The EarthTainer II WaterMizer Edition - - New, Improved...and FREE!
 

As many of you have followed the saga of the EarthTainer construction on TomatoFest, as well as the "Myth-Busters Trials", I have now field-tested an improved version and it is available on the TomatoFest Website here:

[URL]http://www.tomatofest.com/pdfs/EarthTainer-Construction-Guide.pdf[/URL]

The primary improvement has been to incorporate a 5" diameter wicking basket instead of the 9" by 9" large square basket.

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_6032.jpg[/IMG]

This permits 20% more potting mix in the same 31 gallon container for greater plant / root development and parses the water to the tomato plant so that the mix remains in the "Moist" range, reducing water usage and that lost to evaporation (hence the moniker: "WaterMizer") . . . catchy, don't you think?

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_6040.jpg[/IMG]

Anyway, the Price is right - FREE so enjoy and by the way, I have included simple instructions on how to retrofit your existing EarthTainer I to the improved design.

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_6258.jpg[/IMG]

Ray:D

Thanks for all the great information Ray.
I plan to build an EarthTainer for the sole purpose of growing ginger. I've never been able to keep up with ginger's watering needs in the past.


~Woodchuck

reply
 

THanks for the new info! I have asked for totes for Christmas. People are thinking I am crazy :lol:
Kat

Ray, so you are relying solely on capillary effect for the water to wick up through the landscaping fabric as the wicking basket is covered when you apply the fabric, correct? Ami

Ami,

Yep, hard to believe that this new smaller wicking basket keeps 3.3 cubic feet of potting mix quite moist. I never would have believed it - - but here is proof positive of a Purple Haze planted in early August, and is now doing well into November in its EarthTainer II design:

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_6349.jpg[/IMG]

The wicking action permeates through the landscape fabric just fine, and my goal is to contain the root system from growing down into the water reservoir.

Ray:)

A beautiful work, and parts cost $41 for tall toms, which is quite a savings over the EarthBox, $87.90* -- plus shipping!! * EarthBox base is $54.95 and $32.95 for the tomato staking system, and that's only 61" tall, a full 15" shorter than EarthTainer+extension. Add in any savings you might get with bulk buys and sale items and you could save not only lots of money but also lots of water.

cdevidal,

I want to be clear that the EarthTainer is not a competitor to the EarthBox product from the good folks at the EarthBox Company. Blake and his Company are doing many humanitarian projects around the world, and I support them as a "customer" for their Automated Watering System and I own EarthBoxes purchased from them too.:yes:

In doing any cost comparison, you also need to count in your time and tools to the final equation. I roughly calculated my "true" cost of each EarthTainer is closer to $100 at the end of the day, which is more expensive than an EarthBox ready to use.

Having said that, my concern with the EarthBox (for me) was that it only held about 1.5 cubic feet of potting mix, and I wanted a vessel that would hold at least 3 cubic feet in order to grow large heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn. The 31 gallon Rubbermaid size 'Tainer fit the bill perfectly.

So if you are planting vegetables such a peppers, the EarthBox is an ideal solution. If your goal is really big tomato plants and crops such as sweet corn, then building an EarthTainer may be the way to go. It's nice to have choices.....:):)

Ray

After reading all these posts and going over to TF and reading your updated instructions, AND after Ami's question, I am not crystal clear on one point. When you put the landscape fabric into the bottom, do you cover the hole made for the wicking basket so that there is soil to fabric to soil contact, or do you do a cut out of the landscaping fabric over the new 5" wicking basket???:?!?: :?

Ted,

I first fill the 'Tainer with water until it hits the level of the overflow holes. Then I fill the 5" diameter wicking basket with potting mix and compress it down so it is thoroughly wet. I mound it up like the top of a cupcake about 1" above the surface of the aeration bench (This is to account for any long term compression inside the wicking basket). You never want an air-pocket to develop in between the landscape fabric and the top of the potting mix in the wicking basket or the system will stop wicking.

