The EarthTainer II WaterMizer Edition - - New, Improved...and FREE! - Page 4

amideutch · December 30, 2008

Ray, if you need any communications help with Iraq let me know or if your nephew should ever need to get a hold of you or other family in conus. We have DSN world wide access and are one of the major gateways for SWA. Ami

dice · December 30, 2008

[float valves]
The prices are certainly reasonable. So you are thinking placing
the float valves inside the reservoirs? (They don't look like they
would fit inside fillup tubes.)

If they are watering from shower hookups, they probably do not
have round the clock water from them. (Have to hook up, water,
then unhook so people can use the showers.) Filling up barrels
like Tuk50 does and then running pvc pipe from those along the
tops of the containers may be a time saver for them, with or
without float valves. If they run drip line from the pvc feeders
into Earthtainers through float valves, that could work. It would
just drain from the barrels on demand, and instead of watering
individual containers, they could just check 50-gallon barrels
and fill them up manually as needed. (I bet the Army or KBR
has huge supplies of empty 50-gal plastic or metal barrels
around in Iraq. Think of all of the things that probably ship
in them.)

Need to find out if the float valves need some minimum psi.

For their existing containers, the pvc would just be up on top
of the containers instead of along the ground, with a small
hole at each container. It would not be automatic watering,
but it would still be efficient: open one valve, water 30
containers at one time, etc.

What are they using for container mix? Dirt, probably. They
need to find some straw bales. (Do straw bale gardening for
18 months or so, then use the composted straw for container
mix.)

rnewste · December 30, 2008

dice,

I was thinking of installing this float valve just under the Aeration Bench in the air gap layer. Problem is that the valve (as below) consumes approx 3 inches of vertical space. It is best to keep the air gap at 1 inch to assure good wicking into the potting mix chamber.

I'm thinking one could heat up the valve arm and bend it up until the float valve is almost parallel with the inlet assembly. This would reduce the vertical space required to about 1.5 inches.

What do you think?

Ray

dice · December 30, 2008

Quote:

I'm thinking one could heat up the valve arm and bend it up until the float valve is almost parallel with the inlet assembly. This would reduce the vertical space required to about 1.5 inches.

What do you think?

What about the models with the adjustable arm? It has
a little wing nut there in the arm that allows you to adjust
the angle, but the arm to the float is longer.

Without seeing one sitting on a table in front of me, it is hard
to estimate what the dimensions would work out to relative
to the air gap.

rnewste · December 30, 2008

Hey dice,

(Great?) minds think alike.

I just ordered 5 units of the adjustable arm type (MA252). Its overall length should be about 8 inches, so there is plenty of room if it is mounted under the handle end of the EarthTainer below the Aeration Bench, so it won't interfere with the wicking basket in the center.

I will experiment mounting a few and trying to work within about a 1.5 to 2.0 inch air gap.

I posted a thread awhile ago about "The EarthTainer - Peace Corps Style" where one could use a 50 gallon drum cut down to about 18 inches, cut the other end down to 4 inches (inverted) for the Aeration Bench, and a 5 inch diameter plastic coffee container for the wicking basket. I am sure in Iraq, all of these components would be available.

The difficult item would be a consistent potting mix formula which would have to be formulated on site. Peat would be the most difficult ingredient to source. Anyway, I am sure Military Air Transport could likely get some Miracle Grow Potting Mix flown in. Everything else would be a snap.

Ray

hasshoes · January 5, 2009

That's so cool Ray- I hope they try it. It's amazing how a simple interest in good maters turned into something that can really help people. :0)

JohnMich · January 17, 2009

Thanks for this amplification, Ray. Incidentally I think your efforts are brilliant. I thought I had read up on this adequately but you can bet that I would have cut an opening in the fabric where it went over the wicking basket. I don't understand all the discussion about whether to mound the mix or not. It's pretty simple really - mound it up and get on with it. Am searching for local source of fabric right now. In Oz they seem to call it geofabric.
Regards, John

rnewste · January 17, 2009

John,

I will update the instructions in Rev 1.6 to emphasize over-filling the wicking basket with potting mix BEFORE laying the landscape fabric down. Kind of make a cupcake dome on the wicking basket first.

This will assure good capillary action over several seasons to transfer moisture from the water reservoir up into the potting mix chamber.

Ray

Woodchuck · January 17, 2009

I watched the videos last night.
Well done!

<Woodchuck>

rnewste · January 17, 2009

Hey Woodchuck, Thanks!!

I'm thinking of trying out for a spot on the American Idol TV Show with Sabre-saw in-hand.

Be sure to follow the new Construction Guide Rev 1.5 as this now incorporates important improvements since Gary Ibsen and I did the Video back in May 08.

Ray

newatthiskat · January 18, 2009

OK Ray, unless you are younger than 28, that dream will have to be unfulfilled. Maybe America's got tallent. There is no age limit. You could get a spot in Vegas

Kat

Tex · January 18, 2009

I think this is a well thought out and fabulous system.

Would it be possible to eliminate the wicking basket by instead running several lengths of one inch diameter cotton rope from the water reservoir through the aeration bench and up into the soil?

What are your thoughts on this?

rnewste · January 18, 2009

Tex,

Yes, it would be possible to use another mechanism to wick the water up into the main potting mix chamber. I have read other posts where folks did indeed try this. It would be interesting to experiment with.

I went with the combo wicking basket, plus Landscape Fabric approach as in my first season (without the Fabric) when I emptied the 'Tainer, roots had just taken over the wicking basket as well as down most of the aeration holes. I am concerned in subsequent years (I wanted a 3 year life out of the wicking system / potting mix before emptying the 'Tainer) that the roots would eventually clog the wicking basket entirely and mess up the capillary action altogether.

