What did you do in the garden today?

[vall]

Just wondering if anyone can tell me how many plants I could water adequately per day from a 5 gallon bucket. Mostly tomatoes and peppers. Also, if this is a bad idea, don't be shy and let me know before I blow some money on a lost cause. Thanks.

How many plants depends on how hot it is. You need to look at something called evapotranspiration rate and water accordingly. If you want a ballpark number, my pineapples in 5 gallon pots get one eighth of a gallon a day and water runs out.

Most drip systems in the hardware store have a minimum PSI requirement. You'll want to look at drippers intended for grey water or well water systems. Something like these: https://www.dripdepot.com/category/drip-irrigation-kits-gravity-irrigation-clean-water-kits I haven't used them myself, though so can't give any more advice then that.

Personally I'd run a PVC line under or above ground and set up a pressurized drip system. PVC is cheap, I added a 100' line last year.

 

[Iluveggers]

Same here, green beans are one of the only veggies I actually enjoy! I don't think I could have too many between eating, canning & freezing, I'll take all I can grow. What zone are you in? So I did throw some more seeds out there. This is my first year with both bush beans & purple. The purple bush beans seem to be slowing down quite a bit, not nearly as prolific as I thought but my only comparison is to the blue lake poles from last year & I think they are extremely good at producing a large bounty so my expectations may be too high.

I sprayed the milk.

Zone 5b. Luckily we aren’t mountainous because I’d be zone 4 an hour north!

 

[gtaus]

Most drip systems in the hardware store have a minimum PSI requirement. You'll want to look at drippers intended for grey water or well water systems.

Thanks for the response.

After watching a number of YouTube videos last night, I learned that the drip irrigation systems I was looking at require a minimum of 15 PSI. I don't have electricity or running water out in the main garden, so that kind of puts the drip irrigation idea to bed.

I am now looking at ways to use a 12v water pump with a rain barrel setup. I hope I can figure something out, if not for this year, at least to get me set up for next year.

 

[Sally PB]

As I walked out to the shed to get the hoe for weeding, it started to thunder. Then it started to sprinkle. I thought Mother Nature was teasing, but to placate her, I went up to the porch.

It poured. I never got to the garden. I got a nap instead.

But, oh man, do I NEED to get it done tomorrow!

 

[WthrLady]

Need some help/direction here. Very little rain this year and my main garden plants are suffering. I don't have access to running water for the main garden. I am thinking about building some type of 5 gallon bucket gravity fed system for my raised beds. Been watching a few YouTube videos on the concept and willing to give it a try. I could buy a Rain Bird® Drip Irrigation Repair and Expansion Kit like this at our local Menards....

View attachment 2757733

That kit at Menards costs about $30.00. Don't have a clue if that is a good deal or should I look elsewhere? Any recommendations on starter kits, or what to buy to build a kit on my own?

I have maybe 60 plants in raised beds that could use drip irrigation. I am thinking that I should have a 5 gallon bucket for each raised bed. Just wondering if anyone can tell me how many plants I could water adequately per day from a 5 gallon bucket. Mostly tomatoes and peppers. Also, if this is a bad idea, don't be shy and let me know before I blow some money on a lost cause. Thanks.

I install drip irrigation all the time. 5 gallon bucket won't cut it. DO you have access to a hose hook up? You can build a hose for cheap, and put a ballcock on the faucet, turn on the faucet and let that run to the small 1/4 inch line with adjustable heads on it. I can't see the details on the bucket system though.
How many beds to you have?

 

[WthrLady]

My great grandparents ran a fruit farm during the 20s and 30s. They generally did well when others did not because they had land and 8 children to work it but they were not rich by any standard old or new. I never knew them but my grandmother would never waste anything. I remember her getting upset that my toddler wouldn't eat bread crust... She thought it was a waste. I know they were very resourceful and bartered a lot but I still feel I'd probably been one of those people who died from starvation or dysentery on the Oregon trail....

OH I LIVE on part of the Mormon trail. They cut across my place.
Sometimes, I'll walk from the bottom of the property and up the hill and look at it and go YUP, I would have left the Mormon Winter camp in Omaha, and made it two blocks, called it quits, and built a house. LOL.

 

[WthrLady]

@gtaus how far away is a faucet to your garden?

====
Heat and humidity shot up today like it finally remembered it was July. We are socked in with smoke to add insult to injurty.
I worked in the sewing room for two hours, and then decided I'd get my trip to town accomplished.
When I got home I picked the garden clean, managed 2 cups of cherry tomatoes and 8 cloudy day tomatoes, which I gave to the elderly couple across the road.
Storms again tonight and tomorrow.

Dog is going to have knee surgery on her other knee sometime in the next two weeks. I'm a sucker for those big beagle eyes. LOL.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Today's harvest.... Not bad considering how dry it's been for the past 30 days.

 

[vall]

Today I replanted corn for fall. I had three papaya drop at once so those are dehydrating in the oven. Picked a basket full of jalapenos and a few other peppers.

My sunflower is over 10 feet tall! I had to stand on my neighbor's retaining wall to get a good photo. Just incredible. It's from a mixed packet too, no special variety.

 

[WthrLady]

I've got a 9 footer, luckily it's down the hill so for photos I just walk up hill of it and shoot at eye level.