Raised Gardens

[PA PATRIOT]

Learned something about my raised garden beds during this heat wave that they dry out much faster then the basic ground garden.

Because of this I had to increase the amount of waterings to the raised beds which got me to thinking that if county water ever stopped the raised gardens would burn up in less then a week if a 90+ degree mark lasted that long.

My current rain water collection system only lasted one and a half days of spot watering so a deep well maybe the only way to ensure a gardens survival. But getting a well dug in a urban city is next to impossible and the nearest creek while close would be a tough haul unless I could rig some type of gas powered pump and storage container that would fit inside the truck.

With spot watering I figure 175 gallons a day would be needed so my next project is now in the works to design a vehicle based water draw pump and transport system to handle my urban gardens water needs should the county water system fail.

Not sure how to do this but Goggle is my friend.

[NC_DAVE]

thats odd cause my raised garden seems to hold water better than what I but in the ground this year. I think the raised beds in my area keep water better due to all the sand in the ground. However the best yeild I have ever had of squash, cucumbers, and tomatos was using 5 gallon buckets.

[SeriousStudent]

Here in Texas, it's not usual to have the temps never go below 100 degrees for a couple of weeks in the summer. I have an herb garden that takes daily watering at that temperature, a couple of the plants need water twice a day to grow.

I'm going to build a wooden frame from old 2x4's I have in the garage, and then use some of the concrete mixing tubs I saw at Home Depot. They were on sale for $5 each. I'll just drill some drainage holes in the bottom before I add the dirt.

The wooden framework will keep the plants out of reach of the rabbits.

I'm working on a drip system with a large drum to catch rainwater. I can use a hand-powered pump to get the water into the elevated drum, then just open a valve to start the drip system.

[Inkslinger]

You can try adding a hydrogel to the soil. It expands and holds water. Also a good layer of mulch will also help retain moister and keep soil temps down.

[HeavyDuty]

We do all container gardening so my wife can get her wheelchair in close - it was easier and more flexible than building raised beds.

We've found SIP (sub irrigated planters) are the way to go by a large margin. We have two homemade Earthtainers built out of Rubbermaid tubs and also several Earthbox and City Pickers commercial SIPs. They give stunning results and work well in the heat with low water consumption.

You may want to look into the concept of SIPs if you want to grow with minimal water - they were initially designed for low water areas.

[PA PATRIOT]

Found a 1" water pump ($149.99) which may work for my water draw and push needs that didnt break the bank. The hose clamps and strain head were inclued with the pump and the cost of the 50 foot 1" no collaspe hose was under $80.00. I still have to find a 200 gallon holding tank that does not weigh a ton but once found this project will be ready for trials.

Surprisingly this project was lower tech and cost then first estimated so far. I will post later once its up and running.


This water pump engine can quickly empty or fill with speeds up to 2220 gallons per hour! Included with the engine are an intake strainer, hose clamps and a spark plug wrench for maintenance. This water pump engine is ideal for any clear water pool, pond or large tank.
•Powerful 98cc 4-stroke overhead valve gas engine:2220 gallons per hour
•Low oil alert
•Recoil start
•EPA certified
Comes with intake strainer, hose clamps and spark plug wrench
3800 RPM
Fuel tank capacity: 0.4 gallon (1.4L)
Oil capacity:0.3 quart (0.3L)
Inlet/outlet: 1"
Overall dimensions: 15.2" (385mm) L x 11.2" (285mm) W x 14.8" (375mm) H
Shipping Weight: 32.25 lb.

[Norseman]

One thing we did with our raised planters to help with pre-mature dry out was to do a layered approach to our soil. In the bottom of the planters we would put about 2" inches of soil (pick your flavor) as a base, then we took out bags (50lbs) of gardening soil and set them flat on top of the soil already in the box. Our boxes are 4x8 so we could pretty comfortably get 4 large bags of soil flat in the box, but dimensions will dictate what can and cannot fit.

Next we simply cut the face of the bags out exposing the soil and then just took a long screwdriver to punch 3 or 4 small holles in the bottom of the bags to allow some drainage into the other soil below. Then take some more loose soil and cover everything up evenly.

The buried bags will help to retain far more moisture over the long haul than standard exposed soil. This is our second season of doing this and have had great luck with it even here in the desert southwest.

As for the pump/container option, I think you are on the right track but have you thought about some form of submersible electric pump that can reside in the tank and run off existing electrical or back up genny?

Just a couple of ideas anyway, good luck with the heat wave, hopefully you guys will get some relief soon.

[PA PATRIOT]

As for the pump/container option, I think you are on the right track but have you thought about some form of submersible electric pump that can reside in the tank and run off existing electrical or back up genny?

Just a couple of ideas anyway, good luck with the heat wave, hopefully you guys will get some relief soon.

I have seen tanks that have electrical submersible pumps in them but for the size of tank I'M hoping to use (200 gallons) and trying to stay low tech the gas pump shown prior has a very high fill and draw rate over the electrical versions I have compared. I want to be in and out as fast as possible as to not leave me and the truck as targets for those needing water.

I have not fired up the pump yet to hear how load it runs but I'm sure I can work on noise reduction if need be.

[Norseman]

Copy that, now I am tracking, this set up needs to be used for delivery to the tank also. Based on that I think you are spot on with your choice. Speed would be the desired end goal for sure.

As for the noise signature, well those little pumps can be loud. My neighbor has a fixed gas driven pump that is used for irrigation on his property and got sick of the noise, he had a muffler shop fab up some pipe to fit his pump using a muffler (BMW I think) that he bought from a local motorcycle salvage yard. Not completely silenced, but WAY better than it used to be. This is something I have been looking at strongly for my generator/welder, just need to verify that the additional back pressure will not hurt anything over the long haul.

[SeriousStudent]

Norseman - thanks very much for the idea on the bags! I'll definitely try that.

I have been looking into xeriscape (low water landscaping). We have a lot of water restrictions here in Texas, due to the terrible drought.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/e...xeriscape.html

Texas A&M University has a lot of excellent resources. They also have some great landscape plants they have developed, including roses that are very drought resistant, and much easier to grow.

And I like the idea of thorny plants next to windows, to help prevent burglars.