Somthing new compost in a pipe

[Bobberman]

I was thinking that maybe I could put drain pipe in my garden burried 15 inches deep and 20 feet long. I am talking about the pipe for drainage like for a french drain with lots of holes in the pipe for drainage!! I would put a Tee in the middle and a elbo on each end that would be above the ground about a foot!. These pipe are about 8 inches in diameter! I would put compost material and compost tea in on a regular basis! I was going to plant tomatoes on both sides of the pipe and have a 20 foot double row! Should work great and have a underground compost! Any suggestions!

[rainbowgardener]

Ingenious as a way to put compost tea in and have it spread around the root zone of your plants. For putting raw materials in to compost, it doesn't seem like it would be very well ventilated? Compost is organic materials + moisture + OXYGEN. Think of it as a slow way of burning your organic matter....

[toxcrusadr]

Interesting idea. The blueberry growers around these parts use drip irrigation to put not only water but acid right to the roots since the soil isn't acidic enough. Why not use it for compost tea.

You'll want to make sure the pipe is pretty level so if you pour liquids in it they don't all end up at one end.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I too think it's a fun idea, but will it work. I'm thinking your compost and tea will plug up the perforation rather quickly.

It takes 2.59 gallons to fill one foot of 8" pipe. I know you are not filling the pipe, but it will still take a lot of liquid.

I would try a smaller pipe with larger holes. Something that you can fill faster then it leaches out. More even distribution.

Eric

[Bobberman]

I too think it's a fun idea, but will it work. I'm thinking your compost and tea will plug up the perforation rather quickly.

It takes 2.59 gallons to fill one foot of 8" pipe. I know you are not filling the pipe, but it will still take a lot of liquid.

I would try a smaller pipe with larger holes. Something that you can fill faster then it leaches out. More even distribution.

Eric

That may be a good idea with the smaller pipe and bigger holes. My reason for using the bigger pipe is it isa standard pipe and can be bought cheaply in 50 foot sections with ots of holes. My idea is that the bottom of the pipe holes will be blocked some ith materials which will cause the pipe to to fill up and allow it to leech out while the liquid is dispersed from the top and side holes! Also I was thinking of putting some fine sand or gravel or even pine needles at the base of the pipe for drainage so the compos will not be too soggy!! A compost pile makes its own enviroment even under ground that is why things decay when burried! Once the pipe becomes half full the liquid will flow over it and out the holes quickly! Pea gravel or sand or a mixture will work I think & its cheap enough! wood chips may cause a problem! Most things I will grind up before putting into the pipes like a mushy mix! I will start out with water mixed with blood meal to start the mix working!!! I think once this pipe is put in place it will work for years almost like a clean septic system!. The gravel base could be extended under the pipe to cover maybe 3 feet on each side of the pipe to give a bigger area of garden for the leeching area! I am doing it this spring because when it gets dry its hard to feed the plants!

[toxcrusadr]

Curious what type of pipe exactly that you are considering. Around here we have that 4" dia. corrugated black flexible stuff that's used to route water at the bottom of downspouts - is that it? With small holes prepunched. Also, there is a 3 or 4" PVC with much bigger holes (3/8 - 1/2") and more of them. Just wondering what you're thinking of.

[HDNewf]

I think that rainbowgardener has the right idea.

Creating compost is an aerobic activity. That’s why piles need to be turned over to get a consistent product. I till chopped leaves and grass into my planting areas in the fall, and by spring I get much better quality soil. Tilling fluffs up the ground and adds air. Rain, worms and insects help with the rest.

Anaerobic decay will most likely result in sludge. What I’m curious to learn is if you can get nutrients to leach out of this “compostâ€

[DoubleDogFarm]

Welcome to the forum HD.

I till chopped leaves and grass into my planting areas in the fall, and by spring I get much better quality soil. Tilling fluffs up the ground and adds air

This is being discussed in another forum, and some would not agree.


