Has anyone else attempted a LakeTainer?
 

So after studying the plans for the excellent EarthTainer, it occurred to me that my best place for them would be on a section of my roof that gets a good bit of sun (lots of big trees around here). But the flaw with that plan would be that when I'm gone on vacation I can't well ask a neighbor to water them up there, can I?

While contemplating this conundrum, I somehow noticed that this large tub
[IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/2motljn.jpg[/IMG]
fits [I]exactly[/I] into this unused float:
[IMG]http://i46.tinypic.com/sqmd76.jpg[/IMG]

Aha!

So looked around and found a useless gardening tool carrier and sawed off the handle. Lined some water permeable plastic I figured it would make a good wick while supporting the aeration bench nicely. The aeration bench is just a plastic tray with a couple medium holes cut into it and a good number of small ones.

[IMG]http://i46.tinypic.com/sdlb35.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i47.tinypic.com/vyps1j.jpg[/IMG]

This contraption was place on top of a spacer (to keep water from rising to the bench) and inside the tub. Seems to fit pretty well.

[IMG]http://i47.tinypic.com/210izkk.jpg[/IMG]

With a layer of the same plastic the tub is ready for some mix

[IMG]http://i47.tinypic.com/bilir.jpg[/IMG]

And thus the LakeTainer!

[IMG]http://i50.tinypic.com/1z4wnrn.jpg[/IMG]

Oh, and I guess that I never really explained that I put holes in the bottom of the tub. The idea is that it should never need water added in any way since the tube holds the tub at such a level that the wick is sitting in lake water while the growing mix itself is held above it. That's the theory anyway.

Now I just have to see what sections of the lake might get a good amount of sun and meanwhile wait for the moisture level of the mix to stabilize.

Obviously any small chance that this has to actually work are do to Ray's well explained instructions for the EarthTainer and hopefully any disaster will at least keep me entertained.

Luckily all I had to buy was some potting mix, some fertilizer and a (discounted) seedling. Wish me luck, I think I'm going to need it. :))

Boy, I thought I had seen about everything!! What a nifty idea. All you need is a Lake (which I don't have). But if you have access to one, seems to be a winner!!! You could even catch your own fish fertilizer, come to think of it.........:twisted:

Lowly, as the tomato plant grows, you are going to have to add a keel, like in a sailboat to keep it upright.

I keep re-reading this Thread and I literally have tears in my eyes.... what a Hoot!!!

Raybo

LLCook, your idea is a riot! I've got the lake, but I'd worry about drive-by boaters harvesting my floating tomatoes. :))

Give us some periodic updates to let us know how how it works out!

(Last week we had some sustained 50-60 mph winds, I think the waves would have done some serious damage to the dirt in the container.) The closest I've gotten to lake growing is potted tomatoes near the water's edge that got watered with buckets from the lake.

I want to know one thing, when is she scheduled to set sail?!!! Keep us updated please!

Damon

BTW, to go along with your "Nautical" theme .... I suggest you grow: Black Sea Man tomatoes.

[url]http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Black_Sea_Man[/url]

Raybo:))

that is INCREDIBLE.

[quote=rnewste;171106] You could even catch your own fish fertilizer, come to think of it.........:twisted:

[/quote]

Or maybe I'll tow it near the golf course and leech off their fertilizer runoff. I guess I better ask them what kind of stuff they put on their grass first though. :))


I'll certainly add more pictures as events warrant. Hopefully none of them will be of me trying to explain what exactly I think I'm doing to the lake patrol.

llc,

Have you thought of attaching a Remote Control and motor, to drive it around the lake? Would certainly be a conversation piece. Didn't some dope (er guy) mount a lawnmower engine under a bar stool a while ago, and got a D.U.I. ticket?:roll:

Raybo

Well I couldn't resist just planting that tomato in there so here is the pic

[IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/2s7gugm.jpg[/IMG]

Be Careful! Al Gore might give you an Award for creating a new use of renewable resources.:twisted:

(I still like the idea of putting a small electric motor and RC in it and driving it around the Lake):)) Would really freak-out your neighbors!!

Raybo

Lowly, that idea is amazing! You gotta love Raybo's RC motor idea as that would provide endless laughter when made your plant drive up to unsuspecting boaters :)

Jason

I do have an old trolling motor of my brothers laying around, but I don't know if it works and it certainly isn't remote control. Hmmmm.

