My Urban RGGS Container Garden
 

I have a very small backyard and work long hours. I'm so thankful to have come across Larry Hall's Rain Gutter Grow System technique which is a subirrigated container gardening located over a water trough (rain gutter) and controlled by a water float. Its the only reason why I can grow anything period! Its mostly 5 gallon HD buckets and 7 gallon root pouch grow bags.

Just some pictures.
Last year I did the single stem. This year I'm letting it all go and I'm already nervous about airflow...
last week:
[IMG]https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8847/18147670034_d45fe2ba93_o_d.jpg[/IMG]

This week 6/19: BAM! they are growing like mad! I can't take a good picture of it all as my place is small!

[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/493/18785738089_6123000ed1_o_d.jpg[/IMG]
Picture on right is Wild Fred - it doesn't act like a dwarf - its growing crazy!
[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/457/18974927111_20d1c1ed5a_o_d.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/392/18974925481_5ce7329c70_o_d.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/290/18974926161_11bf876f25_o_d.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/340/18945984476_5c523a137f_o_d.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/281/18966554052_a4f18d7bc9_o_d.jpg[/IMG]

Hello luigiwu,

You are looking great. It has been somewhat of a struggle for me this year, we have had 37 inches of rain in the last 60 days. The only reason I have been able to grow anything at all is because of the RGGS, the in ground gardens have been flooded out in many places. I will be spraying a bleach solution this evening to combat some early blight. Good luck gardening....GO RGGS


Rick

Luigiwu,
Looks great!
Airflow - do some selective pruning at least at the bottom.
All this rain we are getting plus the humidity. You know what comes next.....

Looks like you have your hands full....

Very nice set up there Luigiwu! I don't know what this rain gutter system is, I'll have to look it up, but if it involves actual rain, then for sure it won't work for my area :twisted:. Good luck and hope you have a bountiful harvest. Let us know how it turns out.

[QUOTE=peebee;482608]Very nice set up there Luigiwu! I don't know what this rain gutter system is, I'll have to look it up, but if it involves actual rain, then for sure it won't work for my area :twisted:. Good luck and hope you have a bountiful harvest. Let us know how it turns out.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! peebee, it doesn't need to be rain. It does involves a gutter to hold water. So instead of making self-watering containers that you have to fill up individually, the 'reservoir' becomes this continuous gutter where its plumbed to a water supply (wall spigot or rain water.) A handy dandy little float is what maintains the water in the trough for all the plants! IMO, its highly efficient and useful in areas like CA that are experiencing drought as you dont want excess water to just be running off.

Hi Rick,
37 inches, my goodness - yet another way the RGGS shines! Like James is mentioning below, I'm going to have to brace myself for when the humidit hits hard soon...

[QUOTE=ricman;482445]Hello luigiwu,

You are looking great. It has been somewhat of a struggle for me this year, we have had 37 inches of rain in the last 60 days. The only reason I have been able to grow anything at all is because of the RGGS, the in ground gardens have been flooded out in many places. I will be spraying a bleach solution this evening to combat some early blight. Good luck gardening....GO RGGS


Rick[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=JamesL;482451]Luigiwu,
Looks great!
Airflow - do some selective pruning at least at the bottom.
All this rain we are getting plus the humidity. You know what comes next.....[/QUOTE]

Thanks James, How's your earthtainer garden doing? I know there will be lots of hard work ahead and I hope I'm not making a huge mistake by letting the whole plant grow with out taking off the suckers!

[QUOTE=luigiwu;482631]Thanks James, How's your earthtainer garden doing? I know there will be lots of hard work ahead and I hope I'm not making a huge mistake by letting the whole plant grow with out taking off the suckers![/QUOTE]

Luigiwu,
My garden is progressing. Its still early in the season and I am already running late!

My beloved rain barrels. I love them so much. I want MORE and MORE of them! :) The stand puts them approx 18inches high.

[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/453/19195185743_674c4989d7_o_d.jpg[/IMG]

The genius of RGGS, automatic watering. Water from the barrels are delivered to each water troughs/gutters where the level is controlled by a mini-float.
[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/481/19808754812_f08227f7f5_o_d.jpg[/IMG]

Growing and grow, yes battling some fungal issues that may or may not have to do with the close spacing of everything. Next year I need to be less tenderhearted about pruning branches.
[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/497/19205707943_969814f307_o_d.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/320/19640092849_13a24426f1_z_d.jpg[/IMG]

Very impressive! Everything looks great. Is that strawberry plants by the gate?

