I made a "bigrow' using 2 10 litre pots, an under bed storage box and some capillary mattingl. I made holes in the lid of the underbed storage box. Works the same as a quadgrow.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

that sounds fantastic :D Bigrow.... :D

Looking forward to seeing the progress updates on this! Interested to see how the pepper gets on!

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

me too :D

Love the tossing of the connector pipe.

Your home made system will work fine. I have been using a similar but square pot in a B&Q bucket for my tomatoes for years.

I have made these before using one bucket with a reservoir in the bottom and elevated the soil on a platform wedged in. Soil is in some landscaping fabric with just a portion in the water. Included the pvc tube too. This is a great design.

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Sounds great! How did it do?

@rebeccazody1278

2 жыл бұрын

I have used them for two years so far and plants do better than regular hand watered growing plants. I like being able to see when the reservoir is full and water is available when the plant needs it. I use a funnel at the top if the pipe so I spill less. I have also used this design in 18 gallon totes and 18 gallon round pots. Sometimes I add sand as the wicking material. Thank you! Your videos are very well done.

Great idea that certainly has potential. I can see plenty of these being built. Thanks for sharing :)

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

It sounds like it, lots of folk talking about it as a job for this weekend

I love this idea, definitely give it a go at the weekend , thanks

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Good luck. Way easier than you think

Ingenious... thanks for sharing x

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Hope it's useful

Brilliant Video - Thanks ever so much x

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome Geraldine! Hope it's useful.

Thanks for update, I got some quadgrows and will be planting up this week, can't wait

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Oh what you putting in them?

@Mick..

3 жыл бұрын

@@eliandkate sun gold and black krim Tom's, cucumber, candy Stripe peppers and a cucamelon, best of luck with all yours

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Oh that sounds fab

Loving the creativity 😍👍😋

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Why thank you

awesome eli

Thanks so much for video 🤗

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure 😊

Brilliant video thank you

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

I absolutely love owt like this! On my next day off I'll be giving it a whirl. I have the idea of using a long low storage box with holes in the lid for pots/buckets to sit in. Thanks for the inspiration!

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

There were quite a few folk yesterday commenting that they'd used those boxes and it worked well

I think your diy quad will work just fine. I have an idea for sealing both tubs together that you may like better than the plastic bag (although, the bag, however “ugly” seems to work, so who cares what it looks like), but I can’t show it here. I’ll put a pic of the pipe insulation up in your Facebook page, however for those who need an image. Basically, it’s a length of that black spongy pipe insulation. They come in eight-foot lengths, and various widths. Just cut one to the circumference of the bucket. This length has a precut slit in it, and should fit over the edge of the reservoir pail and seal against the inner pail. Some fancier cutting might be required at the spout of the reservoir pail. 3/4 inch inside diameter soft sponge pipe insulation should do the trick, and it’s very inexpensive.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

I love that idea. That should work brilliantly and give it a bit of stability too

Great video!

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

😍😍😍

Very nice gardening. Here to give my full support.thanks for sharing

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

So nice of you :D

Will have to give it a go, I have a couple of spare bucket and maybe a spare tomato plant. Excited.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

maybe??? a spare tomato? 😂

@alanhealey7885

3 жыл бұрын

@@eliandkate or 2

Hahahaha love when you tossed the pipe hahahaha. I've been interested in making my own, great video thanks.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

You can do it! Go on :D!

@BramptonGardener

3 жыл бұрын

@@eliandkate next time move the pot before you fill it. ;)

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

😂 if only... take 3 😬

Love the idea I'll have a go thanks

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

let us know how you get on :D

@cheryl4511

2 жыл бұрын

I will at moment I'm using bread baskets for growing my Tom's /cucumbers please could you help me as I'm got sweetcorn to plant can I put them in pots I'm normally grown my own flowers from my own seeds so I'm back growing salads vegetables

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Afraid I’ve never grown sweetcorn

@cheryl4511

2 жыл бұрын

I will let you know lol

Well that was very interesting Eli - thank you! I can see how these things would be useful while away on holiday, but for me personally, when I'm at home, I prefer doing my own watering. It just seems more natural for the plants to gradually dry out and get wet again, instead of a constant watering system. Perhaps less likely to get root rot too? Regarding the sealing between the two buckets (or whatever other method is used for these things) - I think the main reason for doing that is probably to stop evaporation, which makes the solution work even better when on holiday, as the reservoir will last longer.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

