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Reusable for years to come. Biggest thing is how much sun they get. Like all plastics - UV exposure eventually does them in. As far as the soil goes - I refresh it season after season. I let whatever is in the container die fully. Remove that plant. Remove any fertilizer salts left over in the trenches that I had placed - doesn’t need to be done with organic fertilizers. I aerate the soil and break it up. Add new fertilizer. And plant new plant. Great results over and over again.

Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy I could be of value. Quite a few folks have been successful finding buckets free of charge. Most notably - pizza shops and other large volume single item eateries. Hope that helps. And hope you’re able to allocate some. Happy Growing.

Thanks for watching and commenting. I’ve seen the wax before but have never personally tried it. Thank you for sharing your success. I’ll try it this coming spring. Happy Growing

Thanks for watching and commenting. I can almost grow them year round in 9a in a container. Which allows me to alter the amount of sunlight they get and help prevent them from heat scald. But every fall they grow great and freeze or dehydrate so well. So they are always on hand. Happy Growing

@@shellyfrancis-sun-energy thank you so much. I’m happy to help. Happy Growing this upcoming season.

@@spir5102 I find container grown plants do so much better compared to in ground plants when it comes to bugs. The elevation plus the slick sides prevents many pests from reaching the base of the plant. Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy Growing

@@spir5102 thank you for watching and commenting. Happy to help.

Thank you.

They love those buckets. Almost time to do it all over again here in my area. Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy Growing

Thanks for watching and commenting. I’ve never had issues with mosquitos and the side holes - or at least to the extent where I’ve noticed them. But definitely on the fill tubes. I like using bottles over the fill tubes to keep evaporation down. And it allows me to squeeze my watering tubes in when needed. Caps are probably even better. Now that you say it, I can probably drill a hole and put watering tube in. And truly keep any and all mosquitos out. Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy Growing

This set up definitely allows for the air gap. Average height of a gallon jug is 6 inches. So putting the hole at 5”. Will allow for a 1” air space and that air will allow for air pruning. The 1” air gap is pretty standard for most wicking tubs/builds. And as the plant uptakes the water. The air gap becomes larger. So it’s dynamic. When I do larger cattle protein tubs for wicking containers. The corrugated pipe is 4” in diameter. And I put the hole at 3”. Same concept. 1” air space. Hope that helps and makes sense. Give the method a try and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for asking. Happy Growing

@@A.L.B.O.E.SouthernHomestead thanks for the prompt reply! I'm still not understanding where you have the air gap for self pruning. The plant roots need to be in an air layer where they will stop their growth. The only air gap I see in this system is inside the milk jug. The plant roots can't get into the airspace in the jug.

@@andygold the holes at the top of the jug allow for air exchange. The roots will not extend beyond that level and into the jug where the air exist. That being said. The potting mix most adjacent to the jug dries out first. And that further promotes root growth down into the bucket in search of water. Hope that makes sense. There is no definitive layer of air. But more of a pocket of air. Helping promote root growth in other areas of the bucket.

The biggest pots I use are repurposed cattle protein tubs. If you have cattle or livestock in your area, these mineral/molasses tubs are fed over the winter. And many ranchers or farmers are looking to discard the tubs just prior to spring. If you don’t have access to that sort of tub, I recommend the 20 gallon or larger grow bags. They work well and hold up for a few years. Thanks for asking. Happy Growing

@@A.L.B.O.E.SouthernHomestead Thanks, i dont have that around here but i was thinking the big black plastic 55gal drums cut into halves should work good also and we have many in out area.

@@TimsCajunAdventures yep. That will work just fine. Ive used those drums for years. I always tried to get the food grade ones when possible.

No. They go off once the doors are closed. And turn on when doors opened. And on momentarily when remote unlocking. Hope that helps.

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Thanks for watching and commenting. Patty pan squash are so versatile. This is one of my families favorite way to use them. Enjoy your summer time treat.

Thank you for watching and commenting. Happy I could help. Happy Growing.

@@mlangfordcamper sure hadn’t. I’ve air layered figs and a few others. But never the persimmons. Surely it’s possible in first year wood/branches. Are you planning to give it a go?

@@AvrilA-l7z thanks you for watching and commenting. Glad I could help. Happy Growing

They definitely will work but will require more frequent watering. For me the 1/2 gallon works best for peppers. Since I keep them longer than just the spring season. Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy Growing

I’ve never tried the mulch that deep. I usually just add a light layer on top to retain the moisture. But I’ll definitely give it a try. Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy Growing

@@christophertaylor2464 thank you very much for watching, commenting, and the sub. Much appreciated.

@@A.L.B.O.E.SouthernHomestead no thank you for the info I have a lot of milk jugs and I have a lot of old PVC pipe and Walmart sells five gallon buckets in the paint section for less than five dollars. I spend a lot of time watering in the dry spells here in central Texas.

With the rack I have shown here. The light can still be seen through the mesh and below the rack. And you can still access the little rear storage container right below the light. Hope that helps.

@@A.L.B.O.E.SouthernHomestead yes that's what I was wanting to know the reverse light is in the exact position as the original brake light.

