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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] starting a garden- Kiddie Pool
  • Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:03:27 -0600


another kind of raised bed?

starting a garden- Kiddie Pool
http://www.arts4all.com/elca/page1.html 
http://www.arts4all.com/elca/page2.html
 
"In 1997, gardeners harvested 984 pounds of vegetables from 38 pools "
 
"The plastic wading pool is the most cost-efficient container available. At 6
feet in diameter and 12 inches deep, each one provides approximately 28
square feet of growing area for under $10, and is capable of producing up to
40 pounds of produce per growing season."
 
History of Experiments
     In 1993, Dr. Job Ebenezer, Director of Environmental Stewardship at
ELCA, established a container garden on the roof of the parking garage at the
ECLA offices in Chicago. The hope was that the rooftop garden would serve as
a role model for creative use of urban space throughout the country. The need
for such a project evolved out of issues of food sustainability and several
global trends: urban population growth; farmland and forest land loss due to
development; creative use of wastelands in urban areas; recycling of food
wastes in cities, and a burgeoning community gardening movement that
empowered poor people to grow their own food in their own neighborhoods.

     Dr. Ebenezer set about to prove the feasibility of growing vegetables in
plastic wading pools. The demonstration garden has proved to be highly
successful. In 1997, gardeners harvested 984 pounds of vegetables from 38
pools in an area measuring 1,625 square feet. One pool alone yielded an
average of 22.5 pounds of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini and a
variety of greens. This is equivalent to about 26,800 pounds. per acre, which
far exceeds that of commercial yields in the state of Wisconsin and even the
national 1996 average yields.

     The urban agriculture project of the ELCA demonstrates how fresh,
healthy vegetables can be grown inexpensively in containers virtually
anywhere -- at the edges of parking lots; along railroad tracks; on back
porches; on rooftops; in patios; in driveways; in vacant lots between
buildings; in brown fields or areas where there is a concern about soil
pollutants; in areas where soil nutrition is lacking -- just about anywhere
there is a bit of space, sun and access to water.

     Originally conceived by ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger
Organization) of Fort Myers, Florida, the use of low-cost containers such as
plastic children's wading pools is an easy, affordable means by which to
produce safe and nutritious food.