Next, I place the landscape fabric on top of the aeration bench, wet it over the mound of potting mix, and then pat it with my hand to commence the moisture transmission. No slits at all in the landscape fabric, other than to skirt around the filler tube. I then add the 3.3 cubic ft. of potting mix, 2" layers at a time, soaking it with water to make sure the entire mix is moistened.

Do you think I need more clarity in the Guide, and if so, I will add these above details in the next Rev.:?!?:

Ray

Ray, I just went back and re-read the instructions. My experience as a tech writer tells me this.

If I had never seen the instructions for your first versions, I might assume no cutout over the wicking basket. I also might not catch the importance of the mounding and packing of the wicking basket. You had a lot of emphasis on the contact of the wicking area to the main body in the previous versions. If it were me, I would add something (like the paragraph you wrote in your previous post above) somewhere near step 3 or step 4 on page 13. I think it's very important that you be crystal clear on the packing down and the mounding and its importance. The folks who have already made some of the original designs need something to catch their eye or they might skim-read and miss this important change. This additional paragraph would give you a chance to really emphasize the point.

Besides, if two or more people named "Ted" ask the same or a similar question, .......Well........you know..........;) 8)

While explaining the mounding over the wicking basket is a
good idea, I think people who miss that will probably get away
with it, simply because any landscape fabric that will absorb
water will also stretch when pressure is applied to it while it
is wet. The same pressure that compresses container mix
in the wicking basket would also push the landscape fabric
above it down into the top of the wicking basket, so soil to
fabric contact will be maintained.

Edit:
(There is no way for pressure above the fabric to compress the container
mix in the basket without pushing the fabric down into it too.)

There may be a different issue that instructions to mound up soil
above the wicking basket before adding landscape fabric may help
with, which is setting the whole thing up dry before adding any
water.

One thing to try: take a wicking basket on its own, outside the container,
and fill it with dry container mix, then set it in a bowl of water. After it
soaks up the water, check the level of mix in the wicking basket
to see if it still comes up to the top. Even if that happens (if users set
up the whole thing with dry container mix then add water via the fill
tube), the weight of mix above the fabric may still deform it down into
the gap created as container mix in the wicking basket loses volume
when it soaks up water the first time.

Instructions to mound up mix in the basket before adding the landscape
fabric should eliminate possible problems with setting the whole thing
up dry before adding water via the reservoir (which is the way most
gardeners transplant and repot: they use dry mix, wet it once the plant
is transplanted, then fill in a little around the top to level the mix
in the container).

Hi Dice,

My assessment is that the landscape fabric is quite inelastic, and does not stretch under weight. My concern is that with the water reservoir constantly filling and dropping via wicking, I was concerned that the potting mix in the basket would be depleted over time.

As the weight of the 3.3 cubic feet of the potting mix holds the inelastic fabric in place, it is not very likely that the area over the wicking basket will "droop" down into the wicking basket.

It only takes a broken air gap if 1/4" or so to prevent the moisture in the water reservoir from wicking up into the 3.3 cu. ft. potting mix. So I erred on the conservative side to make the 1" mound over the wicking basket to compensate for the settling that will naturally occur. Also, by making that cupcake mound initially, the landscape fabric is then in a convex form, and will leave flexing of the material to eventually form a concave shape as the mix in the wicking basket settles. Make sense??

Ray

[quote]Make sense?[/quote]
Sure, I think it is a good idea. It is just that most of the
landscape fabric that I have used was fairly soft and pliable
once it was wet, and I still think that stuff may deform into
the hole with wet soil above it. (I have seen so-called
"commercial grade" landscape fabric that was made of different
material, seemed like a plastic or some kind of fiber with a slick
coating on it, that probably does not have the same
characteristics).