[quote]Anaerobic decay will most likely result in sludge. What I’m curious to learn is if you can get nutrients to leach out of this “compostâ€

[Bobberman]

It might work but the the platic drains are burried a foot down and the barrel would have to be burried also! I think the gravel below the pipes will work to move the tea! I will add things like pine needles egg shells fruit skins. A tea spoon of blood meal once a week will keep it hot! I can run a hose in the middle every few weeks! to move the material! Lots of possibilities I think I will see as I develo0pe the system! Suggestions always welcome! I think the drain pipes are 6 inch dia. not 8inch. I will have to check! Its easy to dig up and move if it does not work right or has to be done over every year!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Bobberman,

Just a quick sketch and I will leave it alone.

I'm thinking your pipe could be ten feet down and it wouldn't matter. If I remember my plumbing correctly, you need a air intake higher then the drain valve.



Fun project. Let use know when you get it up and running.

Eric

[Bobberman]

That is a great idea. you can add some tea anytime inside the barrel and it will drain into the pipe. The shut off is also nice. A wire mesh at the bottom of the barrel or some stones at the bottom would also work! I might just make one of those!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Ok one more.

How about this for a different idea for potatoes. Take a solid pipe and cut holes along the top a foot apart. Fill the pipe with your compost mix and plant a tuber in each opening. Bury the pipe in the ground so the top is even with the surface. Holes up. Bury at a slight slope away from the 55 gallon drum. Add water or tea to the drum and it flows down the line. As the potatoes grow, you hill up the plants and bury the pipe.

You may have to fill the pipe with a media that allows the nutrients to flow through. Potato hydroponics, sort of.

I didn't say it was a great idea!



Eric

[Bobberman]

Ok one more.

How about this for a different idea for potatoes. Take a solid pipe and cut holes along the top a foot apart. Fill the tube with your compost mix and plant a tuber in each opening. Bury the pipe in the ground so the top is even with the surface. Holes up. Bury at a slight slope away from the 55 gallon drum. Add water or tea to the drum and it flows down the line. As the potatoes grow, you hill up the plants and bury the pipe.

You may have to fill the pipe with a media that allows the nutrients to flow through. Potato hydroponics, sort of.

I didn't say it was a great idea!



Eric

+++I think I started a thinking frenze on this forum! Potatoes do not need much fertilizer especially nitrogen! Too much nitrogen and you get nice leaves but no potatoes but compost may work on them! Good idea to hill them on top of the pipes. I remember the local paper took a picture of me in my garden with spegetti squash hanging from my peach tree! I thought I did good having 42 sunflowers on one plant till I looked up the record and it was like 800 on one plant! Anything is possible in your garden!

[gixxerific]

Well here I am first time back in a while and causing problems.

To me this doesn't sound like it would work so well as stated the pipe full of compost will work against you in my mind. Without oxygen and all.

If you are wanting a mechanical way of adding compost tea. My idea is to get an above ground system going, or at lest just under the mulch. Like you would do with a drip emitter system.

Just my idea.

[toxcrusadr]

If this pipe has holes in it, and there are plants growing all around searching out nutrients and water, the roots are going to grow right into the holes and plug them up rapidly. Just like they do with sewer pipes if they can find a way in. Maybe with annual vegetables this wouldn't be too much of a problem, I don't know. If you have trees or shrubs anywhere in shouting distance, they'll be in there too. My grape vines and peach trees send roots 10 ft. or more into my garden, and I don't even want to talk about the silver maple and cottonwood not too much farther away. Just something to watch out for.

[Bobberman]

If this pipe has holes in it, and there are plants growing all around searching out nutrients and water, the roots are going to grow right into the holes and plug them up rapidly. Just like they do with sewer pipes if they can find a way in. Maybe with annual vegetables this wouldn't be too much of a problem, I don't know. If you have trees or shrubs anywhere in shouting distance, they'll be in there too. My grape vines and peach trees send roots 10 ft. or more into my garden, and I don't even want to talk about the silver maple and cottonwood not too much farther away. Just something to watch out for.

