It’s amazing the stuff you can find when your brain is ready to find it. I’ve been spending a bit of time online looking to streamline and improve upon my on-deck vegetable growing project. I not only found tons of encouragement, but I found out how to make a self-watering system out of common household items to make growing veggies a cinch.
Here’s a video made by a woman who grows all sorts of vegetables in Rubbermaid containers. In her video she explains how to make a self-watering system:
After watching that, I came across a product called EarthBox. In essence it’s a $35 kit for folks like me who want to grow organic veggies on a deck. I went to my local garden supply store (I don’t think they’re sold in Home Depot or Lowes), to get a better look at the product.
While the product is neat and compact, the containers are much smaller than my 50-gallon tub. It’s about ½ the size. However, just for comparison purposes, I’m considering purchasing one kit to compare the ease of use to a homemade gardening tub. If nothing else, the EarthBox is much more attractive than my 50-gallon tub.
If you can’t find the EarthBox at your local garden supply store, they are available on Amazon. The plastic container goes for about $35 and the terracotta container for about $48. What I like about the EarthBox is the kit comes with wheels so you can easily move the container if necessary.
Investigating and Planning
I’m still in the investigation and planning stages. In addition to researching containers and watering systems, I’ve got to learn a bit about dirt, organic fertilizing, pest control (the EarthBox has an optional mesh net to keep birds, bugs and other pests out), seeds and planting times. Fortunately, I learned about diatomaceous earth a few years ago and can use that to keep crawling pests to a minimum.
Because we’re already at the end of March, I might not be able to grow some plants from seeds. The good thing about seeds, once you buy them, they don’t go bad, so I can still go seed shopping for my next year’s crop. In the meanwhile, I’m learning about growing and planting seasons so I can best construct my garden.
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We are sisters…we have too many things in common. My son “found” kale when he moved to LA. When he visits he finds a way to put it in almost every meal and I have come to love it too! As you said before, we may be the blind leading the blind but all the info is out there let’s just share it.
Since I’m older I’ll be the big sis, but you are definitely the smarter sis…or should I say “more learned”. You’ve been on-line, writing and getting into the environment longer than I but I’m right behind you.
Take Care,
Joni
OK, sis. We’ll do this thing together. I’m not so sure how ‘learned’ I am, but I can fake it. LOL.
This should be a fun adventure.
All of my garden planning in still in the brain stage…LOL. I have never been an outdoor person (if any biting bug is within 50 miles of me it will attack) but I find myself being “drawn” out. I say its age. I used to wonder why I mostly saw middle-aged people out working on their yard and decided it’s an aging thing. At least it is with me. I’m torn now between the indoors and outdoors and money (lack of). Now that I am in total control of how I decorate and am finally getting my energy back, I have long lists of things I want to do.
In the outdoors, I want to have as little grass to cut as possible. A yard up the street from me has a giant magnolia tree that covers at least half their front yard. There are stones circling around the tree and through shrubs and flower plots. Their backyard is the same. They have very little grass to cut. The vegetation allows for lots of privacy. I want to have plots of flowers and vegetables with dirt or very small gravel paths running through my yard. I’d like to have a swing here and a stone seat there.
I have a chain link fence around my backyard and would like to get some vines or other plants growing through it. I’d love to have a picket fence in the front yard. I am going for privacy. I will always have one or two dogs and now I have to walk out any time of day or night and let them in the backyard. When I had my fence put in about 10 years ago, I was trying to do it as cheap as possible. In addition, I was 10 years younger and had two college kids living at home! I wish I had come up just past my carport so I could just open the door and let the pups in and out.
I eventually want to get to the vegetable and flower garden phase. In the meantime, I’d like to grow in containers. That is why your article caught my attention. My brain is bad about wanting to have every little thing planned out on paper before starting. I’m trying to change the way I think.
Thanks for all your great ideas on this site.
Joni
Joni, I think we are sisters with different parents. I’m just like you! Don’t like bugs, never really liked gardening until now (age 53) and am planning things to a fault.
We recently had a warm spell but God took it back. LOL. Since it’s chilly again, I get to really spend time planning my garden. The two things I really want to grow are kale and tomatoes. Anything else is an added plus, but we’re big kale and tomato eaters in our house. This is a new adventure and I’m happy to know there’s someone else like me to share it with. 🙂