How to Make a Season Extending Cover for your Garden

I figured this out by trial and error. Mostly Error. I have a canopy frame that I want to make a greenhouse out of, but there is where the error comes in. I also have a book on self-watering garden that has something similar to these.

1st take some 1/2" PVCor CVPC, 10 foot lengths- 2each
then fold them over as in the pic, anchoring them to your raised beds or find some spikes that they will fit in. I prefer anchoring buy getting 1/2 " pipe hangers, and securing them to the sides of my raised beds. You might want to wrap the top of the pvc with duct tape to keep them from sliding-

Get a giant clear plastic bag and slip it over the frame. You should be able to find big plastic bags at most hoome imporvement stores.

Remember to anchor down the bag. Youcan use bricks, rocks. I used my trusty staple gun, and cut a slit to open for access and ventilation. I keep the slit closed with some spring clamps.

How to make a Bucket Drip Irrigation System

I search all over the Interweb thingy for simple instructions on making a bucket drip irrigation system. A little late in the season I know but I think the following is good info. Simple instructions on making a Bucket Drip Irrigation System: I am thinking about adapting a system to my Vertical garden using these principles.
Bucket Drip Irrigation
For more information or to see where this came from, click here

HOW TO SAVE TOMATO SEEDS

Picture- Marie Iannotti

I thought you just dried them and that was it- Turns out there's a bit more to it -here, Marie Iannotti shows step by step how to save tomato seeds

How to make Your own Organic Potting Soil

My friend Red-Icculus of Red-Icculus Blog has a sure fire organic potting soil recipe. Take a peak at RED-ICCULUS' POTTING SOIL RECIPE.

DIY COLD FRAME

Why do all the cool ideas come after spring, when I should be all planted and rested? Here is a cool Cold Frame hacked from some Ikea Gorm Shelving and using some styrofoam, found on Ikea Hacker. A person could save styrofoam- but I never think of saving it. Hats off to Lorene and her DIY COLD FRAME

Easy to make Vertical Garden

Found this on instructables. Some folks are so creative! Especially at instructables. Why pay a fortune for a vertical garden- this version is much cheaper and keeps the cats out! Vertical Garden instructions

How to ReUse Clamshell Containers to start seeds!

Photo by My Urban Garden

I enjoy the Patio Farmers Guild website and blog. Written by an intelligent Patio Farmer, she shows how to grow things in containers on her Patio (thus the name). Anyway, I toured her website and joined the guild immediately, Since I basically do the same here. Well today I looked at the Guild website, and there was an article submitted by My Urban Garden, a Patio Farmer Guild member, on how she re-uses plastic clamshells to start plants- Now I am not saying go out to Trader Joes and O-D on berries in plastic clamshells, But I am saying That if you have some this is a good re-use for them. I am going to try it tonight when I get home!

Planter made from junk

I made a planter out of two old license plates. I like the look:
My cars will live on in one form or another!

Self-Watering Planters- an update to EarthTainers™

This is an update on How to make an EarthTainer™, or self watering Planters (SWP's) after the official SWP'S or EarthTainer™, is the version I make from 5 and 3 gallon buckets

Amazing what you can find on the internet. Here is a self watering container for gardening found at TomatoFest. I have seen similar containers in the stores for $35-$50. It only costs between $18-$25 to make one of these yourself- and here they are giving away the secret for free!
How to make an EarthTainer™ planter as seen at TomatoFest.com
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
And the printed instructions
All that Gary from TomatoFest and Ray, the EarthTainer™ Inventor ask is that you make a voluntary contribution to the Feed The Children organization http://www.feedthechildren.org/
UPDATE: I made an EarthTainer™ out of two five gallon buckets- Those are FREE! I simply followed the same design principle and voila! My first EarthTainer™ I promise I will post a pic in the near future!

Photo Update: my EarthTainer with garlic scapes!

A few have commented on my SWP's, and a few more have sent me emails asking how to make them. Well luckily I had one more Pepper to transplant so I needed to make one. The actual idea comes from Gary Ibsen's Tomatofest website, where they are called EarthTainers™. He and his friend Ray,(the original inventor of the EarthTainer™) ask that if you use their design that you simply make a donation to Feed the Children. Since I basically use the same directions- no problem. I just wanted a free or cheaper way of making the SWP's instead of buying roughneck totes to make them. Cheap Veggie Gardner should appreciate this stinginess thriftiness.
Anyway if you don't want to look at the videos, here is how I make SWP's
First I get 2 buckets in this case a 5 gallon and a 3 gallon bucket. You can get these from restaurant type places- just ask! (Thanks Wah Kue Café!)

