beeziboy - I remember your garden from last year, good setup! Welcome back!

EG

How did the vertical zucchini work out for you? Was there much benefit to it?

Also, why do you have gallon jugs (of water I'm guessing) hanging from the pvc?

Thanks!

The vertical growing zucchini's were great until the worms started in on the roots.

The gallon jugs contained water and 1/4 tubing for drip irrigation.

I too remember that garden. Bravo! Welcome back. Can't wait to see it this year!

What a bunch of ideas in those pics!

Couple of Qs? It looked like some of the tomatoes were planted in buckets in the ground. Can you talk about that?

Second, on some of the beds, you curved black pipe above the white PVC. Can you talk about what you used that for?

Finally, I could see that you used something white to stabilize the middle of the black PVC Xs, but I couldn't see what it was.....

Thanks!

Cherylco: In answer to your first question, I have learned that tomatoes have as much root growth underground as leaf area above ground. These tomatoes are planted in bottomless buckets so the roots can go as deep as they want. As the plant develops, additional compost is added so additional roots will grow along the bare stem.

The black 1/2 inch PVC is to convert the bed to a temporary greenhouse for use in the spring or to extend the growing season in the fall.

The black PVC crosses are stabilized by cutting 1 1/2 inch white PVC pipe into 1/4" pieces on my table saw.

Any more questions?

Mr. Sabel, I want to be like you when I grow up. Did you hand-draw that picture of the pvc corner fastening system? Also, do you have any words of wisdom for us gardening apprentices?

EG

A friend of mine who is an architect drew the drawing for me.

The only words of wisdom I might convey is to keep experimenting. If you never try, you will never know.

Love the pictures! Especially of the trellised pumpkin! I never thought that a pumpkin would hold onto its stem! I also like the old pictures. My husband and I just spent some time on Google maps and Google Earth looking for Kolumbangara. That's neat that you were stationed there...nice looking watermelons!

Hi,

Do you find that the hanging tomato buckets produce as well as tomatoes that are grown directly in the ground? Any quick tips for growing in buckets?

I had a horrible stink bug problem last summer, and I'm thinking that the hanging bucket approach might make it easier to eradicate them this year.

Thank you.

Growing tomatoes in hanging buckets are more of a novelty method of producing tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes do best in the hanging buckets rather than the larger varieties.

For production, I plant my plants in bottomless buckets so the roots can go down in the subsoil as deep as they need to.

Thanks for the information. I've been seeing ads for those Topsy Turvy upside down tomato planters, and couldn't believe that they would do well for actual tomato production. I'll stick with planting them in the ground.