The big quadgrows are awesome for when you are away. In the height of summer they usually last a week before needing refilled. Yeah they are fantastic for things like root root (because the soil never gets soaked) and amazing at stoping the split skins and blossom end rot just because the watering is so regular. I really love them :D

Watching while potting up peppers 🌶

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Oh, very meta 😃

prefer the feeder lines with spray or drippers, my favorite is flow/ebb systems. I have had amazing pepper growth.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

That was how I started off with my very first greenhouse 😃

Smarty pants 😀

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂

Love it. Looked in to it last year and didn't do anything about it but this year its all or nothing. Builders buckets at B&Q £1 each. 👍

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

I heard and even better, they have black ones 😃

There's a hole in my bucket, dear Eli, Dear Eli Sorry I just couldn't resist that lol

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

😀😀😀

Great idea 👍 the cheapest I've found the big 20 odd litre buckets is £12 or £13, amazon or Halfords, the lids are £5 extra though

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

eek! that's pricey. I know some lucky folk were given freebies from local restaurants etc, that's gotta be an awesome bonus :D

Your system should definitely work, looking forward to an update/results video. Do you use the feed that comes with the quad grow or do you use something else? I've just planted up my home-made sub-irrigation planters for the third tomato season. I have a quad grow and a chili grow, which I love, but my greenhouse (that I inherited with my allotment) doesn't have a layout that allows for the footprint of more than one quad grow (because they do require a certain space!). Enter my sub irrigation systems: disused council recycling box (with over-flow hole in the sides), big yoghurt pots (the 1-litre ones) to create the reservoir, an old compost bag cut open and laid on the yoghurt pots as a membrane to hold the compost (with extra holes because tomato roots like the air pocket at the top of the reservoir), wicks can be anything (old towels have worked well), and tubing from an old washing machine for watering (I like the flex as it can sometimes be hard to water at a set angle into a solid tube, once the plants are bigger). Oh, and gaffer tape to hold the membrane in place. I've done 1-2 indeterminate + 1 determinate tomato plant per planter before but trying 4 indeterminates this year (and fewer planters). The reservoir holds up to 15 litres of water per planter and I tend to top up once per week, max (more plants per planter this year means possibly more frequent topping up, if we ever get any sunshine in Edinburgh...). I also do smaller systems for 1-2 plants, mainly for bush and trailing tomatoes outdoors, using either big plastic plant pots or even an old mopping bucket for the reservoir.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

I'm using the same feed at the moment as I have some left. Interestingly, the plant in that pit is much smaller

@miss_frosting

3 жыл бұрын

​@@eliandkate That is interesting! I've heard somewhere that pepper plants like to have it a bit snugger.. It might take longer for it to feel at home in (what looks like) the more spacious homebuilt pot? (just guessing)

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

We'll have to wait and see :D I'm putting out a greenhouse update shortly so you'll be able to compare how it's grown since the DIY pot video was published :D

Thanks again for great advice. I found actual tap/bungs sold for Quadgrows so you can use them separately on line and they're great. I bought two sets and then they were too long by just 2cm for my greenhouse so had to find something!! Wanted to ask your and others thoughts on my tomatoes. I grew indoors from seed in March not thinking about how long they would need to wait to go in new greenhouse. I don't have heat this year and it's still too cold at night (Scotland) to put them in the greenhouse. I have potted them on twice already and they probably need it again. I have two/three weeks to wait for last frost, should I leave them and feed them in current 12cm pots or pot them on a third time and then again into quadgrows (don't have room for 8 QG's in the house)?

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Not sure what the others will say, but I'd say if they need potted on then i would pot them on. It's not just space but also about availability of the nutritional elements they need. I think it's about 5 weeks for a plant to use up all the nutrition in a pot - something like that

Hi again. Quadgrow didn't ask me to not talk about separating the two reservoirs / quadgrow units, so i will! I have four of these quadgrow units, and for the last two years i've set them up as instructed by the makers...this year, i'm being a rebel! I've ordered two sets of auto watering add on kits (from Amazon £10 per set), this includes the float, the water butt tap connector, two meters of tubing and fittings from the float etc. All i need to add, is a few bungs (probably just rubber, i'll have to find them first) to block the holes where the connecting pipe would usually go and i'll have four independent quadgrows, all equipped with float valves and their own water / nute feeds from the standard 30L reservoir and a new 100L slimline waterbutt. I'll have to split the two pipes from the reservoir to end up with four separate pipes, but really it's super easy, and will cost me a grand total of £20 quid to do.

