Round-Foot Gardening
Need a use for all those plastic barrels that are unsuitable for potable water or unsafe for fuel storage? Try square-foot gardening. Or in the case of barrels Round-Foot Gardening.
I have a near inexhaustible supply of empty 30 gallon plastic barrels. These barrels have had Roundup in them so they are unsuitable for potable water, they also have a serious static electricity problem, so gasoline storage is out of the question. My location, high on a hill, has the world's worst dirt to grow anything in. Weeds don't even grow well up here. I am assembling an army of pots and store-bought dirt, with the inclusion of an automatic watering system, I have created a maintenance free, near hydroponic system of food production. The following pictures and text should help anyone who's interested in Round-Foot Gardening:
1. Tape a felt marker to a yardstick so as you turn the plastic barrel the marker will draw a line at the halfway point. I use a handheld electric jig saw and just run it around the barrel. This makes two 15 gallon pots.
2. Drill two or three half-inch holes in the bottom for drainage. For taller plants that need a trellis, like tomatoes, mount one 4-foot length of redwood 2x2 to each side with wood screws and fender washers. (Mount the wood on the inside of the pot).
3. Drill one ¼ inch hole near the top for the watering system's tubing to enter.
4. Put about two inches of small rock in the bottom for drainage, and fill to within an inch of the top with good quality dirt, or manufactured soil (see below).
5. Stick your plant(s) in the dirt, if a trellis is needed, shove one of those cheap cone shaped wire tomato racks in the dirt and wire it to the top of the 2x2s.
6. Make a cylinder of rabbit wire and slip it over the top. Insert the watering tubing through the ¼ inch hole.
That's all there is to it. Stand back and wait for the food to appear.
A few hints: Use an automatic watering timer. These pots will absorb a lot of heat, the heat is generally a big help to the plants, but will dry the dirt very fast. One day of missed watering could be the demise of your garden. Don't water during the day, the sun will heat the water in the plumbing to the point it may cook your plants. I water starting at 3:00AM, every hour from 3:00AM to 9:00AM each pot gets one liter (about a quart) six times a day. Your watering needs may very.
Manufactured soil: I use one $5 bag of planting mix per planter. The mix consists of Fir bark, Mushroom compost, Wheat straw, Peat moss, Chicken manure, Gypsum and Perlite. It retains moisture, stays well aerated and doesn't pack down. From time to time I sprinkle a little granulated fertilizer over the top.