I can see fine material being carried out of the wicking basket
by water over time and dispersing in the reservoir, so it makes
sense that the original mix in the wicking basket will lose
volume. I did not particularly pack it in there this year, because
I was not using landscape fabric beneath the container mix and
expected no problems with wicking, but I will probably
remember this detail the next time I set one up.:-)

I will be building several "tub" types for next year. I am electing to cover sides of the wicking device with landscape fabric as well. This is solely to minimize the amount of material from being carried off by the water.

Ray, have you thought about cutting an "X" (of some size) in the landscape fabric over the wicking basket, to help minimize the settling of the growing medium???

Ted,

Here is proof-positive as to why I will NOT cut any openings in the landscape fabric:

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_5276.jpg[/IMG]

The root system will clog up the wicking basket if you cut an "X" in the landscape fabric above it. The cupcake mound is the best way that I have found to assure continuous contact of the potting mix in the wicking basket with the mix above the landscape fabric layer.

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_6218.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_6226.jpg[/IMG]

Ray:)

Ray, as long as you emphasize the need to overfill the wicking basket with the potting mix to ensure contact with the fabric in the instructions, that should be enough. As the fabric is a new addition or player the newbees may not understand the importance.
Questions, how many EarthTainers could you comfortably place on an acre parcel. Given a commercial hybrid tomato variety how many pounds of fruit do you think a tainer with two plants could produce per crop? I think you know where I'm going with this. Thanks and your doing a super job Ray!
Ami

I will be interested to see what the bottom of the platform looks
like after a full growing season with the landscape fabric.
(I wonder if several layers of newspaper would work.)

Thanks Ami.;)

dice, I am concerned that the aggressive root system will penetrate the newspaper with the roots growing down into the water reservoir.

Yes, this is "trail and error" experimenting with various elements of the design, but I am trying to develop a system whereby I can get a 3 year life cycle out of the 'Tainer before complete disassembly and refilling. My plan is to refresh the 'Tainer each season with one-third new potting mix to have the growing medium be reasonably consistent in wicking properties over 3 year terms.

I am also keeping most of the 'Tainers in year-around growing operation (onions, snow peas, carrots, etc) over the Fall / Winter here in Northern California, so these guys are earning their keep.:D

Ray

[quote]I am trying to develop a system whereby I can get a 3 year life cycle out of the 'Tainer....[/quote]

Ah. The newspaper would likely only last one season, regardless
of whether it effectively resisted root penetration the first
season.

(I have used several layers of it to repress turf under a new
raised bed, which it did well. The only turf that grew back was
at the edges outside the walls of the raised bed. This is the
same turf that routinely penetrates landscape fabric that I
have used around shrubs. But when I put a shovel in the
raised bed that deep the next spring, all traces of the
newspaper layer were gone, broken down into unrecognizable
bits of organic matter by bacteria, fungi, and earthworms.)

This is not only very informative, but also quite interesting. I especially like the landscape fabric feature.

Thank you.

Moonglow,

While I didn't want to add the extra step (and cost) of the landscape fabric, that is the only way that I could "throttle-back" the aggressive root migration through all the aeration holes and wicking basket into the water reservoir.

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_5262-2.jpg[/IMG]

This containment will make Fall clean-out of the root ball easier as well.

Ray;)

Ray, this is my first season growing tomatoes and I grow them in Square Foot Success Kits (Gardener's) and I also have one EB. I'm curious to see the roots of my tomatoes when it's clean-up time.

Awesome Haiti program. I did notice a "Balikbayan Box" in one of your photos. Do you have Philippine ties? I sent some seeds to friends and (I am) urging them to grow a tomato plant or two. Imagine each household with a tomato plant: food on the table and better air quality! :cute:

Anyhow, thank you again for sharing this valuable info.

[I]"I did notice a "Balikbayan Box" in one of your photos. Do you have Philippine ties?"[/I]

Moonglow,
You have a very good eye!:surprised:

Actually, my daughter-in-law's parents are from Bulacan. Son is becoming proficient in the Tagalog language to communicate with her in-laws there.

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_6319-2.jpg[/IMG]

Ray:D

There was a brief mention of lining the basket with fabric too.