@eliandkate

Жыл бұрын

Oh result!!!!!! 20 quid!

Absolute genius idea! 😃👍🏼 Love to see an update on how it’s doing! As a newbie last year to gardening I’ve really struggled with watering so love the idea of your capillary matted trays video. Can I ask a quick question?... I understand the process of water absorption when the mat is in direct contact with the soil however, aren’t the holes on the little pots slightly higher than the base and therefore not in direct contact with the matting leaving a small gap between the mat and pot holes/soil? 🤷🏼‍♀️

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

I'm not 100% sure I understanding what you are meaning so feel free to say if I'm going in the wrong direction, but if you are talking about this video and the self watering pot, then the matting is sitting directly in the water and then up through the plant pot into the soil all the way to the level of the plant. If you mean the capillary beds, then my pots have holes in the bottom that mean the soil is in direct contact with the mat. if the holes in your pots are above the mat, then the soil won't be in contact with it and those pots won't work. Does that cover things?

👍👍👍

Eli ime experimting with this my best results are an empty wine bottle with a very small hole in the metal top and stick it in the pot! Gives me an excuse to drink wine, great vid

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Ha ha ha yeah I had something similar for my house plants a few years ago

So who else has either bought new quadgrows or has made or is planning on making their own DIY versions?

@stuarthill4419

3 жыл бұрын

Mine are up and running. I got some 10kg buckets from a local takeaway that come with lids, so no need for bin liner. ;-)

@karenjamieson532

3 жыл бұрын

Enjoyed the video. I’m going to give a DIY version a go...campervan season is approaching so need something to keep the wee fellows going. I’ll be in my shed tomorrow to see what’s kicking about. I know there is some waste pipe in there and a few plastic buckets. Thanks for the money saving tip Eli. 👍😀🪣

@marionmunro9598

3 жыл бұрын

Good idea Eli! I've made something similar for my chilli's. 4.5l rectangular lockn'lock container covered with black duck tape to exclude light. Holds a pretty big pot on top with a space in front of the pot big enough to drill a hole for filling it with water. Everything else the same but I don't need a pipe I just fill it using a funnel and seal it back up with ducktape. I've only used it for a week or so but fingers crossed it'll work too!

@delsmith568

3 жыл бұрын

I’ve used flower buckets from Aldi or Lidl and drill holes big enough for the wick material the pot stands on a bird fat ball lidded container that have been given me . I still out 2 holes ... one in the centre for the wick material and the other hole near the lid edge for me to top up the water levels. They work a treat 😊

@moonwrasse

3 жыл бұрын

DIY is the only way as you can’t get hold of any quadgrows anywhere.

Did you dip the material in the water first? Or did you just make sure one end was touching the reservoir and one end was at the top of the bucket?

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Both I soak it first but also make sure one end is right to the bottom of the reservoir and the other is up to soil level

Just been watching your videos. Love them. Unable to source a Quadgrow system. Do you know if they are available anywhere?

@eliandkate

Жыл бұрын

Hey Valerie I'm afraid the company that did them went under a few months ago so you can't get them anymore. I'm gutted cause I do love mine.

@valerieburr5792

Жыл бұрын

@@eliandkate Thats rubbish. Will just need to try and do your home made one!!!! Where do you buy the capillary matting?

@valerieburr5792

Жыл бұрын

or Wicker fabric

Eli, do you heat your greenhouse overnight now that you have power in there? Just noticing your tomatoes are already in there and wondering about how chilly they get at night?!

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Sorry Michael, I thought I'd explained that in the video. Yep tomatoes are warm weather plants so actually need it to be warm in the evenings too in order to flourish so I'm hearing overnight. Everything was just getting too big for the house so they are out there now

Do you put crocks in the bottom of your plant pots?

