Yesterday I bought two under-the-bed plastic storage boxes with lids which I intend to convert into a quadgrow style system for courgettes, to help with watering while I am on holiday. (They hold about 45l and can accommodate 4-5 pots, with a bit of structural support, I think!) There are a couple of variables I am not sure about. One, which I think I will just have to experiment with - the width of the capillary feeding material. Strips, or triangles like Quadgrow uses? Does it matter? I guess I shall find out. The other is with regard to plant food, which I am less inclined to experiment with (as the implications of getting it wrong might be more drastic.) With the Quadgrow I have used their food, following their instructions. But I wondered if they use a weaker solution as it's a constant feed. i.e. how much plant food should I put in my faux quadgrow? The amount suggested on the bottle per litre? Maybe I should start another thread...?! p.s. any suggestions as to how to make 3cm holes in plastic?!
This is quite an interesting discussion, I wonder if the DIY quadgrow system massively increases the humidity. Tomatoes are way more likely to suffer blight under those conditions. I reuse glass drinks bottles and drill two or three small holes in the top, which drips out over the following hours (typically 6-24 hours depending on the holes). I find this is enough to prevent any wilting on the hottest days, alongside my watering of them in the evening.
As for drilling holes in plastic, it depends on how think the plastic is. If you don't have a hole saw you could drill a small hole and stick a hacksaw blade through it. How round does it have to be!?!
I had blight two years ago, but so did my neighbours and the local allotment (where, er a couple of my plants were purchased.) I would have thought that the Quadgrow system's forcing you to put the plants really quite close together might be an issue for disease rather than, or as much as, or in addition to (!) the water tank? I do grow mine outside though, so would have thought humidity isn't such an issue. And since the blight devastation, I always grow a few blight resistant ones just in case... However I was going to put courgettes on my homemade one, so mildew might be encouraged. (Although growing mildew resistant ones. Blight disaster year was also mildew disaster year. I am thinking this was largely weather-exacerbated.) I may not actually use/fill the tank until I go on holiday. I can move them on and off it.
Current thinking on the holes is either to drill a few small ones and join the dots, so to speak, or get a hole cutting attachment for my drill. Either way will have to hope the plastic doesn't crack, as the lid will be supporting the pots (with a bit of help.)
I have made my first Ikeagrow (!) system. Capillary matting wicks. Small blocks of wood inside the container to support the weight of the pots, as the Ikea lids are a bit flimsy and hinged down the middle. Drill with circle-cutting attachment used to make the holes in the Ikea base, lid (to allow filling) and the pots. Hopefully it will be a success. Only porblem was that I discovered, as I was potting up the pots, that there is an entrance to a bee home, which is under some steps, bottom right. The bees were a little disconcerted.
I suppose if one tried to put tomatoes or taller things on here, there is a chance they might topple off. I am going to construct one or two more. I will use one for peppers and aubergines. Was thinking of putting inca berry plants in the toher.
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There are a couple of variables I am not sure about.
One, which I think I will just have to experiment with - the width of the capillary feeding material. Strips, or triangles like Quadgrow uses? Does it matter? I guess I shall find out.
The other is with regard to plant food, which I am less inclined to experiment with (as the implications of getting it wrong might be more drastic.) With the Quadgrow I have used their food, following their instructions. But I wondered if they use a weaker solution as it's a constant feed. i.e. how much plant food should I put in my faux quadgrow? The amount suggested on the bottle per litre?
Maybe I should start another thread...?!
p.s. any suggestions as to how to make 3cm holes in plastic?!
As for drilling holes in plastic, it depends on how think the plastic is. If you don't have a hole saw you could drill a small hole and stick a hacksaw blade through it. How round does it have to be!?!
However I was going to put courgettes on my homemade one, so mildew might be encouraged. (Although growing mildew resistant ones. Blight disaster year was also mildew disaster year. I am thinking this was largely weather-exacerbated.) I may not actually use/fill the tank until I go on holiday. I can move them on and off it.
Current thinking on the holes is either to drill a few small ones and join the dots, so to speak, or get a hole cutting attachment for my drill. Either way will have to hope the plastic doesn't crack, as the lid will be supporting the pots (with a bit of help.)
Hopefully it will be a success. Only porblem was that I discovered, as I was potting up the pots, that there is an entrance to a bee home, which is under some steps, bottom right. The bees were a little disconcerted.