Then in one bucket cut a hole big enough for a plastic planter or a tomato can to fit in this case I am using a galvanized steel planter I had laying around. If you have access to hole saws this is easy. Or use a jig saw. A jab saw or drywall saw will work as well, This time I used a jigsaw.

Then make a hole towards the side of the same bucket big enough to fit a piece of PVC Tubing through.

Then drill some holes in your tomato can or planter.

Most buckets will fit together leaving about 2" of room between the two buckets- I don't have to worry here as I am using a 3 gallon and a 5 gallon This is good as the bucket will have some room between the upper bucket –or planter and the 2nd bucket or “reservoir”. If it doesn’t HAve this lip or the top bucket goes all the way down simply insert a brick or a couple of rocks in the bottom bucket to raise the top bucket.

That done, drill a hole in the bottom bucket, taking note where the top bucket’s bottom is. Drill the hole just below the bottom of the top bucket. Put the PVC tubing in the hole you made for it.

. . Now fill it with about two cups of soil into your tomato can/planter, fill with water.
Fill the rest of the top bucket with soil and make sure to water a bit between layers of soil or compost. Until it is full and wet. Some times I rip up old t-shirts and make a “wick” throughout the planter. But I have seen no evidence yet in the planters I have done this to that it is any better than letting the soil “wick” the planters. Then plant your plant or seeds in it. When watering fill the bottom bucket through the PVC tube until water comes out the drain hole you drilled. You now have a Self watering planter! Very nice if your forget for a day to water or you go out of town for a weekend. Saves on water as well. If you like you can cut the lid to the bucket, leaving only a ring, then take a garbage bag or you can use a plastic shopping bag put over the bucket and snap your ring on- works as a mulch cover!

How to grow Sweet potato Slips

I was cruising the internet, and I came up on how to grow sweet potatoes. Now I grow potatoes in the condo but this interests me very much I am gonna have to try this. Here is the article, by Gary Nelson on B-net.com from "Flower and Garden" magazine

One More Planter from Found Stuff

Cilantro in a container made from a plumbing part

Planters from found stuff- Part III

I took two of the most hideous lamps ever, took them apart, reassembled and made two planters
for patio tomatoes

Before

After

How (and when) to plant Garlic

How to Plant Garlic

How to plant Tomatoes in a pot

I was perusing the interweb thingy and found a video explaining how to plant tomatoes in pots:

Growing tomatoes in pots

Planters from found stuff part II

This potato basket makes a great planter for my coral belles and a hosta to grow in. JUst lined it with a coco-fibre mat and filled with potting soil and the plants!

Trellis

I needed another trellis in the garden for my Aunt Shirley Squash to grow up on. I had these plastic border fence pieces I bought at a yard sale some time ago, so I stuck them onto two steel fencing posts and have a trellis that is right at home with the trellis next to it!

How to make seed balls

Picture: heavy petal blog

I recently hosted a giveaway on Rob's World. I gave away seed ballz a great product made by disabled adults. I recently found out how to make seed balls. This is great for guerilla gardening. You simply throw a few seed balls on a vacant lot. And PRESTO! A flower filled meadow. They are also great for regular gardening- Birds don't eat the seeds- they grow great! Thanks to Andrea at Heavy Petal Blog for this great post!

How CVG Makes his own Topsy Turvy planters

CVG's topsy turvey planter





My friend, Cheap Vegetable Gardner makes some amazing things on the cheap. In this post he shows how to make your own upside down tomato planters out of a 2 litre soda bottle. It's great to have such smart, creative friends!




UPDATE: My upside down tomato planters:

How to make a Potato Condo

Easy to make! Mine is 3' X 3', First I took some old 2X4's and cut to 3' lengths, then tooks some 1X6" fencing boards and cut them to 3' lengths, Screwed them to the 2X4's and then I stapled some landscape fabric to the backside.You can use old rugs or sheets or even cardboard-you don't need to use landscape fabric- I jut happened to have a roll laying around! Flip it over and fill with dirt and your potato starts. As the potatoes grow, add more side boards and dirt, the nice thing is when harvest time comes simply unscrew and remove the boards and easy harvesting! Here is a hint- try using hex head sheet metal screws instead of drywall screws on the boards for easier removal!I will update with photos in the coming months so you can see the progress!

ReUsing Golf clubs in the garden

Another great Idea from The Salvage Studio:

I finally found a good use for Golf Clubs- Growing tripods for Sweet peas. Very simple to make- just take three golf clubs put together and wrap with wire. Very cool. Don't have any clubs at home? they are just a couple of dollars at the thrift stores!