++++Very good point! Actually I hope the roots do grow into the pipes because they will get their food there more direct but tomato or veg. roots should not pose a problem as wood a tree root! I have no trees near by! I also plan on redoing the pipes every year if I have too since there is such easy access to them in only a foot of soil! I may even want to move the deeper compost dirt to the surface or use it in the fall for my new plantings in the spring sinc it should be very rich and the pes gravel will actually airate the top soil in the garden! Pea gravel and sand ae excellent admemdments to any garden to break up the soil! I also like to add some wood ashes to my garden from the burn pile!!

[rot]

..
I like the idea of the elevated barrel raised to gravity feed tea at the mulch/surface level a la drip irrigation more better.

Going to the root zone directly strikes me as bypassing the soil and I think in terms of feeding the soil which will then feed the plants.

two cents
..

[DoubleDogFarm]

I like the idea of the elevated barrel raised to gravity feed tea at the mulch/surface level a la drip irrigation more better.

Going to the root zone directly strikes me as bypassing the soil and I think in terms of feeding the soil which will then feed the plants.

Yes, I agree. You may have to filter first, so it doesn't plug the emitters.

These are fun, interesting ideas. My brother and I are constantly sketching and scheming ideas. Never follow through on many. Just mental exercise.

I personally would just incorporate the compost into the soil and use the tea as needed.

Eric

[applestar]

I finally got around to reading this thread. As I was going down the page, I was thinking "But..., BUT!!!" ...then got to the bottom of the first page and saw that Tox had beat me to it!

I also think the roots will greedily grow into and fill all the holes and plug up the pipe. I suspect DDF's potatoes would simply grow inside and fill the tubes. Do you know the "Roto-rooter" jingle?

[DoubleDogFarm]

Now now Applestar, you know new potatoes grow above the seed potato. I would put the seed potato right at the top opening so only the roots are in the nutrient solution.

flush your troubles down the drain, applestar-er

Eric

[Bobberman]

Now now Applestar, you know new potatoes grow above the seed potato. I would put the seed potato right at the top opening so only the roots are in the nutrient solution.

flush your troubles down the drain, applestar-er

Eric

How about the tomato that grows potatoes on its roots. I have not heard much about it for awhile! Growing big tomatoes and big potatoes is not a pipe dream with this new brain storm or is it. We will know after this summer!

[toxcrusadr]

When they invent one that grows roasted garlic mashed potatoes on the bottom and spicy Cajun tomoatoes on the top, I'll totally grow that.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Hey, don't forget the sausage!

Eric

[toxcrusadr]

Methinks that would take very advanced genetic engineering.

[Bobberman]

If this pipe has holes in it, and there are plants growing all around searching out nutrients and water, the roots are going to grow right into the holes and plug them up rapidly. Just like they do with sewer pipes if they can find a way in. Maybe with annual vegetables this wouldn't be too much of a problem, I don't know. If you have trees or shrubs anywhere in shouting distance, they'll be in there too. My grape vines and peach trees send roots 10 ft. or more into my garden, and I don't even want to talk about the silver maple and cottonwood not too much farther away. Just something to watch out for.

Ya trees or shrubs would plug the holes but veg don't have very log roots and would maybe grow through the top of the pipe which would be good! This pipe would give ,moisture to the plants along with growing materials! i like the idea of a 50 gallon barrel on the surface of the ground connected to the pipe from the bottom of the barrel so that the compost tea would contantly flow into the pipe. The barrel could be closed or open some so as to leave rain inside the barrel! You could put all your scraps in the barrel and it should work with a gravel sand mix at the bottom foot of the barrel! This is getting me excited and I can see those big healthy tomatoes and peppers! I have some white bricks that I put around my peppers for more light reflection and heat and the peppers love it! The barrel will have a pipe connected about 6 inches above the bottom at the center of the 20 foot underground pipe. This would be easy to do even with a 50 gallon plastic barrel which I already have! I will even put a few holes in the sides for air!

[toxcrusadr]

It still seems greviously overengineered, but if you have the time and can't find anything else to do, by all means!

Over time, most gardeners move in the direction of 'simple.'