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

if you mean the quadgrows, then there is no need as you don't water the pot, the water is below in a reservoir For general pots around the garden, no. I don't have any broken pots to use as crocks but also my pots tend to be on concrete so crocks wouldn't make any difference in terms of drainage. I use little risers instead. For covering the holes, most of our pots don't have holes big enough to cause an issue.

Hey, where do you get your big pots from please?

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

not sure which pots you are talking about?

Ifs good experimting ime trying clay pots buried Ollijas i think they are called

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Oh sounds interesting

Just a thought, for a tidier system could you use one of the square plastic storage boxes that come with lids? (You had your soil in one) Your pot could then stand on the lid with the hole in for the wick drilled in lid. You might need to spray paint it black to block light to prevent algae but I think Thant could work well. I had ordered some Quadgrow pots but they haven’t turned up so I’m going to cancel my order and make my own as who knows when they will arrive🤷🏻‍♀️

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

:D there are a lot of folk using those types of things, you need lower than the ones I have as there is a limit to how much the water will travel through the material (gravity) so be aware if you try this. For me though, this was just some fun for the video so I was happy to just go with this for a wee experiment :D

@Bee-io3id

3 жыл бұрын

@@eliandkate Thanks good tip, maybe I will look at using a sloping sided pot that sits lower down in the lid then. I understand that this is just an experiment for yourself as you already have a perfectly good efficient system in the Quadgrow but for those of us still in the ‘will we won’t we loop’ with plants needing to go in before suppliers can supply it’s good to have a viable alternative so I will watch your progress with interest to see how things progress 🤩

@Bee-io3id

3 жыл бұрын

@@eliandkate could I ask the depth of the Quadgrow tank please😊

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

no idea off the top of my head but if you check out their website (greenhouse sensations) they've got dimensions on there :D

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

ha ha ha I like that - the ‘will we won’t we loop’ There have been a couple of folk mentioning they have used the lower under bed storage boxes with the lids so that might be an idea. I think someone mentioned 4 or 5 inches at the maximum height for capillary action - although I haven't experimented to prove them wrong :D

Diapers would work but only probably for one year!

@eliandkate

Жыл бұрын

I think most cloth would work Felt works great

How did these do?

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Aidan It was OK. Gave me a producing pepper plant. The plant was a spare so started off much smaller than the others so was always a bit smaller, but gave me a few kilos of peppers. I found it a bit more difficult in terms of watering because it didn't HD nearly as much as the proper quadgrows, but that is down to the size of the buckets I had to work with. All in all, worked not bad.

@AidanWilliamson

2 жыл бұрын

@@eliandkate that’s good, proved the concept. I didn’t get around to trying this year but may try next wear with a larger reservoir if I can find the appropriate bits. Thank you.

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Defo go big if you can

can't you just close the gape with silicone ? instat of plastic ?

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Personally I wouldn’t as I’m not wanting this to be a permanently closed unit. I want the option to be able to have a look or deal with any problems… so just having a way to cover it over worked well for me.

Did this work?

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah worked fine. Wasn’t as good as my proper ones because there wasn’t as much of a reservoir.

Well one of those dislikes I’m thinking is from GHS 🤔🙈 even though you fully rate their products - you’re just trying to help people working on a budget or who are just unable to source QGrows right now! 🤷🏻‍♀️ the pipe toss.. 🤣👌🏼 also the blooper should have made the cut! 🤣

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

but if I put all the bloopers into the cut... I'd look like a total idiot... there are always 3 or 4 :D

@mzundastud07

3 жыл бұрын

The Kitchen Garden with Eli and Kate i say a special blooper edition should be on the horizon! 🤣👍🏼

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

😂😀😂😀😂 that would be fun

Why not put one of the dreaded plastic soda bottles or milk cartons in the pot with holes drilled in it. Fill it up and the water releases slowly!

@eliandkate

Жыл бұрын

I’ve never found that work’s particularly well. I’ve always found that it just empties rather than provides a slow release. The difference with the capillary mat and water reservoir is that it doesn’t soak the soil. The water is drawn up evenly and slowly so the soil is never saturated but the plants get what they need as they need it.

It cant really be home made .... there is no toilet roll tube or even a washing up bottle!! Atb Jim

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Or sticky black plastic

There bloody expensive for been made with recycled plastic