     These gardens use much less water than the amount needed for
conventional row planting in open fields. And best of all, the fresh foods
grown can provide much-needed nutrients for impoverished families. In some
cases families can even earn additional income by selling their excess
produce. Food from the Lutheran Center garden is donated to the Chicago Food
Depository for distribution to feeding programs in the city.
     Seems impossible, but by following his dream, Dr. Job Ebenezer, Director
for Environmental Stewardship and Hunger Education at the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Chicago has proven otherwise.
The plastic wading pool is the most cost-efficient container available. At 6
feet in diameter and 12 inches deep, each one provides approximately 28
square feet of growing area for under $10, and is capable of producing up to
40 pounds of produce per growing season. Over a ten year period, if you
accrue the total cost of everything you need ($30 for the pool, soil,
transplants and seeds) it comes to 8¢ per pound of food grown!
     By planting "intensively" in the pool containers, a microclimate is
created that holds moisture in the soil, keeps plants from dehydrating,
encourages healthy root development, prevents soil loss and cuts down on
labor. The plants are happier, and reward the grower with abundant yields.
     Wading pools can be placed in any areas that could not be gardened
conventionally, such as rooftops, patios, decks, sections of playgrounds,
along railroad tracks, in brown fields.
     The wading pools are lightweight (before they are filled with soil),
easy to situate, and last for many years without decay.
     Wading pools provide an opportunity to grow food in areas where there is
soil contamination or where there is limited or no land available for growing
a garden.
In this article, you will be given complete instructions on starting a
container garden in your neighborhood:
WADING POOL GARDEN PREPARATION
     How to create and plant a container garden utilizing 6' diameter
children's plastic wading pools. Also, we provide information about a plant's
need for sunlight; how to deal with wind conditions and air flow; water
needs, composting; temperature conditions; fertilizer requirements; plant
diseases and insects.
OTHER TYPES OF GARDEN CONTAINERS:
* Grain Feed Sacks
* Used Tires
HOW YOU CAN START A COMMUNITY GARDEN
     Look for sites; contact local churches and schools; let your neighbors
know you want to start a community garden; help women to empower themselves
by starting a produce business; enlist the help of neighborhood children to
establish the garden; get the word out to devastated agricultural communities
such as Honduras, and Nicaragua (where natural disasters have left soil
depleted of nutrients) that they could start growing immediately with
container gardens.
BEFORE YOU START YOUR GARDEN
     Don't keep your garden a secret! Let merchants in the community know you
are starting a garden. Solicit free seeds, lumber, tools and advice from
local merchants and municipal associations (to provide compost and manure).
DETAILED STEPS TOWARDS CREATING YOUR GARDEN, WITH SHARED WISDOM FROM NEW
YORK'S CITY FARMERS
Wading Pool Garden Preparation
1. Take a 6' child's wading pool and carefully drill 3/4" to 1" holes every
12-18" around the circumference of the pool, 2" up from the base of the pool.
This will create a reservoir below the holes, where excess water can
accumulate to be utilized by the plants as the soil mass dries. (With a 6'
pool, you will need to drill 4 - 5 holes). If you are using recycled wading
pools that have split bottoms, you can place a sheet of plastic inside the
pool before filling it with the soil mix.
2. Wading pools should be set so they are level. Locate the pool in its
ultimate location, since once filled, this pool, weighing approximately 350
pounds, is relatively immobile.
ABOUT WIND: Plants need air movement; air movement reduces disease and insect
problems but too much wind can desiccate (dry) plants or even cause breakage.
Avoid extremes especially in an urban environment where the wind can get
intensified by buildings or in entirely unprotected areas such as rooftops.
3. Check for sun, shadow patterns caused by obstructions, water accessibility
(if there's a gutter down spout nearby, place a 5 gallon bucket under it to
collect rainwater) and paths for foot traffic.
ABOUT LIGHT: Generally, most plants enjoy sunshine, but too much of it can
scald plants and too little will cause thin weak growth. If possible,
position your plants where they will receive morning and noon-time sun. If
your area has excessive sun, consider a lath awning built of sticks or draped
cheesecloth to avoid the burning, late-afternoon sun.
4. Fill the pool almost to overflowing with your growing medium. Different
parts of the world have different resources, so creativity and a little
experimentation will be the best guide for what will work in a specific
situation. Your goal is soil that is firm, moisture retentive and nutrient
rich. Try to use (or replicate) equal parts topsoil, compost and peat moss.
The following mix will provide a good soil structure and allow for air
movement and water infiltration. A good recipe for a container growing soil
mix is one part compost or well-rotted manure; one part topsoil; one part
leaf mold, or peat moss*, or like fillers such as: coconut fibers; ground-up
newspapers (only vegetable based inks); alfalfa; or leaf mold. *(Peat moss
will make the soil lighter and will afford moisture retention qualities. But
there are many who consider this use to be detrimental to the environment and
consider peat moss a non-renewable resource. While suitable for
container gardening, it is suggested that when other types of more locally
available materials are available, they should be substituted for the peat).
ABOUT COMPOST: Compost is in every gardener's vocabulary: it is the anchor of
highly productive gardens. You can make a composter out of a 20 gallon
plastic garbage can with 1/2" air holes drilled in it. Add chopped up green
material such as green kitchen waste, grass clippings, leaves, dead plant
material, soil and water (for dampening only, do not saturate) and soon
you'll have a nutrient-rich, soil-amending compost that also recycles your
garden waste.
5. Water the soil thoroughly. Test wetness by feeling deep in the soil, all
the way to the bottom. Soil can be deceptive -- while the surface can seem
wet, the water may not have filtered all the way down. Be very careful not to
flood the pool. A good barometer for proper soil wetness is to take a
fist-full of wetted soil in the hand, and squeeze it. If the soil is muddy,
with water dripping out, then you have over-watered. If the soil is moist,
but holds its shape, then the amount of water is good.
ABOUT WATER: The key to growing plants is never let the root mass dry out nor
let it sit in standing water. A deep, thorough watering every few days is
better than a sprinkling every day. Also, try to use water that is not too
hot or cold Extremes shock plants and cause adverse reactions and
predisposition to disease and insect invasions. Use some sort of "breaker" on
the end of your hose to avoid soil erosion and plant damage.
6. Now you can sow your seeds or plant your transplants directly into the
pool. Press your seeds gently into the wetted soil. Beets and chard seeds
like to be pressed about an inch into the soil, while lettuces prefer to sit
closer to the surface. You can scatter a light dusting of mulch over the
seeds, to prevent the soil from drying out. When planting transplants, dig
the roots deep into the pool, press the soil around the roots and cover the
area with a good mulch. This will prevent the need for excessive watering,
and the plants can survive drought conditions.
ABOUT TEMPERATURE: If growing from seed: grow the roots warms and the leaves
cool. Once established and growing: grow the roots cool and the leaves warm.
If the soil heats up too quickly plants will go into dormancy and stop
growing. This is why you want as much soil depth as possible and to water
deeply If you are growing in containers on concrete or a similar base that
radiates heat, isolate the container by playing Styrofoam blueboard, lumber
under the container to dissipate some of the heat. Shipping palettes work
well for wading pool gardens.
7. Vine crops such as cucumbers, melons, zucchinis, winter squashes will need
a trellis or support device. Wire mesh, bamboo stakes, branches, a small
fence, mattress springs, formed into a ring around the outside of the wading
pool all make a great garden trellis.
ABOUT FERTILIZER: Fertilizer can be purchased or made from scratch. Synthetic
(store-bought) fertilizer has complete nutrition which is carried by mineral
salts. Organic fertilizer (compost) is nutritionally adequate requires
preparation time and frequent applications. When making compost, avoid
noxious weeds or toxic plants such as oak or walnut leaves. When using
manure, make sure it is well-rotted. Fresh manure will burn plants.
8. Remember, for inter-cropping, plant your tall crops together in the
center, or nearest the wall (if so placed).
ABOUT DISEASES AND INSECTS: A healthy strong-growing plant will naturally
fight off disease and insects. The best way to control problems is to inspect
the plants as often as possible. Worms (not the precious and beneficial earth
worm!) and caterpillars can be manually removed (with gloves). Moldy, slimy
or questionable plants should also be removed. The key to healthy plants is
hygiene and periodic inspection. If you catch a disease or infestation early,
you have a much better chance of saving your plant and your crop. When a lea
dies, remove it and add it to your compost heap If you see your leaves
changing, especially a single plant, look closely for signs of disease and
reference it through some plant disease books at your local library. A safe,
environmentally friendly insecticide-fungicide can be made from 5 Tablespoons
of any vegetable oil, 1 TBS. of baking soda, 4 TBS. of liquid dish soap mixed
in 1 gallon of water and sprayed on the plant.
Remove noxious weeds to lessen nutrient competition to your crop.
9. When used on rooftops, remember that some roofs, especially older wood-
framed roofs, might not accommodate the 350+ pounds that each pool might
reach. Before you establish a rooftop garden, be sure to check with the
building engineer regarding structural strength of the roof.
10. Enjoy your garden! Share the abundant produce with your community and
those in need. Sell the produce to local restaurants and re-invest the income
with your community. Teach children skills as they experience the rewards of
Mother Nature and a connection to the earth.
*more pages on website







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