Watering RB2 Containers

yoderjac

5 year old buck +
There is nothing better than rain water for watering seedlings. I use a 275 gal tank to collect it from my roof using a spout diverter. Details are on this old thread: http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.p...5gal-drums-transferred-from-qdma-forums.5766/

I use a pump and a spray wand to water 18s, but when I get to larger RB2 containers outdoors, I find dunking RB2s to be more effective and more efficient. Last year I built a drain table to collect water as it drains from containers. It worked well. I set it up to drain back into the tub I used to dunk the seedlings. This required the drain table to be a little higher than was comfortable.

I recently made a few improvements. One issue I found was that it was pretty hard on my back lifting 3 gal RB2s from the tub sitting on the floor on to the drain table. It put a lot of stress on my back. Here is the new setup:

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I've reduced the height of the drain table by a few inches. I've also built a cart so the tub is a comfortable height. Lifting the 3 gal RB2 from the floor for watering is not an issue since when they need water, they are light. The cart is built on a harbor freight dolly so it can be moved around even when full of water. The tub just sits in the cart.

Note, if you are going to use a tub to water RB2s, be sure to get a lid. Sun promotes algae growth and is the tub can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Keeping the lid on it when it is not in use mitigates this.

Now that the tub is raised off the floor to a comfortable height, the drain table can drain directly into it. I simply removed most of the PVC that routed the water and placed a 5 gal bucket under the table. When it gets a quarter full or so, it is still light and is easy to pour back into the tub.

This method of watering takes more time, especially when seedlings are first transplanted in the RB2s, but it is much more water efficient than using a spray wand. However, as the seedlings grow and the roots begin to fill the voids in the mix, top watering becomes more difficult and takes more time. This method thoroughly saturates the container and you get more time between watering.

Just like with all root pruning containers, I water by weight, not on a schedule or according to how dry the mix at the top of the container seems.

Thanks,

Jack
 
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I ran across this thread when I was fixing my photobucket screwed pictures and it reminded me of something. This method of watering by submerging the container in a watering tub has another advantage over just the rainwater conservation. As trees get older, they can handle fertilizer better and it is less important to use the more expensive slow release Osmocote we use in 18s and even initially in larger containers.

If you top water using a hose and you want to add fertilizer to the water, you need to use Miracle Grow or some other water soluble fertilizer which can be expensive for what you get. With a tub, you can buy any fertilizer and simply put it in the tub. When it sits in water like the tub, any fertilizer will dissolve into the water. If you are not pushing it thorough sprayers and pumps you don't have to worry about clogs (which is why they use water soluble fertilizer for that).

Thanks,

Jack
 
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I ran across this thread when I was fixing my photobucket screwed pictures and it reminded me of something. This method of watering by submerging the container in a watering tub has another advantage over just the rainwater conservation. As trees get older, they can handle fertilizer better and it is less important to use the more expensive slow release Osmocote we use in 18s and even initially in larger containers.

If you top water using a hose and you want to add fertilizer to the water, you need to use Miracle Grow or some other water soluble fertilizer which can be expensive for what you get. With a tub, you can buy any fertilizer and simply put it in the tub. When it sits in water like the tub, any fertilizer will dissolve into the water. If you are not pushing it thorough sprayers and pumps you don't have to worry about clogs (which is why they use water soluble fertilizer for that).

Thanks,

Jack

Will try this using Waynes idea of miracle grow for orchids

Thanks for reposting this thread

bill
 
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