Even steampunks have varied interests while docked in port. One of my interests is gardening. In my travels I was introduced to aquaponics, and wicking beds, in particular. I decided to work my way into the aquaponics realm by starting with stand alone wicking beds that could be incorporated into an aquaponics system as I was able to build it. I also wanted planting containers that were mobile. I started with 5 Gallon buckets from Home Depot. My design process is simple and easy to duplicate.
I started by drilling a hole in the bottom of the bucket with a paddle bit and an electric hand drill. Then I inserted a 3/4 inch bulkhead fitting into the hole. I got my fitting from Tractor Supply. I also discovered they were slow about reordering the fittings. The bulkhead fitting is reverse threaded so it doesn’t loosen up when adding the male adapters.
I used 3/4 inch PVC male adapters and hand tightened them into the bulkhead fitting. There is no need to use glue since there is no pressure on the fitting. Repairs are also much easier with no glue present.I used the same fitting on the bottom. This will be used to join the planters together at a later time. For the time being, the fitting will ensure the threads in the bulkhead fitting are protected.Next I cut the 4 inch diameter excluder pipe from 4 inch diameter PVC drain pipe, and the fill tube from 1 inch PVC water pipe. Both were cut 14 inches long and 1/4 inch holes drilled about 2 inches from the bottom. Keep the cuts as square as possible. On the 4 inch pipe, drill several holes around the perimeter of the pipe, on the 1 inch, you only need one hole.I created a guide piece for different depths of the over flow tube. I can change the level of the water by changing this pipe out. The over flow tube is 3/4 inch PVC water pipe, cut to 14 inches long. In this case, I drilled the 3/8 inch hole for a 4 inch water depth.I put all the pipe in the bucket. The over flow tube (3/4 inch) goes into the bulkhead adapter. The 4 inch excluder goes over the over flow tube to prevent the media from preventing changing this tube. The fill tube goes on the opposite side of the bucket. Eventually, this will allow the water to flow when added to the aquaponics system. Very important for oxygenation of the water.My next step was to add lava rock to the bottom of the bucket. The rock really firms up the pipes and allows the water to rest in an aerobic state. The rock is also high in surface area and promotes lots of good bacteria that the plants can use. As you can see, I put water into the bucket at this point. The water gives you a very good reference point for how much rock to place in the bottom of the bucket. Add water until it begins to drain from the overflow tube. You want to keep the rock just below the surface of the water. You will not get this perfect, but make sure the weed block we add later will contact the water.This is the lava rock I used. It was purchased at Home Depot for about $4 a bag. I used a little less than half a bag per bucket.I cut a small piece of week block and made a hole that was tight around the 1 inch fill tube. I held the cloth over the end of the pipe and cut to the inside of the pipe to get a good fit. I placed this over the pipe and pushed it down until it rested on the rocks. (The picture of the 4 inch pipe will help you understand this better.)I used the same technique to cut the 4 inch hole for the excluder. The weed block was cut a little bigger.Placing weed block into the bucket at this point prevents the dirt from getting into the rock media and causing an anaerobic condition. This is not good for the plants. Standing water in the dirt can cause root root and several other issue for your plants. It is not pretty right now, but we will clean it up later. Make sure the block wraps around the pipes.I mixed 2 types of material for my potting mix, then filled the bucket. I placed about 6 inches into the bucket and slightly pressed it down. You do not want to compact the soil. The material I am using is very hard to compact. I will show what I used below. Continue in small batches until the bucket is within a couple of inches from the top.I used Organic Humus as one part of my mix.The second half of my mix is garden soil. I mixed 50 – 50 of each. Both were bought from the garden center at Wal-Mart.Once I had the planter in place, I planted Lemon Thyme in it, then watered from the top to make sure the soil was thoroughly damp and settled. From this point forward, water is added by using the fill tube.This is German Basil I planted several months ago.This is common Basil planted at the same time as the German Basil.
While you do have to monitor the water levels in these planters, the beauty of the system is the water wicks from the bottom and keeps the soil damp, creating the optimum moisture conditions to keep your plants hydrated. If you miss checking the water level for a day or two, your plants are still good, even in the heat of the deep south.
I was asked what plants did well in the deep south by a friend of mine in Louisiana. Below is a short list of what I have had luck with.
Zucchini, Pink eye peas, Green beans, all Peppers, Tomatill0s, Cherry tomatoes, Melons, Lemon balm, Herbs of all types, Micro greens (black oil sunflower grown for 7 to 10 days).
Plants I have had trouble with and the reasons for the trouble are:
Tomatoes – Bad problems with tomato horn worm eating the plants. I have been hand picking, but was recently suggested to use an organic spray that uses bacteria to control the worms. I am impressed with this spray Safer Brand 5163 Caterpillar Killer, it works and can be sprayed up until the time you pick the tomatoes. Since it is natural, it is safe for humans. Wash your tomatoes before eating or cooking with them. The other issue is full sun. While the plants were originally sub tropical, our harsh sun can scorch an dry them. They require plenty of water and I found that shade cloth with a 30% rating helps.
The other plant I have issues with are Crooked Neck Squash. You have to be careful watering them in the evening. The old timers say if they go to bed with wet feet, they will not produce. Vine borers are the other issue. You cannot see these bugs. The first indicator os the vines start to turn brown and dry out. If this occurs in your garden, pull them out and burn them. That is the best way I know to break the life cycle of this bug.
And make sure you mulch everything to help prevent moisture evaporation and weeds in your garden. I use wood chips and pine straw where I can.
When I first discover Steampunk, I was enamored by the aesthetic. I loved the idea of building something from recycled items and even more so by the leather that was being built for the genre. I embarked on a journey to learn a new craft and build my own pieces. My family was involved as well. As my interest grew in the leather aspect of the genre, I sought help from Cedric Whittaker of Airship Isabella. He graciously spent the time to answer my questions about the craft and give me some tips and pointers about the tools and books I would need to get started.
The first book he recommended was Leathercraft Tools by Al Stohlman. This is a great introduction book for the tools and how to maintain them. While the book is old, the tools have not changed. Anyone wishing to learn about leather crafting and the tools used should invest in this book. It helped me with many questions about the tools being used in the leather world, and most importantly, how to maintain them. Sharp tools are one of the key elements of producing quality work.
I plan to introduce more items and literature on the subject in future posts. I wanted to give something back to the community, so click on the subscribe button to get notifications of new articles.
