Red Party Cups
In our video, BUILD a Global Bucket, we're using 18 oz Kirkland Chinet Premium Heavyweight plastic cups purchased from COSTCO . The 3 1/2" hole saw makes a perfectly sized hole for the 18 oz cup. A 16 oz cup should work fine, but you'll need a smaller hole saw.
"Food Grade" Buckets
A reader wondered if the possibility of plastic leaching from a bucket is a health concern. We do not express any opinion on this question, but if you do have concerns you may want to use "food grade" buckets (buckets that once held food in them).
Irrigation and Root Disease
A viewer from YouTube (jj8a) questioned if root disease could transfer from one bucket to another bucket via the 1/4" tubing in the automatic watering system. This is a great question. To be honest, we don't know the answer. We don't think water or a disease would migrate from the end of one tube in the bottom of one bucket back into the 1/4" tube and then into the main 1/2" line. Why? The siphon is "pointing" away from the 1/2" line towards the bottom of the bucket. It's a one-way force. Perhaps to be on the safe side, we should eliminate the optional "T" in the 1/4" line that feeds two buckets from the 1/2" line. If you're an expert in agriculture who appreciates the siphon's one-way force we would love an expert opinion. Thanks!
Avoid Mosquitoes
The water refill pipe should be covered or capped. In tropical climates, the opening will invite female mosquitoes to breed and consequently diseases such as malaria or dengue could spread rapidly. (from YouTube viewer "asanov" writing from Malaysia)
Editor's Note: Shouldn't be a problem if you're using our automated watering system as seen in the videos.
Use Level Ground
If you're using our automated watering system (see the videos) make sure the buckets are on the same level ground as the reservoir. We had our buckets and reservoir on a sunken patio which had an "invisible to the naked eye" 1/4" per foot drop. The main reservoir was eight feet south of the buckets. This resulted in the bucket's water level two inches too low. Ooops!
Float Valves
This is where we buy float valves: US Plastic Corp
Make sure you get the adjustable valve. We upgraded from the 1/4" to the 1/2" because during the summer the plants were drawing a lot of water from the yellow reservoir and it appeared that the 1/4" valve couldn't keep up with the demand.
Renewable Peat?
"Just so you know, the 'traditional' thinking has been that peat bogs take 10,000s years to form. I have seen college text books that teach this. However recent research has found that Sphagnum moss grows up to 30 inches tall each year. I own 150 acres of forestland which includes peat bog. I can harvest peat, and it does grow back. Allowing re-harvest every 8 years. If I remove a 3 foot thick layer of peat, and come back 8 years later I can do it again. Peat is a renewable resource. Northern Scotland, Ireland, and Finland have been performing renewable harvests of their peat bogs for about 30 years." Galen Young of Argyle, Maine.
Dolomite
Probably the most confusing material is Dolomite. Often it's not labeled as Dolomite, but don't give up, you can find it if you look a little. Dolomite is commonly sold in garden or farm stores.Dolomite is added to the potting mix to:
1) adjust the pH : it lowers the acidity ("sweeten")
2) add magnesium (important!)
3) add calcium (important!)
Key Points When Shopping for Dolomite:
-Often the bag will NOT say "dolomite"
-It might be labeled as "Agricultural Lime", "Agricultural Limestone" or "Garden Lime". Check the ingredients label. It must have CALCIUM & MAGNESIUM.
-"Agricultural Lime" and "Garden Lime" are broad terms. Just remember, if it doesn't say calcium, magnesium or calcium/magnesium carbonate or some variation of this, then it's not dolomite.
-"Hydrated Lime" is not dolomite. Hydrated Lime is highly concentrated, highly caustic and dangerous to handle or breath. Also, it contains no magnesium.
-Any bag of "lime" labeled "DOLOMITE" containing calcium and magnesium is suitable.