Hence the use of the Landscape Fabric to retard the roots from going below the aeration bench surface, as well as into the wicking basket. You need a "filter" that is water porous but fine enough to block root penetration.

I don't yet have an idea of how to use a wicking fiber like cotton and also prevent the roots from "strangling" the cotton wick. Maybe drilling 6 one inch holes in the aeration bench evenly spaced, then use one inch diameter cotton rope sections about 10 inches long plugged into each of the 6 holes extending down into the water reservoir. Supporting them upright (like a candle wick) somehow while filling in the potting mix to keep them vertical and evenly spaced.

This would require a lot of trial and error (4 , 6, or 8 wicks) to get the right moisture content in the potting mix chamber, but it could certainly be made to work. Let us know if you experiment with this concept as we all like to learn.

Ray

rnewste · January 18, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by newatthiskat

OK Ray, unless you are younger than 28, that dream will have to be unfulfilled. Maybe America's got tallent. There is no age limit. You could get a spot in Vegas

Kat

Kat, I was in Las Vegas last week for the CES Show - - couldn't wait to get on a plane out of there!! What a plastic and artificial city. Talk about sustainable living - NOT!

Speaking about sustainable gardening, have you noticed how few (none?) Tomatoville members are from there? Wonder if there is a parallel here....

Also, I just wanted to be on American Idol to get next to Paula Abdul.

I still get a buzz from her MTV Video she did about 10 years ago - - you know the one with the cartoon kat.

And oh by the way Kat, that person in the avatar (to the left) is actually my Father.

Ray

newatthiskat · January 19, 2009

OK Ray I guess it was your father in all those video's I have seen. You kow the ones! They are posted all over the internet!

Kat

December 30, 2008	#46
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Ray, if you need any communications help with Iraq let me know or if your nephew should ever need to get a hold of you or other family in conus. We have DSN world wide access and are one of the major gateways for SWA. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

December 30, 2008	#47
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	[float valves] The prices are certainly reasonable. So you are thinking placing the float valves inside the reservoirs? (They don't look like they would fit inside fillup tubes.) If they are watering from shower hookups, they probably do not have round the clock water from them. (Have to hook up, water, then unhook so people can use the showers.) Filling up barrels like Tuk50 does and then running pvc pipe from those along the tops of the containers may be a time saver for them, with or without float valves. If they run drip line from the pvc feeders into Earthtainers through float valves, that could work. It would just drain from the barrels on demand, and instead of watering individual containers, they could just check 50-gallon barrels and fill them up manually as needed. (I bet the Army or KBR has huge supplies of empty 50-gal plastic or metal barrels around in Iraq. Think of all of the things that probably ship in them.) Need to find out if the float valves need some minimum psi. For their existing containers, the pvc would just be up on top of the containers instead of along the ground, with a small hole at each container. It would not be automatic watering, but it would still be efficient: open one valve, water 30 containers at one time, etc. What are they using for container mix? Dirt, probably. They need to find some straw bales. (Do straw bale gardening for 18 months or so, then use the composted straw for container mix.) __________________ -- alias Last edited by dice; January 1, 2009 at 05:46 PM. Reason: line length

December 30, 2008	#50
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Hey dice, (Great?) minds think alike. I just ordered 5 units of the adjustable arm type (MA252). Its overall length should be about 8 inches, so there is plenty of room if it is mounted under the handle end of the EarthTainer below the Aeration Bench, so it won't interfere with the wicking basket in the center. I will experiment mounting a few and trying to work within about a 1.5 to 2.0 inch air gap. I posted a thread awhile ago about "The EarthTainer - Peace Corps Style" where one could use a 50 gallon drum cut down to about 18 inches, cut the other end down to 4 inches (inverted) for the Aeration Bench, and a 5 inch diameter plastic coffee container for the wicking basket. I am sure in Iraq, all of these components would be available. The difficult item would be a consistent potting mix formula which would have to be formulated on site. Peat would be the most difficult ingredient to source. Anyway, I am sure Military Air Transport could likely get some Miracle Grow Potting Mix flown in. Everything else would be a snap. Ray Last edited by rnewste; December 30, 2008 at 08:42 PM.

January 5, 2009	#51
hasshoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: MT Posts: 438	That's so cool Ray- I hope they try it. It's amazing how a simple interest in good maters turned into something that can really help people. :0) __________________ Sara

January 17, 2009	#52
JohnMich Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Queensland Australia Posts: 29	Thanks for this amplification, Ray. Incidentally I think your efforts are brilliant. I thought I had read up on this adequately but you can bet that I would have cut an opening in the fabric where it went over the wicking basket. I don't understand all the discussion about whether to mound the mix or not. It's pretty simple really - mound it up and get on with it. Am searching for local source of fabric right now. In Oz they seem to call it geofabric. Regards, John Last edited by JohnMich; January 17, 2009 at 08:38 PM. Reason: spelling error

January 17, 2009	#54
Woodchuck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 64	I watched the videos last night. Well done! <Woodchuck>

January 18, 2009	#56
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	Reply OK Ray, unless you are younger than 28, that dream will have to be unfulfilled. Maybe America's got tallent. There is no age limit. You could get a spot in Vegas Kat

January 18, 2009	#57
Tex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Texas Posts: 14	I think this is a well thought out and fabulous system. Would it be possible to eliminate the wicking basket by instead running several lengths of one inch diameter cotton rope from the water reservoir through the aeration bench and up into the soil? What are your thoughts on this? Last edited by Tex; January 18, 2009 at 02:40 AM. Reason: correction

January 19, 2009	#60
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	Reply OK Ray I guess it was your father in all those video's I have seen. You kow the ones! They are posted all over the internet! Kat