent stormy weather. /"sad panda")
@@bobbun9630
Cool, two terms I've never run across before, hectobuck and lodged.
@@justgivemethetruth I can be obtuse, I suppose. A hectobuck is the metric equivalent of a benjamin, in currency terms. "Lodged" is a common term from the agriculture biz referring to the act of falling over, in crops.
@@bobbun9630
Oh yeah, I got it. Hectare is a 100 ares, ( an are is 100 square meters ) or 10,000 square meters. Hecto means 100. Lodged was new to me, but I got it.
I have two green stalk towers on my deck since last spring. We’ve had some pretty strong winds, enough to break some fairly large branches out of my large tree in the backyard. These green stalk towers are very sturdy and fairly heavy with all the soil in them. I’ve never even seen them sway in the wind. They are not the cheapest option, but I have knee problems and so they are great since I don’t have to do much kneeling or bending to plant or water.
How are you compensating for the additional water needed by the taller tower?
I'm adjusting the rate of water flow. It does take some tweaking.
@@GardenerScott thanks for the update. That is what I expected. Only one suggestion for other gardeners .. you might want the tallest towers closest to the hose .
Hi Gardener Scott!
How would I order the inventor's bundle?
I don't see that option when I use your link to their website.
Try again. You should see the original and the Leaf and the bundle as options.
Thanks!
Found it 😊
How to do spin it to get equal sun exposure with the auto waterer on them?
You remove the water line, spin it, and reattach it.
You can also make the hose long enough so that you can spin it halfway around clockwise and then spin it halfway around counterclockwise and by doing that you can get to the entire planter.
So it looks like you can’t rotate the greenstalks with the tubes all in place!
So you bought 3 watering systems or 1?
I have one system with a waterer for each GreenStalk.
What do you like to plant in your green stalks?
I like salad crops and herbs, but they can be used to grow just about anything that can be grown in other containers like buckets or pots.
So the automatic waterer stops you from using the swivel base option? Hmmm
I know right!
I use the automatic system with a swivel base. You can just make sure that the hose is long enough so that you can spin it around at least halfway. So I spin it halfway clockwise and then halfway counterclockwise and I basically I’m able to get to all of the plants with the hose attached.
In theory it seems to work…but not efficiently. Water is draining out of the bottom hose before the top layers have been moistened. Any suggestions?
I'm working to figure out the ideal time for the water to be on to avoid that problem. Instead of one long water application, I'm finding that shorter watering a couple times a day lessens that bottom overflow.
Any update on a fix for this? I just got the system and having the same issue. Filling my yard with water out the bottom but not filling the reservoir any more than half way, so its barely getting to the bottom tier
Great product for one year. And then it will collapse after the first winter and a lot of plastic pieces will be in your garden.
I've had mine outside for three years with temperatures of -18F and 75mph winds with no collapse and no breakage.
Too much plastic.., use terracotta😊