-Dolomite can be sold in finely powdered, pulverized or pelleted form. Buy the powdered or pulverized and avoid the pelleted form. The finer the dolomite is ground, the faster it becomes available to the plants. Talcum powder fine is best.
-Price: For a 50lb bag the cost should be US $4.00 to US $6.00
-Acid loving plants, like strawberries or blueberries, only need 1/2 cup or less.
"Soil" Recipes
You can NOT use ordinary dirt in your global buckets.
Why? Wicking! Key to the success of Global Buckets is the water wicking up from the reservoir up into the upper bucket where the plant's root soak up the water. Ordinary dirt or soil will not wick. You need a growing medium that wicks. Sphagnum peat and coir are excellent wicking materials.
Here in the USA you can buy bags of pre-mixed material which work well. It's often sold as "potting mix". The main ingredients should be listed as sphagnum peat and/or coir with the remainder as some combination of vermiculite and/or perlite. The following materials do NOT wick: screened topsoil, forest biproducts, bark, forest humus, sawdust or partially composted something. If the bag lists any of the preceding materials as the dominate material then do not buy it.
We prefer to make our own growing medium. Here are our recipes:
Recipe #1: Sphagnum Peat
70% Sphagnum Peat
20% Vermiculite
10% Perlite
Recipe #2: Sphagnum Peat and Coir
35% Sphagnum Peat
35% Coir
20% Vermiculite
10% Perlite
Recipe #3: Coir
70% Coir
30% Perlite
Note: We're still testing the 70% Coir recipe.....
Pictured below is Recipe #2.
Perlite: very white material
Vermiculite: light grey
Sphagnum Peat & Coir: dark
Coir
We're very interested in Recipe # 3 which uses Coir and eliminates Sphagnum Peat. Why?
Coir, or coir pith, is a byproduct of the coconut industry. Until recently, coir was viewed as waste. It was burned or shoveled into massive piles which sat for decades. Recently, it was discovered that coir pith is an excellent substitute for Sphagnum Peat.
Why do we care? It takes 10,000 years for Sphagnum Peat to be created in wetlands and it's rapidly being depleted. Also, coir pith is widely available in many developing countries and regions, like India and central America...an area where Global Buckets could be utilized.
Why? Wicking! Key to the success of Global Buckets is the water wicking up from the reservoir up into the upper bucket where the plant's root soak up the water. Ordinary dirt or soil will not wick. You need a growing medium that wicks. Sphagnum peat and coir are excellent wicking materials.
Here in the USA you can buy bags of pre-mixed material which work well. It's often sold as "potting mix". The main ingredients should be listed as sphagnum peat and/or coir with the remainder as some combination of vermiculite and/or perlite. The following materials do NOT wick: screened topsoil, forest biproducts, bark, forest humus, sawdust or partially composted something. If the bag lists any of the preceding materials as the dominate material then do not buy it.
We prefer to make our own growing medium. Here are our recipes:
Recipe #1: Sphagnum Peat
70% Sphagnum Peat
20% Vermiculite
10% Perlite
Recipe #2: Sphagnum Peat and Coir
35% Sphagnum Peat
35% Coir
20% Vermiculite
10% Perlite
Recipe #3: Coir
70% Coir
30% Perlite
Note: We're still testing the 70% Coir recipe.....
Pictured below is Recipe #2.
Perlite: very white material
Vermiculite: light grey
Sphagnum Peat & Coir: dark
Coir
We're very interested in Recipe # 3 which uses Coir and eliminates Sphagnum Peat. Why?
Coir, or coir pith, is a byproduct of the coconut industry. Until recently, coir was viewed as waste. It was burned or shoveled into massive piles which sat for decades. Recently, it was discovered that coir pith is an excellent substitute for Sphagnum Peat.
Why do we care? It takes 10,000 years for Sphagnum Peat to be created in wetlands and it's rapidly being depleted. Also, coir pith is widely available in many developing countries and regions, like India and central America...an area where Global Buckets could be utilized.
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