Preparing a container for gardening is what we are doing today as requested by a subscriber. We had been following a number of channels who were doing container gardening and 2 years ago came up with a plan we wanted to try. We have been very pleased with the produce we have grown. As with any gardening there are plants that do very well and others not so well.
Steps to prepare your container for planting –
1. Drill a hole on the one end of the container up from the bottom about 1″ less than the size corrugated piping you will be using. The hole should be up 3″ if you are using 4″ piping or up 5″ if you are using 6″ piping. This will create an air space above the water and will give an overflow for the reservoir. We used a hole saw to make this hole.
2. Fill the bottom of your container with the corrugated piping to prepare a water reservoir.
3. Insert a 1″ PVC pipe in the same end as the overflow hole. The pipe should be cut at an angle at the bottom so water will flow out of it into the reservoir. The length of the pipe needs to come above the top of the container. We like to have it extended quite a bit higher than the container which makes it easier when you add water. You can still easily see when the water begins to flow out of the overflow hole.
4. Cover the piping with a good quality ground fabric. Push the fabric down into the reservoir around the piping so no dirt can get into the piping. Have the fabric come up the sides at the end where the overflow hole and PVC pipe is so the water reservoir does not get clogged up with dirt.
5. Fill your container with potting mix until it’s about 1/4 full. We added some perlite to our potting mix.
6. Sprinkle the following nutrients over the soil – the plant will benefit from this added nutrition when its roots reach this depth.
Nutrients to add:
1/2 c. Sustain
1/4 c. Sea Mineral
1/4 c. Agricultural Limestone
1/8 c. Epsom Salt
7. Finish filling the container with soil.
8. You are ready to plant!
9. Water from the top also until the plant has some growth. After that just keep water in the reservoir. The leaves and stems on the plant stay drier if the plant isn’t watered from the top all the time. That moisture may draw pests and diseases. We rejoice though when we have a good rain and the plants get a good drenching from the top. There’s nothing better than a good rain every once in a while.
10. Fill the reservoir as needed. Once a week we use 1 tsp. per gallon of water of the Nature’s Source Plant Food when we fill the reservoir. After the plant starts to bloom we switch to JR Peters Blossom Booster once a week.
We hope this has been helpful. We do not claim to be an expert in any way. We are still learning and experimenting.
Products from Amazon shown in this video.
Sustane 4-6-4 Fertilizer – https://amzn.to/3Hm5vnu
Agricultural Limestone – https://amzn.to/3HFR66Y
SEA 90 Mineral Fertilizer – https://amzn.to/3HIfgxD
Agricultural Epsom Salt – https://amzn.to/3WPYNf1
Commercial Weed Barrier Landscape Fabric – https://amzn.to/40hM4VB
Trellis Netting for Climbing Plants – https://amzn.to/3RtY8iw
Nature’s Source Plant Food – https://amzn.to/3XLc3D0
JR Peters Blossom Booster – https://amzn.to/3XOnCcN
DeWalt Jig Saw – https://amzn.to/3X4yKRH
Metabo HPT Drill – https://amzn.to/3WXs7k4
Lenox Hole Saw, Bi-Metal, Arbored, 7/8″ – https://amzn.to/3wDnKzQ
Other Products from Amazon we enjoy.
Cuisinart Single Burner for Countertop – https://amzn.to/3WLjsRp
Transport Chair – https://amzn.to/3DiUbqU
Bissell Carpet/Upholstery Cleaner – Pet Pro Plus – https://amzn.to/3iO8htu
Bissell Pet Stain & Odor Antibacterial – https://amzn.to/3iJCXfc
Bissell Pet Pro Oxy Urine Eliminator – https://amzn.to/3w75A9o
Bissell Clean + Refresh with febreze freshness – https://amzn.to/3ZGzcrF
Russell Stover Sugar Free Coconut Candy – https://amzn.to/3XpyRIv
Russell Stover Sugar Free Assortment Variety Pack – https://amzn.to/3whDhF4
Russell Stover Sugar Free Assorted Chocolate Caramels – https://amzn.to/3whWeaP
If you shop through our affiliate amazon link, we will receive a small commission; however, your price remains the same.
The Golden Thought of Inspiration today is –
“Planting does not ensure a harvest. However, not planting guarantees there will be no harvest.”
This time of year we are starting to think about planting our gardens. Will we be able to reap a harvest if we plant? Sometimes there is a harvest and sometimes not.
This is true in other areas of life as well. We hope the things and projects you are investing in will be successful and will be a blessing to you.
#hershbergersmiraclehomestead #containergardening #fertilizers #pottingmix #corrugatedpiping #groundfabric #pvcpipe #jigsaw #heavydutytote #family #labradorretrievers #specialneedsbrother #inspirationalthought #planting #harvest #effort #noharvest #time #work
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
0:11 Supplies for the Container
4:55 Preparing the Container
9:55 Inspirational Thought
3 Comments
Thank you very much for showing the assembly of a self wicking garden container.
Thank you, thank you so much ❤.
Thank you for showing how to garden like this. Someday I hope to container garden and this gives me more ideas.