I could think of how to use the cage as a mast and make it a sail tomato. Then I'd really need a keel. Still, I don't think I'd get good winward performance out of a inner tube.:))

In any case, most boats that come by here are fishing the nearby downed trees. Hopefully I'll be around to hear them try to work out exactly what they are looking at.

[QUOTE]You could even catch your own fish fertilizer, come to think of it...[/QUOTE]

Actually, wouldn't that lake water already contain, ahem, fish supplied fertilizer..?

:)

Lee

Very cool idea!!! Are you on a public lake? or is that a private pond/lake?

[quote=freelancer79d;171198]Very cool idea!!! Are you on a public lake? or is that a private pond/lake?[/quote]

It's a public lake but very quiet because it's not huge, pretty shallow and there is a "no wake" policy. The last doesn't get enforced strictly but it does exclude any power boaters or water skiers leaving the field to fishermen/duck hunters and pontoon boats owned by others on the lake.

llc,

If you then have relatively calm water at your disposal, I would suggest you start a "FloaTainer Farm" with dozens of them in a corral on the Lake. Seems like excellent use of free space (and water), plus as Lee said, you've probably got the nutrients already in the water there for fertilization.

Anchors Aweigh!

Raybo:D

Actually now that I think about it the obvious next step is to make it robotic and for it to search out sunlight throughout the day.

Sort of like a Roomba but for growing tomatoes on a lake.

[quote=lowlylowlycook;171640]Actually now that I think about it the obvious next step is to make it robotic and for it to search out sunlight throughout the day.

Sort of like a Roomba but for growing tomatoes on a lake.[/quote]


affirmative........

[QUOTE]Actually now that I think about it the obvious next step is to make it robotic and for it to search out sunlight throughout the day.[/QUOTE]

You could use a solar cell to charge a small battery during the day. A sensor
connected to the solar cell could be used to detect reduced charging power and
then trigger a motor to propel the "boat" towards a predetermined sunnier
spot..... Or you could just use a timer to motor it around based on the sun's
path....

Lee

lowly you seem very innovative and determined check this out:

[url]http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#led3xforsale[/url]

[B][SIZE=+1][COLOR=#000000][SIZE=+1][COLOR=#000000][SIZE=+1][COLOR=#000000][SIZE=+1][COLOR=#000000][SIZE=+1][COLOR=#000000][SIZE=+1][COLOR=#000000][SIZE=+1][COLOR=#000000]LED3XS24Vc3 solar tracker available for sale for $35.00us fully assembled. This includes the power connector and 5 pins (an extra pin just in case). [/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]

The amount of Collective Knowledge on this Site is scary.:twisted:

Too bad we couldn't harness it to send a Tomato to the Moon!

Raybo

[URL]http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/nasa-tomato-lycopene.html[/URL]

Well, it's not the moon, but it did make it into space. Anyone here ever grow that variety?

...And there you go! I stand corrected.:)):))

Well they couldn't even grow one plant. Clearly we need to send Dr Carolyn into space. In zero gravity she could still get around well enough to grow 100 plants, I'm sure.

You could surround a Pontoon boat with a 100 or so of the Laketainers and sell 'real' fresh maters to the lake people. Let them pick their own for an extra dollar a lb.

Well, it's still alive:
[IMG]http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g196/moonrang/LakeT2.jpg[/IMG]

And it has a tomato!
[IMG]http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g196/moonrang/LakeT1.jpg[/IMG]

The plant struggled for a while because the bucket had slipped down far enough that the main dirt chamber was sitting in the lake water. I've taken a few steps to help prevent that but for next year I'll have to work out a more robust method.

Looking pretty healthy for an experiment. Are you adding any amendments?

[quote=Timmah!;176225]Looking pretty healthy for an experiment. Are you adding any amendments?[/quote]

Yeah. Whatever kind of calcium rnewste recommended for the EarthTainer, some starter fert that had minerals in it and some slow release fert.

llc,

If the container has been below the water line for some time, you might want to give it "Shore-Leave" and let the root system dry out a bit, before it sails on to the next Port.:))

Raybo

That is SO cool!!!:yes: I hope to see a whole fleet of 'em next year.;)