Re: My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering.

CarolynPhillips 1/30/2012, 10:41 am

Excellent. Beautiful job! Great neighbors! A gardening team.
It can't get any better than that.

shawn350 1/30/2012, 11:02 am

The lowes part number is 708381

**gwennifer** 1/30/2012, 11:24 am

shawn350 wrote:
...all the boxes have names:

Omnicorp
Wayne Enterprises
Umbrella Corporation
Wonka Industries
Cyberdyne Systems
Stark Industries
Gringots
Weyland Yutani Corp

I LOVE that! Are you going to have name plaques on the boxes?

I'm glad someone asked about that fruit tree, I was going to and I forgot. It's beautiful. Just loaded!

HillbillyBob 1/30/2012, 11:55 am

shawn350 wrote:The lowes part number is 708381

thank-you

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 3170584802

Luci Dawson 1/30/2012, 12:23 pm

Great pics, Shawn! I was trying to explain to my neighbor who will build the boxes for me what I wanted and this will really help.

Love the idea of the removable bottoms! My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 3170584802

Luci Dawson 1/30/2012, 12:24 pm

Furbalsmom wrote:Don't forget to water in each 2 to 3 inch layer as you put the Mel's Mix in the boxes, that is the best way to fully rehydrate all the peat moss. It will take a lot of water to rehydrate the mix in the boxes, probably 15 to 20 gallons for each box. My table tops had hardware cloth and weed cloth bottoms and they each took 19 gallons.

Thanks, "mom"...I was going to ask that question this morning, and there was the answer waiting for me!!! Laughing

shawn350 1/31/2012, 10:23 pm

Once we had filled it with dirt we found that it was to wobbly.

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Img-2014

So a quick 2x4 between the legs made a huge difference, solid as can be now.

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Newhal12

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Newhal12

Also here is a pic of the bottom in the box.

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Newhal13

**Furbalsmom** 2/1/2012, 12:35 pm

Looks so good!

Glad the 2X4 fixed the wobble. It is amazing how heavy moist MM is.

Luci Dawson 2/1/2012, 12:37 pm

Lovely! Did you just bolt the 2x4 to the legs or use some kind of anchor hardware?

shawn350 2/1/2012, 2:24 pm

The Boxes are all assembled with Deck Screws. No bolts Brackets or any of that.

About to go finish the rest and start planting today!!

newstart 2/1/2012, 7:03 pm

you did an awesome job..

**RoOsTeR** 2/1/2012, 7:20 pm

newstart wrote:you did an awesome job..

+1 Everything looks great My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 3170584802

madnicmom 2/1/2012, 9:58 pm

Whoa! this thread/pics are amazing! Thank you for sharing!

Stark Industries - Gotta love the person who chose that name! Ironman rules!!

shawn350 2/2/2012, 12:08 am

I got 3 boxes planted - full box of Lettuce, Half box arugula Half Spinach, 1/4 box each of Broccoli, Cauliflower, Turnip, Beets

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Newhal14

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Newhal14

shawn350 2/5/2012, 11:31 pm

I am a bit frustrated. I should have not used the 1x12s as pretty as they look they warp to easily.. I used some 2x2 to solve the issue but it bugs me none the less.

2x12s seem to come off the shelf already warp.

I have also heard pressure treated wood is bad for you.

I am looking at brick once these go by the wayside, or is there a quality of wood that is Square and straight.

**RoOsTeR** 2/6/2012, 10:06 am

We live and learn Very Happy

You could try running a cross brace just below the top lip to help prevent warping.

shawn350 2/6/2012, 12:03 pm

Yep, They say education is what you get with things do not go as planned.

**RoOsTeR** 2/6/2012, 1:05 pm

The good thing is, other than appearance, your gardens could care less about how straight the boards are! My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 3170584802

I still think your beds look great and once they start producing for you, the little war-page you see now won't matter as much Very Happy

shawn350 3/21/2012, 12:23 am

Been a while, but I got started on installing the control panel for my irrigation.

Its just hooked to a test valve right now.

But what you see is a 20" Filter housing with a cotton wound 5 Micron with carbon center to take out sediment and the carbon takes out chlorine and other chemicals.

That leads to a GF Diaphragm valve that controls the flow to the watering grids. that goes into a King rotameter to tell me how many gallons per minute is going into each zone. Once I am done it will drop down to the header that feeds the boxes.

in the middle is a 9 zone sprinkler timer. This will control the sprinkler valves on each SFG bed. I have individual control over each box.

Heres the pics.

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Img-2015

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Img-2015

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Img-2018

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Img-2016

Just some progress pics of some of my plants.

My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering. - Page 2 Img-2017

mschaef 3/21/2012, 12:33 pm

Love love love the picture of you TT!!!! They look amazing!!!!!!!!!!! Very Happy

Roseinarosecity 3/21/2012, 1:08 pm

Those are AMAZING!
But where is the incoming water connection to the PVC grids for each SF box?

RUTBUSTER 4/2/2012, 10:16 am

Great looking job. I am going to build mine this week. Hope to have them ready as soon as weather permits for planting. affraid

yolos 4/2/2012, 2:08 pm

What diameter are the PVC grids ? Are you using 3/4" PVC leading into the grids or 1/2" ?

shawn350 4/5/2012, 11:53 pm

The water mains are 3/4 the grids are 1/2 but since I am only running one box at a time I should have done the whole thing in 1/2 inch.

givvmistamps 4/6/2012, 1:28 am

I love your garden Shawn! Will be showing this to my hubby so hopefully we can add some of these next year...he can build them during his month-long break in December Wink

Much better for me if I don't have to bend over or kneel, though we will need two boxes on the ground still since I don't want to climb a ladder just to harvest my squash, beans, etc. I could give the rest of the squares over to my boys after we get boxes like yours set up! Smile

Thanks for giving the item number on the MM; I will be going to the store and asking them to carry it!

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My SFG Progress Pictures - 9 4x4 with fully automated watering.