I like these a lot! and I think I can use it for a lot more than strawberries. I am planning to use this one for lettuce. It's the first one I have made and the uniformity of the holes would make any perfectionist have a stroke! But it should work fine nonetheless. I used a propane torch to heat the plastic to cut the slit and shape the cups. And from what I understand, it's best to put a pipe down the center to water and take up space so you don't have to use as much soil to fill it. The pipe will be PVC with holes drilled in it for drainage. More holes toward the top to account for the water being in the bottom for a longer period of time. Any other suggestions?
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/barrel.jpg[/img]
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DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
Jeff,
I really like that. Where / how did you come up with this idea?
How much are you paying for these food grade barrels?
I haven't thought this through thoroughly.
Build a cylinder out of 1/8 opening hardware cloth. Maybe a foot across and as tall as the barrel. Place this in the center of the barrel. Then fill between the cylinder and the barrel's interior with your favorite soil mix. This leaves the middle for your new worm farm. Mix up some worm bedding place it in the hardware cloth cylinder, maybe half way up. Introduce your worms. Then you may have to wait a week or so before add kitchen scraps. A false bottom and a spigot maybe nice to drain of water. At least drill drain holes.
I didn't say it was great idea.
Eric
I really like that. Where / how did you come up with this idea?
How much are you paying for these food grade barrels?
I haven't thought this through thoroughly.
Build a cylinder out of 1/8 opening hardware cloth. Maybe a foot across and as tall as the barrel. Place this in the center of the barrel. Then fill between the cylinder and the barrel's interior with your favorite soil mix. This leaves the middle for your new worm farm. Mix up some worm bedding place it in the hardware cloth cylinder, maybe half way up. Introduce your worms. Then you may have to wait a week or so before add kitchen scraps. A false bottom and a spigot maybe nice to drain of water. At least drill drain holes.
I didn't say it was great idea.
Eric
lol....still have to add the drain holes and cut the top off. I got the idea surfing around online. The barrels I am getting from a lady I found on craigslist. I pay about $7 each. (although I hear if u hit up dairy or bakeries you can often get them for free. But I haven't found any.) She gives me a call when she has 8 ready for me. Thats' just enough to fill the bed of my truck.
The smaller ones are nice, the one I saw online had 72 holes in it. Not counting the top, that's a lot of plants! clearly this one doesn't have 72...this was m experimental one. I think I have 17 in it so far. But some are way bigger than necessary. It'll be a lot more uniform next time. This was more of a "can I do it" trial to see if it would work like I thought it would with the torch.