Thanks rnewste,Started building my Tainer.

[Addicted]

I love the idea so i bought some stuff today,Just 2 totes a few wire rope retainers and cages.What i came up with was a different way to secure the cages,Using the lip that is already on the inside of the tote for the cage legs to rest on.Then just using the retainers with some washers to hole the legs in place,It seems like it will be very sturdy so far.I think I' also going to secure the legs of the cage together with something to keep the tote from bowing out under the weight of soil.Will continue tomorrow.













Note the leg resting on the inside lip.



The outside using the u bolt and washers.



Just a bigger inside shot,Note that i ran out of u bolts,That's why the other legs are not secured yet.

I will update the thread as i progress or screw up.

Jason.

[rnewste]

Jason,

Excellent ingenuity!! Also, think about using two 3/16 by 4" toggle bolts (above the water-line) to hold the outer container walls to the Aeration Bench. This will keep the potting mix from getting down the sides.

A big plus is that the mass of the water in the reservoir will now be leveraged to help keep the 'Tainer upright.

p.s. Look for the EarthTainer article to (possibly) appear in this Saturday's San Jose Mercury News along with the link to the EarthTainer .pdf instructions.

Ray

[Addicted]

Thanks for the tips Ray,I need all the help i can get...I have never grown a thing in my life!I have 4 indeterminate plants about a foot tall now to go in Tainers.Hope it works!

Jason.

[Addicted]

I started building the airation screen and
wick tonight,seems good so far.The basket was too tall so i cut it down,and i opted for two 2 by 10 1/2 inch slots for wicking.



The basket cut down some,She was too tall for me.



I put the cut off bottom piece back in the basket for rigidity,i zip tied it together after the pic.



My airation screen minus the air holes drilled,Soon i will find out if the wicking slots are too much or not enough.



The screen and wick mock up,semms good so far.I have an idea to make adjustable wicking with some type of sliding damper for the slots.Probably will not try it this time around though.

Jason.

[rnewste]

Jason,

Couple of comments. I am concerned as your cage system loads up with tomatoes, that the angle of the legs will exert a significant outward force on the sides of the container. Earl, of Earl's Faux fame ran a cable as I recall, from side to side to keep them from flaring out (and he didn't have the cage force pushing out the sides to contend with).

Also, from trying to count your floor boards in the photo and then relating the size of your wicking basket to the container itself, it looks like you have a very large basket. Remember, you will have to fill the entire basket volume with submerged potting mix, and this could waste a lot of mix. Can't you find the pond filter baskets at Home Depot that I recommended?



It too is on the large size, but it gives me the 6" height that I wanted, and at $2.19 a pop, it met my cost objective.

...just some thoughts,

Ray

[Addicted]

I have thought about the weight of the plant too,What i am going to do is use a structural rod or something simmilat to connect the cage legs,Thus preventing the bowing.

And the basket is too big,That's all they had though,the home depot near me no longer carries pond stuff so i had to go to a garden center.It really does not seem much larger than yours though,To me anyway.the ammount of soil it will take to fill that little extra space should not be that much.

[dice]

You can always mix up a couple of handfuls of something
the size of pea gravel or even bigger (pumice, lava rock,
hunks of drywall, limestone, gravel, etc) with the container
mix to fill the big wicking basket with, so it won't use up quite
so much container mix. It should still wick up fine if the
large, chunky stuff is thoroughly mixed into it.

[Addicted]

I finished tonight,I added some support and a water gauge.I will say i do not like these tubs at all for this application,Just too flimsy to be considered again.My next one i will take a little more time and not just throw together in a night or two.I am going to use the moving tubs at lowes,they are more of an abs type plasic that are very rigid,like a fish or lobster tote.More money but Thast's fine for me.



The long clear tube is the weater gauge,the short one is the drain,which is on the other side too.



I had some wood and long hose clamps lying around so i used them to make the tub more rigid.



my fill tube made from a vacuum nozzle,Already had a beveled end for water flow.free.

The extra money for the abs type tubs seem well worth it to me,it would eliminate all the fiddling around to get things ridgid,maybe i will start this weekend.

[rnewste]

Jason,

An Excellent effort!!

I am on my third Revision "C" of the EarthTainer design, so it will likely take you another spin or two, to get your system exactly the way you want it.

What adhesive did you use to cement in the overflow hole and level indicator?

Another approach you may want to consider to prevent the side "bulge" is to use one of those stiff 1" wide black stretch-straps (like a bungee cord) across the finished container. That should keep the sides from flexing out.

Keep us posted with your pictures if you switch to a more rigid outer shell, and what you then made your aeration bench from.

Ray

[Addicted]

I am on my third Revision "C" of the EarthTainer design, so it will likely take you another spin or two, to get your system exactly the way you want it.

Yup,That's the way things work for people who like to make stuff,do it once...Do it twice,And if you are lucky the third time MIGHT be to your liking.But maybe not.I have revised many motorised contraptions plenty of times.

What adhesive did you use to cement in the overflow hole and level indicator?

I just used clear rtv,Use it all the time fixing cars too.

Keep us posted with your pictures if you switch to a more rigid outer shell, and what you then made your aeration bench from.

Sure will,If i got the loot i might stsrt this weekend,If i Don't go Dirt bikin.

[Addicted]

You can always mix up a couple of handfuls of something
the size of pea gravel or even bigger (pumice, lava rock,
hunks of drywall, limestone, gravel, etc) with the container
mix to fill the big wicking basket with, so it won't use up quite
so much container mix. It should still wick up fine if the
large, chunky stuff is thoroughly mixed into it.

Dice,I missed your post,good idea but i used va support in the basket area which took up some space anyway.

[Addicted]

I transplanted some tomato plants in to the Tainer tonight,It seems like this thing is going to work great.Have to buy a moisture meter though,I'm commited now though...LoL,If It's off i will have to find some solution.



Looks good,Hopefully i can keep the plants alive.



Some more of my first time container garden,Bell pepper,summer squash and tomato plants that have to be moved yesterday...LoL



Some summer squash that i have on a railing,I have high hopes for this one,It's thriving and growing super fast!...will have to move it soon.

Jason.

[rnewste]

Jason,

What potting mix did you go with?

Ray

[Addicted]

Coast of Maine compost and peat.http://http://www.coastofmaine.com/s...enobscot.shtml

[feralcatfriend]

Where did you get the little tube for the overflow hole?

I was just writing to Ray about getting ready to put the potting mix into my containers and then realizing that it would fall between the container and the aeration bench and clog the hole. The hole would still work as an overflow hole because water could flow out of it, just not as fast. I like the look of the little tubes more than Ray's recommendations of toggle bolts to pull the aeration bench tightly against the container wall mostly because it just looks easier for me. I have 26 of these things to fix and I'm already really late getting my plants in. So the path of least resistance looks more inviting. (No disrespect intended to Ray or his design!)

Cynthia