Julie Bowersett

juliebowersett{at}gmail{dot}com
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Tuesday
May172011

And Now for Something Completely Different:  EarthTainer

I spent a good part of this past weekend, and all of date night, working on a DIY project with my husband.  Now, that might not sound like fun to many of you but let me reassure you that both of us had a great time.  We have now invested quite a bit of time and money in the hopes of having home grown tomatoes in suburbia this summer. 

A few weeks ago my spouse came across an article describing a self-watering tomato-growing container called an EarthTainer using items commonly acquired at the home improvement store.  A few of the necessary items proved a little tricky to find but we persevered and soon had everything we needed.  The base of the unit is made from two large storage bins; there is a water reservoir in the bottom that makes it difficult to either under- or over-water the tomatoes.  This planter is the creation of Ray Newstead who has written a 20-page PDF meticulously detailing every step needed to build your own.  This man has thought of everything and offers lots of practical advice on the process of building the containers and planting your tomato plants as well as constructing a support cage for the growing tomatoes (which we have not added yet done, see below).  The steps were not difficult and we easily completed two containers in a couple of hours.  Our plants are in place and we now anxiously await the arrival of our first tomato (which, by my calculations should be worth approximately $73.48/pound).  Here are a few photos of our progress along with the finished product.

Under construction

Inner support shelves complete

Drilling the drainage holes

The completed unit ready for planting; the white pipe is for adding water

Plants in and moisture barrier in place

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Reader Comments (4)

You are just awesome Jules! I will be over for my freshly jarred sauce as soon as you say it is ready! Remarkable! REALLY!

May 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterAmy Juras

Will they need cages? If so will that make a difference or do you just put the cage on top of the plastic? Cool project!

May 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTera Crisalida

The instructions include how to make an elaborate cage system that snaps onto the rim of the container. We haven't finished that part, yet, but these will have some sort of caged support for the plants.

May 18, 2011 | Registered CommenterJulie Bowersett

Excellent implementation and construction! I really like the cage adaptation as folks will be able to find a similar cage locally. Hope you have excellent tomato production this Season! - Ray

May 27, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterRay Newstead

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