Most “self-watering” planters you see at stores are really only self wicking. You still need to manually add water to the each plant container. With my system we have been adding water to one water container, a 5 gallon bucket. With my plants growing larger and the weather heating up the plants are using more water each day. They are up to five gallons of water a day right now. This video shows how to convert from using a 5 gallon bucket to a garden hose or a 275 gallon ICB tote to water your container garden 100% hands free.
– LDS Prepper PREMIUM Plant Micro-Nutrient Mix: https://youtu.be/GsTjsPkfuEk
https://LDSPrepperStore.com
– LDS Prepper Premium Plant Micro Nutrients
– Mittleider Gardening Course Book
– Heirloom Garden Seeds
– Berkey Water Filters
– Off-Grid Portable Solar Generator
39 Comments
Looks good. You're lucky to be able to plant so early. I'd recommend a lead-safe garden hose, though.
thanks for the update, your plants look great
Not very often.
Thank you. You are welcome.
Try saying that title ten times fast!
That much growth, that many, obviously healthy, growing plants on only 5 gallons of water a day in April in the Houston area is flat-out amazing to these old eyes! Was wondering when/how you would tie it all into your rainwater collection system and, once again, you have exceeded my expectations. GREAT low-cost design and thank you once again for sharing all of this with the rest of us! Truly off-grid and ready for the next thundershower to help sustain plant life and life itself.
Love your vids on this stuff. I couldn't help but notice your air conditioning drip on that side of the house. Have you ever thought of trying to recover that condensation? it looks like it comes out pretty low… or maybe you have it in a past vid… I'm kinda new to your channel.
Very nice setup. Judging by the overall health and appearance of the plants, its definitely working.
Your Plants look GREAT! I'm finishing up with my system hopefully tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. I think the key is the soil mix. Mix one cup powdered garden lime or dolomite or agricultural limestone with one cup organic fertilizer to 70% peat moss and 30% pearlite mix water until wet but not soggy. The plants thrive in it.
Thank you. That means a lot to me coming from you. I love your videos. Thank for sharing and commenting.
Awesome, a new project! I have stood and looked at it but haven't worked on it. I was wondering what I was going to do with my time now that everything is planted.
Thank you. I'm pretty excited too. All I need is one inch of rain to fall on my roof and I get 1,600 gallons of water into my water cubes. I love it. And so do my plants.
I tried. I couldn't. đ
For 2-3 weeks the water didn't move. Then all of the sudden the plants got big and it got hot. So I was filling the 5 gallon bucket every day this week.
Nice!
Very nice!
awesome , they are drinking well , Many people don't realize how much a plant can take up ..
just one large tomato can take up 2 – 2-1/2 gallons a day especially in hot conditions
You sure got it RIGHT! The results prove it. đ
Everything looks great but.. You're putting all that water on the line with that float valve. If it gets hung up or malfunctions you could leak out that whole container or a good portion of it. The other side of the coin is a pump on a timer. Could run off a battery with a solar charger or something. You'd need an anti siphon vent but I like that better. Default on that is off and in a way yours is always on. There are float switches also. That will turn things off and on by the water level.
Thanks for your comment. I would hate to have a problem and drain the whole water cube.
I think we do our best as gardeners to water plants but I really think we have no idea how much and how often to water. That is why I like the self-watering method. Less work for me and the plants get all the water they want.
it's a great system you have,, and simple.
and if you go out of town you don't have to worry.
Thank you for the recommendation. I watched several videos. It seems like a lot could go wrong and that it is a lot of work. But as my wife said about my off-grid, self-watering system, "It's just another way to garden." I think what is most important is that we do garden.
2:15
is it just me, or does the float bucket look like mold is growing in there…??
Not mold. It is algae. To prevent algae growth paint or cover the bucket so the sun light doesn't get in. I'm letting it grow to see how it affects the plants, if at all.
Thats a kick butt rig right there. Very Nice Setup.
Looking good.
Can you put fish in the rain container?
Thanks for watching. Hopefully we all learn and then when we have the opportunity to apply the knowledge we do. Sounds like you already have some great skills.
Awesome setup. Couple of questions: 1. What do you have planted in the blue barrel? 2. Could you do a setup where the overflow water is captured, and then transferred back to the beginning and reused? 3. Where do you live by the way? Great ideas and use of space.
1. Potatoes 2. I haven't thought of doing that. 3. Houston.
Sure, you can put anything in them. I have seen complete aquaponic systems built using these totes.
Thanks for your videos. Humble suggestion: Numbering them in the title would make them easier to follow.
Did you have to reinforce your totes? Upper tote filled will be apx 2300lbs. Only info I could find is that you could safely stack 4 empty totes.
I did not use nor need any additional reinforcement.
Thanks for the link to the float. I was looking for something mechanical like that. I have a question though. Would this system also work if the water level is high enough to soak the lower half inch or so of the soil, instead of putting in that net cup with soil in it as a wick? One could then drill holes to the side of the inner bucket for air. Or is it crucial to have only a small part of the soil in the water. I consider building some large horizontal self watering boxes and look for ideas.
I notice that the tubing is different in size compared to the earlier video. Can you direct me a new video to install the smaller diameter tubing. Orignal video shows installing a 1/2" watering tube.
hello, I have followed you for a while and am converting to the Mittleider Method… do you fell this is compatible with that system using the weekly feed and start up feed….. I am in a situation where it would make life much easier for me to have matters and peppers in these and did not have to worry about them when I am not in town…. I will have them on a self-watering timer but would set this zone to only turn on every few days….