I think if you used a large enough square of fabric so that you had a couple of inches extending around the top of the basket, that would do 2 things.

1 As mentioned in an earlier post, it would keep the fines from washing out of the wicking basket.

2 If there is an inch or 2 of fabric all around the top of the basket but laying to the outside, when you lay the full fabric over the top it will provide a secondary wicking contact.

It would add a bit to the cost as you would need a bit more fabric, but might make the wicking more sure.

To measure how big the square would need to be, run a string down 1 side, across the bottom and up the other side. The length of the string plus your overlap is the length of the side of the square. I usually add a bit more to the measurement to account for "bunching". Yes there will be some folding and bunching up as you push the fabric down in the basket, but it should work.

Just something to think about.

Beautiful family, Ray. That's very impressive, your son learning the dialect. My late maternal grandmother is also from Bulacan :cute:.

Perhaps there will be a similar ETII program in the Philippines. Tomatoes are very much part of the Filipino diet. "One Planter at a Time" can do a lot of good to one family (that's what I say/dream at least). Fortunately, there are seedling banks now (there). I just do not know if local governments take advantage of it.

I have been away for a while so forgive me if this is a silly question.
I have several homemade earthbox types and have not bothered to restrict the roots from growing down into the water chamber. My tomatoes grow well and produce well , and at the end of the season the water chamber is full of roots.
Question is why is this bad.
I have a couple of toms growing in a bought hydroponic system and they have mats in the bottom of the pots to stop the roots, but I think this is so they dont clog up the valve that sits in the nutrient resevoir.
Or is it bad to have tomatoes with their roots constantly in water?

[Why keep roots out of water reservoir]
It is not necessarily going to affect the plant negatively,
it is just that there is more risk of root disease in an anaerobic
environment than in a rooting medium with plenty of air space.
(Hydroponic setups may be different because of the fairly
constant movement of the water.)

A study I read on biocontrols for fusarium attacking geraniums
in greenhouses found (just by accident, not really what they
were looking for) that disease incidence was consistently
reduced in the container mix that had the most large pore
air space (they were using multiple commercial container
mixes), across all of the different biocontrols that they
tried as well as the uninoculated control plants.

(The reservoir in the bottom of a self-watering container is
rather severely lacking in large pore air space.)

Edit:
Some plants, bog plants and the like, would not care at all about
having roots in the water reservoir, that is their natural, hereditary
condition. That is perhaps not the case for tomatoes, though,
given how much trouble growers have with diseases that thrive
in wet soils and commonly infect the plant through damaged roots.

Mantis,

Note: I just continue to be amazed by the collective knowledge of folks on this Forum (dice, and many others).

Now for my answer to your question of not wanting the roots to grow through the aeration bench and wicking basket - -

I AM JUST PLAIN LAZY!!!:twisted:

My goal is to not have to take each EarthTainer apart every season and clean out all the roots out of the water reservoir, but to get a 3 year life cycle before having to do this time consuming operation.

My hope is that the landscape fabric will contain the root ball entirely above the aeration bench and wicking basket so I will be able to simply yank the old tomato plant out with the majority of the roots attached, then trowel in one cubic foot of replacement potting mix for the next season.

So that is my (un)scientific answer, Mantis - - although I will unabashedly lay claim to: "What dice said....":))

Ray

Thanks Dice and Ray
I sort of thought that might be the case Ray. My boxes are much smaller than yours, so taking them apart at the end of the season is not hard. :yes: :yes:

Mantis,

The "beauty" of the EarthTainer is its integrated tomato cage system:

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_5303.jpg[/IMG]

The "curse" of the EarthTainer is its integrated.......

So, disassembly of the system is more complex and time consuming - - hence my design goal of having to do that not after each season, but to get 3 years use before a complete disassembly is required.

Only time will tell if the landscape fabric treatment will minimize the root migration into the water reservoir. Isn't "science" fun??

Ray:twisted::twisted: