Helpful hints for building coops

[CapricornFarm]

I will do my best.
Do those totes have drain tile/pipes in the bottom ? I am going to try that method with some sugar snap peas in smaller containers..

this is the inside bucket which will be filled with potting mix.
the large hole is 3" diameter. the smaller drain holes are 1/2" . the filler tube is 1" thin wall pvc. the hole it fits (very snugly) into is 1 1/4".
we use hole saws for cutting the two large holes.
the wicking pot fits perfectly into the 3" hole.
the pvc filler tube is cut at an angle and I had to twist and turn it to get it into the hole, but it is a nice snug fit when done.

View attachment 2203460

the 3" wicking cup and a piece of landscaping cloth.
we put the landscaping cloth inside the wicking cup to prevent the wicking material from washing out of the cup. the cup will always be submerged in water.
we pack the potting soil into the cup quite firmly.
then we insert the "holy" bucket inside of the reservoir bucket and put the wicking cup into the hole. take a scoop of potting mix and pat it down so it makes good contact with the soil in the wicking cup.

View attachment 2203462

this is the overflow hole in the reservoir bucket.
It is drilled about 1/2" below the bottom of the "holy" bucket inside.
It creates an air space between the bottom of the "holy" bucket and the top of the water level. whick allows excess water to drip out of the "holy" bucket ..
I made the drain hole 1/2" because that is the size I had in the drill already.
you could make the drain hole larger, but keep in mind,,,the bottom of the hole is the dimension you want to maintain from the bottom of the "holy" bucket.
View attachment 2203470
for best results, the buckets should be identical.
and the drain hole might vary according to the type of buckets use.
It seems like a lot of work, but once it is finished, the buckets will last for years.
maybe painting the buckets will prevent them from the sun's rays to make them last longer ?
I would like an opinion on that..
....jiminwisc....

Yes, it should. I painted the PVC pipes I used to build a filter system for the koi pond. Painted them black, and they blended in well and I didn't have to replace them.

 

[jvls1942]

thanks Cappy, I kind of thought it would. I have a gallon of good white paint I will use.
It rained all day here, and still more to come tonight and tomorrow before it is over. we got 3.03" so far..
Annie checked for any seeds sprouting yesterday. found a bean with a little sprout.
this rain should help the beans and corn to finally sprout. planted them 2 weeks ago.
.....jiminwisc......

 

[CapricornFarm]

thanks Cappy, I kind of thought it would. I have a gallon of good white paint I will use.
It rained all day here, and still more to come tonight and tomorrow before it is over. we got 3.03" so far..
Annie checked for any seeds sprouting yesterday. found a bean with a little sprout.
this rain should help the beans and corn to finally sprout. planted them 2 weeks ago.
.....jiminwisc......

I soak mine overnight, then plant them. They germinate faster that way.
Oh, and on painting plastic...it helps if you rough up the surface with sandpaper so the paint adheres better.

 

[jvls1942]

good second full day of summer.
still getting rain just about every day or night.
Yesterday I bought 12ea 1''x10' thin wall pvc pipes. I cut a couple in half fir tomato stakes.
nice and sturdy.. $1.5o per pipe. they should last for years.
I also picked all of the suckers off of the indeterminate plants. didn't see any on the Romas.
pulled all of the weeds. there weren't many of those except in one container.
I also trimmed off many lower leaves to enhance air flow down below..
bought 600 assorted zip ties for about $4.oo. makes tying the tomatoes up easier than using strings.
.....jiminwisc.....

 

[aart]

still getting rain just about every day or night.

Dayum!! All that is missing us, dying over the lake it seems.
It's dry here.

 

[CapricornFarm]

good second full day of summer.
still getting rain just about every day or night.
Yesterday I bought 12ea 1''x10' thin wall pvc pipes. I cut a couple in half fir tomato stakes.
nice and sturdy.. $1.5o per pipe. they should last for years.
I also picked all of the suckers off of the indeterminate plants. didn't see any on the Romas.
pulled all of the weeds. there weren't many of those except in one container.
I also trimmed off many lower leaves to enhance air flow down below..
bought 600 assorted zip ties for about $4.oo. makes tying the tomatoes up easier than using strings.
.....jiminwisc.....

They have some sort of machine now to tie up plants!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Going tomorrow to buy some supplies to help build the new goat house. 8x12 should be good, will give me space for food storage. This will be the largest one I have built yet.

 

[jvls1942]

I looked up the plant tie machine on amazon.
unavailable. it would be good if a person had hundreds of vines to tend to.
I don't mind tying by hand. It gives me time to inspect for shoots and blighted leaves etc.
might be working between scattered rain shower for the next few days..
I am thinking about building a set of saw horses.
the ones I have are always doing something else when I need them. I built them probably 30 years ago.
Cappy, only 8'x12' ?? you know the rule, build it larger than you think you might need it..
..........jiminwisc.......

 

[exoticedes]

I don't recall seeing the original post.
but, that seems kinda small for 9 chickens.

I'm not sure if that's the exact measurements, it may be slightly bigger. We have 2 pullets to my bf mom and 1 of the birds is a rooster lol

 

[jvls1942]

I got all of the tomatoes moved. 32 containers.
I don't plan on staking all of them. I will only do the determinates if they need it later on.
..

the 10 way to the left on the platform are self watering buckets. first time I am trying them.
.