Can you describe your staking method?

when I started this year, I fully intended to prune each plant to a single stem. Like last year, I used baler twine and clips. And then I changed my mind. There is no way I can get to every stem the taller they get so I've resorted to a secondary means where I've attached outrigers (1x2 pieces of wood) to each post. I can drill holes at the ends of the outriggers and am able to string baler twine through them, sort of creating a cage.

Looks outstanding, really like your setup.

Heather:)

Everything looks fantastic and healthy.
Worth

That is one incredible garden for such a small space. Love it. It is an inspiration for all of us who garden when it shouldn't be possible.

I checked regarding my Dwarf Wild Freds, and they are actually in 3 different gardens. Not all are producing yet, but they all are dwarf with rugose foliage.

[QUOTE=luigiwu;490744]when I started this year, I fully intended to prune each plant to a single stem. Like last year, I used baler twine and clips. And then I changed my mind. There is no way I can get to every stem the taller they get so I've resorted to a secondary means where I've attached outrigers (1x2 pieces of wood) to each post. I can drill holes at the ends of the outriggers and am able to string baler twine through them, sort of creating a cage.[/QUOTE]

Beautiful garden, Luigiwu. Outriggers, ha. That sounds like a professional fisherman. Great idea. How is that onion doing?

Thanks for the link. How about some updated pics..? ;)

If there is any room left to take a picture!
Those plants looked great - it would be great to see an update!:yes:

Its November and the cool weather is starting to slow down the garden a little but it does just keep trucking along!
I think next year will be the year of the dwarfs for me...

[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/746/22776247511_2f0187792c_o_d.jpg[/IMG]

Peppers just won't quit!
[IMG]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5825/22765021715_c3275b9674_o_d.jpg[/IMG]

Such a thing of beauty. It give new meaning to the term "urban jungle". Congratulations.

[QUOTE=nancyruhl;511991]Such a thing of beauty. It give new meaning to the term "urban jungle". Congratulations.[/QUOTE]

second that

Luigiwu,
Wow! Looking great! How did you avoid getting hit with frost on those cold nights we had in October? Except for some peppers it ended my season.

Thanks Nancy and Ella! I do very little to maintain. Its all the wonderful setup of self-watering!

James, that cold spell did my cucumbers in. But these tomatoes, I don't get it myself, they just keep trucking!! There are still quite a lot of AWFULLY huge ones out there and while I would like to get the garden cleaned up and prepped for next year, I don't have the heart to kill it all yet...

Temps in the 70's the next few days. You might be able to eke out another week of grow time!

Very nice work.

Looks fantastic Luigiwu. Great use of your limited space.

If not for the update, I would have missed this thread; thanks.

All I can say is WOW! You have done yourself proud. What a wonderful space you've created.

-Jimmy

James, to think given how warm its been (until yesterday!) I might have been able to leave the tomatoes out there (I shut down the garden the week of Thanksgiving and had about 90lbs of green tomatoes!) That said, all the green ones ripened for us inside anyways!

Thanks all for the kind remarks. This 'system' is not invented by me so I cannot take any credit for how well it works. I do love my garden and mother it quite a bit during the grow season. :) I highly encourage everyone to try it as its so much simpler than handwatering each SIP bucket...

[QUOTE=luigiwu;519825]James, to think given how warm its been (until yesterday!) I might have been able to leave the tomatoes out there (I shut down the garden the week of Thanksgiving and had about 90lbs of green tomatoes!) That said, all the green ones ripened for us inside anyways!

Thanks all for the kind remarks. This 'system' is not invented by me so I cannot take any credit for how well it works. I do love my garden and mother it quite a bit during the grow season. :) I highly encourage everyone to try it as its so much simpler than handwatering each SIP bucket...[/QUOTE]

Wow, 90lbs of green tomatoes! That will last you for some time.

[QUOTE=luigiwu;511962]Its November and the cool weather is starting to slow down the garden a little but it does just keep trucking along!
I think next year will be the year of the dwarfs for me...
[/QUOTE]

The trellis is a brilliant idea. I think I might do something like this. The pipe you used for it... Is that top rail?

I will need to look up the watering system and see how i can apply the idea to my own space.

What a wonderful space you have! The plants from last year were certainly rocking. What did you feed them all year? If you don't mind me asking.

How about a update photo from this years spring extravaganza...