Self-watering Peppers

Came home from a rough day at work, felt the need to accomplish something, so I figured it was time to plant my peppers. I started these things from seed about the same time I started planting everything else. They are no where near the size I would like them to be and I question their strength, however I didn't want to put it off any more. So before I say too much about my peppers, I thought I would talk about the container itself.

It looks simple enough doesn't it, and it really is. The entire point was to build the container inexpensively, and though I didn't get it at 5 dollars it wasn't more than 7. There is a reservoir in the bottom, I made the top of the reservoir with the lid of the container. I used a set of 6 plastic cups, for supports, the wicking basket and a cap for the water tube. The water tube by the way is a 1 quart plastic milk container. I didn't measure the size of the reservoir itself but,  it took 18 liters of water before the reservoir was filled.

 This is the top of the reservoir, you'd have no idea how long it took to cut the lid to fit the way I wanted to, I used my trusty box cutter, and only cut myself 3 times. I used my drill to provide the air holes. I didn't get a good picture of the wicking chamber (a cup with holes drilled in it) but it is there. The wicking chamber is drilled so water flows through it, and it is filled with soil. I use anti-weed cloth to keep the dirt from falling in. Oh, the holes in the reservoir are there to aerate the soil.

The container is filled with soil.

Then I added the pepper plants. The plants closest to me are Jalapeños, there are 4. The far pepper plants are mixed bells, there are 5. The cup is covering the water tube. Oh that is cup six. Cups 1-4 are used for the corners, cup 5 is the wicking basket, and cup six... well there is cup six.

Happy growing.

Patio Garden Update

Well I thought it was time for another installment of "Justin's Patio." I am leading with this picture because I think it is really neat. I love the way my impatiens are thriving, and beginning to spill over the sides of my planters.

The impatiens started going really well early on when I moved them to a place to avoid the morning sun, but I was still having issues with sections of the planters until I added the water globes. They work, and they are really helping my plants, I would like a few more, I will see if I can find them at the Goodwill again. 

Okay, so my strawberries are small, actually they are bigger than they used to be however they do taste like strawberries so I say, "WIN!" They are Ever-bearing Ozark Strawberries, they are beginning to come in stronger and faster as it gets warmer. According to the "direction" June should be my strongest month. Right now my goal is to pick the ripe berries and keep the leads thinned. I need the plant to focus on producing fruit, not vines. It is the trimming of the vines that will help them to grow strongly even this, the first year. 

I have Marigolds that are growing much better than these, however I am spotlighting them because I got them on the 89 cent rack at Lowes and most of the plants didn't have flowers, now given time this bucket should look like an explosion of orange and yellow, it has been a few weeks but they are finally looking comfortable in their own bucket... even willing to grow a little. 

I know they can be hard to pick out among all the other colors but check out my Waxy Begonias. They were also from the 89 cent rack at Lowes, I might transplant them again if I can find another steel bucket for cheap. I am excited about the way they turned out, some of the plants didn't even have one flower, now they are thriving. I love Begonias and I don't care who knows it, if I had some ground they would surely be my cover. 

These are my potatoes, okay so they may be a little hard to see, so take a look at the up close shot. I am begging God to bring some flowers to my red potatoes, I mean it is about time they are HUGE tall like freakin Yao Ming... are potatoes even supposed to be that tall? we will see, I didn't take pics of the back, but one plant has been snapped off under wind, I have since started tying them up.

 

These are my peppers, I started them from seeds, and it seems like they have taken forever, I am probably going to plant them on Friday or Saturday, and I will have an entire post about it, since I built a self watering container for them.  

The whole shebang... hope you enjoyed!!!