Bring Out the Pool

The combination of using a pool and buckets is a great one. The buckets should have no bottom. I use a table saw to cut the bottom out of my buckets. It basically becomes a tube.

I prepare the pool by using a hot pipe for a poker and making five holes at the bottom of pool for drainage. I try to stay away from the edges when making holes in my pool. I used a 1/2" pipe heated by a torch and applied to the bottom of the pool.

The next step is to cover the holes with landscaping fabric.  Why not leave the holes? Answer: BUGS I do not want bugs crawling into my pool and living near the roots of my plants. The bugs I have seen are sow bugs, ants and termites.

The next step is to layer the pool with spoiled hay and soil. I used two layers of hay. I have plenty after scything my yard.

For soil I used cheap bags of soil/manure. It is about three dollars a bag. I also add any old buckets of soil from last year plantings.

These are the buckets that I emptied in which I am going to cut the bottoms out. That is basically it for the pool. The next step is using the buckets and placing them on top of the pool. The transplants will grow in the bucket and extend their roots into the pool.

Why all the fuss. Where I live I cannot take the chance that some ground critter will destroy my small garden. By using the pool I insure the hope that I will have some produce.

So far my garden without a pool is doing well, but for how long?

Can you see my first pepper?

This year I used my Halloween candy containers for growing lettuce. Take a look:

This lettuce was a test. I first started the seeds in a zip lock bag on a paper towel. They sprouted in days. I used the sprouts about a month later. The sprouts were overgrown but still worked. I left the sprouts on the paper towel and then ripped the sheet in half and planted each half in these containers.

Lettuce is hard to grow in containers. They are hard to come up and dry out very easily. I solved the solution to all my problems. By leaving the sprouts on the paper towel the towel keeps the sprouts wetter than without it. You simply bury the paper towel with sprouts and watch them grow.

Continue to view my posts. My next post will continue with my pool garden with my transplants. Take care....Larry

Brainstorming: I thought of a better way to make a hole at the bottom of my buckets than by saw. I am going to use my heated pipe and make holes in a circular pattern at the bottom of the bucket. It will still give me a huge hole at the bottom of my bucket and yet the bucket will remain more solid. I'll show you later by picture.