Thank you. I truly appreciate it. I have some videos I feel would be beneficial to record. And hope to be able to do just that and edit them soon. Happy Growing

In the early stages - when the plant was just transplanted. I will water from the top to help initiate its growing process. But after some time - a week or so. I try to avoid it. Because most bacteria and viruses for plants initiate from the surface soil. And watering from the top, will send it down to the roots. The bacterias get there from bird poop, bugs, etc. Additionally, watering down the tube only will also promote root growth down towards the water and encourage a strong and healthy plant. I pack it hard because I have seen how much it settles if you don’t. Potting mix will ultimately compact. But not enough to prevent water drainage through the medium. Hope that makes sense. Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy Growing

I leave it as high as possible - and even put mulch when it settles below the edge/rim of the bucket, in order to let rain roll off the top and out of the bucket, instead of down and in the bucket/jug. That way if I have fertilizer in the jug/reservoir, there is less of a chance to wash it out. And waste expensive fertilizer.

I’ve never tried that before. But sounds like it would be promising. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for watching and commenting. Happy Growing

Once the adjacent soil achieves complete saturation, the jug does and will hold water as a reservoir. Then as that soil dries. The water releases from the jug to achieve complete saturation up until the water is out/jug is empty. Effectively you are creating a water table very similar to the one below your feet. And it encourages root growth and development in much the same manner for the plants in the bucket. Potting mix (not potting soil) is such a loose medium. The water flows freely and the air movement and drying occurs rapidly. There isn’t really a mud like component ever created for long, if at all. Hope that helps. Give it a shot if you can. And I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Happy Growing

@@A.L.B.O.E.SouthernHomestead Thank you for the explanation! I realized in rewatching it that the big hole you cut out of the jug at 8:00 is not meant to be part of the system but, as you clearly described, "for demonstration purpose only".

The roots will continue into the level below the hole. About mid way down. Since the jug will at times have air in it, something called air pruning of the roots occurs. And this will encourage roots to grow against the bucket wall and down. Additionally, the air pruning will lengthen the time to a plant becoming root bound in the bucket. And I’m speaking of something like a fig tree. Persimmon tree. Black berry bush. Etc. something that will remain in the bucket for a few years or so. I have seen where some people will put river stones or other material inn the lower segment of the bucket. I myself however have never done that due to the added expense. Hope that helps. Happy growing.

Thank you!

Happy to help. Enjoy. Happy Growing.

Exactly. Thank you for watching and commenting. This method can literally be created for pennies on the dollar if you just get creative. Happy Growing

Hahaha. Appreciate the request. I’ll have to see what I can find. Thanks for watching and commenting.

Thank you very much. Happy Growing

3 days in the heat of summer. And a week plus otherwise. Thanks for asking.

Thank you for watching and commenting. The kind words are truly appreciated. I also appreciate the suggestions. I’ve done some bare root transplants before. And have done well with them - definitely agree with you on this method. And I also agree on catching the overflow/excess water if possible. I have some buckets set up on cinder blocks with landscape timber crosses. And I’ve caught the water below and used it before. Definitely a means of saving money and collecting the precious fertile water that would be otherwise lost. Thanks again. Happy Growing.

Thank you

On average once every 5-7 days. Thanks for watching and asking. Happy Growing

I have some fuyu persimmon varieties that are Asian based. And of the ones with less tannin seem to be the best for eating. Not as astringent tasting. I believe a dwarf variety however would be ideal for the container growing for the long term. Thanks for watching and asking. Much appreciated

Thanks for making videos they are great

Have you grown 😊bonanza dwarf peach trees they would also work with your cattle tub method

It’s not stagnant if you have a plant in it that’s growing. The water will be absorbed by the potting mix. And subsequently the plant’s roots. Look up earth boxes and emsco planters. Same premise just for a lot less invested. The wicking method outperforms traditional pot with bottom holes growing by a landslide. The water is available at the root level. And provides bottom up. Instead of top down. Encouraging root growth downward and strengthening the plant. Give it a try and you’ll see. Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy Growing.

Thank you. Happy to hear that my message came across well. Much appreciated. Happy Growing

🫶🏼 much appreciated. Happy Growing

Any size fill tube will work. I use the larger tubes because my hose end fits nicely in them when filling and I often add fertilizers right down the tube. This prevents fertilizer loss, optimizes plant use, and saves money - if you put fertilizer on top, chances are the rain will wash it off and out of the bucket. Hope that helps. Thanks for asking

Thanks for watching and commenting. The Drain hole needs to be higher up. The height I based on the size of the container holding the water. 5” is ideal for a gallon jug. If you used something smaller/shorter than a gallon jug. Then the hole would be lower. Yes the soil at the bottom stays wet. But it’s not enough to hurt the plant based on the total volume of the bucket. Essentially you recreate a water table environment like found naturally in the ground. Unfortunately containers with holes on the bottom will defeat the purpose of the system. The wicking action. And air at rooms system. Hope that helps. Happy growing

Thank you for watching and commenting. The water reservoir in wicking containers definitely helps during those hot days and drought seasons. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Happy Growing