The EarthTainer II WaterMizer Edition - - New, Improved...and FREE!

Originally Posted by rnewste

Red,

I have not seen ANY UV damage to the Rubbermaid containers to date.

Regarding "3 years", I think you are mixing up my recommended 3 Season then empty
Ray

That is great news. I was concerned about the UV. I was mixed up on the 3 season vs. 3 yrs. If 7 years works, that will be one more great benefit of this wonderful method. Thanks for all you do to offer info here! BTW your humanitarian efforts are fantastic!

[rnewste]

Red,

I guess we will know in 7 years if my assumption is correct, so please take this as an "(un)scientific extrapolation" on my part.

In any event, the actual out of pocket cost to replace the outer shell is pretty insignificant at the end of the day.....

Ray

[DennisM]

I have had over 30 deer in my yard at one time, and since I started using a product called "Liquid Fence" my plants have not been touched. I now only get about 6-8 deer at a time but they have not eaten any Asiatic lily, hostas, arborvitae, rose, or anything else that I sprayed. My neighbor has a huge selection of hostas and they were not touched by the deer until she stopped using the Liquid Fence at the end of the growing season. It cost me about $35-$40 for a concentrated bottle. Last year I planted over 450 items so you know that I have a large area to spray. I used a little more than one bottle. To me it was worth it because the product worked.

Dennis

[recruiterg]

I noticed Target has 30 gallon storage containers (brand name Sterilte) for $8/container in a light tan color. The brand seems similar to Rubbermaid. Has anyone tried using this brand?

http://www.sterilite.com/Category.ht...uctCategory=33#

[rnewste]

That's an excellent price for a 30 gallon container. While not as thick-walled as the Rubbermaids, the $14.97 price at Lowes makes the difference in savings compelling.

Ray

[newatthiskat]

I have 2 , 10 gallon serilite cotainers I am using this year. The walls are more rigid than the rubermaid. I was able to drill them (actually hubby) with no breaking of container. I would worry about usage after several seasons. I think the rubermaid will be less brittle after summer sun beating down on them. I got them because they were cheap and so far have worked well. Will keep posted as to how well they hold up to this season!
Kat

[rnewste]

kat,

Just curious - - when I took a caliper to the Rubbermaid and Sterilite containers last year, the Rubbermaid was 25% thicker. Not that this is an indicator of how well they will do exposed to UV, but I drew the conclusion that the Rubbermaids would outlast the Sterilite - - and were worth the extra money. I'll be interested in tracking your service life.

Be sure to rotate your containers 180 degrees every season and that will give you additional years of use.

Ray

[newatthiskat]

Ray I agree that they are not a thick and feel "more brittle." I was given them so I am using them Husband agreed that the Rubermaid was worth the extra cost on the 18 gallon's I got for some dwarf tomatoes. This way having them both I will be able to do a side by side comparison to see how they hold up compared to the rubbermaid roughneck
I should put a side 1 and side 2 so I will remember which way I had them. Glad you brought up 180 degree turn.
Kat

[markstowe]

Hello Ray, I just wanted to thank you and all the people who have had input on the evolution of this fantastic project. Below are some pictures of my "other" type of EarthTainers. After building 3 tainers and having the remaining top half of the totes I thought that it might be interesting to use them as "ribbing" to firm up the mid section, add sun protection, and allow the top tote to contain the entire 31 Gallons of soil. While working with them this way I realized that it would be easier to put the landscape fabric in without having to cut around the cages and it would allow me to use the CRW which is cheaper to offset the extra tote........Do you see any obvious problems that I might be overlooking? Thanks for any input

[DennisinPa]

Hello, Here in Pa. Wal-Mart does carry the Rubbermaid Roughneck storage boxes in the 31 gal. size for $12.50.

Hope this helps save a couple bucks

Dennis

[AmandaKerik]

I wanted to thank you for posting the updated version of the EarthTainer, I've made a variation of it and my tomatoes have NEVER been so green and happy. Ever. I'm hooked.

My variations include: Using two layers of landscaping fabric, one like an inside curtain (from the very top of the 'Tainer to the very bottom) to cut the sunlight from reaching most of the water and the second to separate the soil from the platform / wick like in your instructions.

I found the separation between the soil and platform very handy as I was able to use it as a bag to lift out the soil / plants and alter the platform (drill more holes - something I had forgotten to do at first assembly).

The second variation was to use the inside of the lid as the platform / bench. With proper support it works fine! (I'm not overly worried about weight as the 'maters I'm growing are the short ones and my growing season is pretty short - I'm in BC, Canada. I also started a bit later than I should have).

Another variation I did was leaving out the feeder tube and instead cutting an upside down U on the side away from the light. When closed it's barely noticeable and when open it holds the syphon hose perfectly - it's how I water the 'Tainer.

The last variation I did was to use a plastic windowsill container to both hold the basket wick and to hold up the platform. The 'sill container has holes to let in the water, but as I didn't want to cut the 'sill container the wick now doesn't reach completely to the bottom of the 'Tainer.

I didn't add much fertilizer at all as the potting soil I'm using is rather rich already.

Let me know what you think,
Amanda

[dice]

[Amanda's Earthtainer variation]

Sounds like it works.

What about calcium? Ray had added a half cup or so of
Dolomite Lime per container to supply calcium and
magnesium (plus bring up the pH a little). The magnesium
you may have enough of from other sources, but you might
examine the ingredients list on your container mix and see if it already contains lime or gypsum. Tomatoes need calcium
to avoid Blossom End Rot (BER).

[AmandaKerik]

Originally Posted by dice

...What about calcium?...Tomatoes need calcium
to avoid Blossom End Rot (BER).

Yes, it was the one thing that I was questioning as I was making my tweaks, however I've grown tomatoes off and on over the years and I've never had BER. Perhaps it's because I prefer cherry tomatoes over the larger ones?

What could I add to the water reservoir if they start showing signs of BER?

[rnewste]

Amanda,

Several manufacturers of commercial SWCs recommend adding in 2 cups of Dolomite Lime prior to planting to minimize (but not eliminate) BER. I had random BER when growing in an in-ground bed, and I have about the same (random) BER in my 'Tainers, after adding in the 2 cups of Lime.

Knowledgeable folks here have told me it takes about 8 weeks for the Lime to "do its thing" and work into the potting mix. For you to try to do something today would not be very effective for this season's crop, but you may want to try a diluted soil drench.

One of the things I am evaluating on 5 'Tainers at present, is to remove the black plastic moisture barrier completely. Some folks are reporting that their 'Tainers are running too wet. If this is your case, consider removing the barrier. In one 'Tainer without any moisture barrier, I have two Big Beef that are developing perfectly with not a single yellow or wilted leaf.



Ray

[AmandaKerik]

Originally Posted by rnewste

One of the things I am evaluating on 5 'Tainers at present, is to remove the black plastic moisture barrier completely. Some folks are reporting that their 'Tainers are running too wet. If this is your case, consider removing the barrier. In one 'Tainer without any moisture barrier

The leaves on mine are so green they look fake, so I guess I'm doing well.

Due to how I've constructed them, the baskets aren't touching the bottom of the reservoir so the soil is actually a bit on the drier side, however I planted the tomatoes lower than "normal" (3 - 4 inches from the bench) and the roots have gone through two (!) layers of landscaping fabric to reach the water.

They've also hit a second sprint of growth lately, I'm not sure why.

I may be moving soon, I hope I get a south facing place like the current one.