![]() The second method is to use a cotton wick. The first is a soil wick where the planting medium is compacted tightly into the net-pot and into the lower one-half of the bucket. There are two types of wicks commonly used. Now that the grow bucket is complete, I prepared the wick portion of the bucket. Wrapping the bucket in shade cloth or burlap is also optional, and can protect the plastic from the sun, but be sure to keep the venting/drain holes clear. Lighter colors will be best to reduce heat absorption. ![]() Producer’s note: Before moving to the next stage, this is the time to paint or decorate the bucket and fill tube. However, it does hold the fill tube securely, prevents weed seeds from getting into the growing medium, and helps reduce moisture loss from evaporation. The lid is not necessary to make the grow bucket function. I cut holes like I did for the bottom of the inner bucket-one large hole in the center of the lid and one 1 ¼-inch hole on the side of the lid near the edge. The lid is the next portion of the project. I used a hacksaw to cut a notch into the bottom of the pipe to allow water to freely enter the reservoir bucket. I used a 1 1/4-inch PVC pipe because it is easy to fill with a hose. Now that the bucket portion of the project is complete, I began construction of the fill pipe. These holes can be next to each other or spread around the bottom bucket just below the 3-inch mark. I drilled two or three ¼-inch holes, just below the line to facilitate water overflow and air intake. To determine the height of the drain holes, I measured from the top of the bucket to the bottom of the protruding lip (where the inner bucket will set on top of the outer bucket), in this case the measurement is 3-inches, and made a mark. The outer bucket needed to have some drain holes installed to prevent the planting medium from getting or remaining too wet. Then I installed the net-pot, which simply sits in the hole I drilled in the bucket. On the bottom near the side of the same bucket, I drilled a 1 ¼-inch hole to accommodate the fill tube and drilled a few 1/4-inch holes for drainage in case it rained and soaked the planting medium. In the bottom-center of the inner (top) bucket I drilled the 3 ¼-inch hole for the net-pot. ![]() This size is approximate, and old cotton is best 2 ft x 2 inch strip of cotton towel (optional).Soil amendments (mycorrhizae, worm castings, etc.).The 3-inch is the depth of the basket and not the hole size needed to fit it flush with the bottom of the inner bucket. I ordered the net-pots from Amazon (General Hydroponics 3” net-cup). The net pot I used is a 3 ¼-inch by 3-inch basket used to hold the wicking material. Note – if using other buckets, this size may need to be adjusted two 5-gallon buckets from my local hardware store.I came up with this design of a grow bucket. I needed something I thought might stand up to the unrelenting summer heat of Phoenix, Arizona and produce a nice vegetable harvest. I found the concept powerful and wondered, how can I use this concept in a different way? I consulted the internet and found a few good ideas, but not quite what I wanted. Several years ago, I started my adventure with wicking garden beds.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |