My First Garden, Compost and Rain Barrel System

[wolfpaw69]

I don't think the compost pile will withstand a tornado, even with cement.

[63viet]

what a great system.  I live in NC and we have strong wind too. Can you give me a diagram of your rain barrels. You did a great JOB!!!!!!!!

[waynescott1016]

@63viet wow kid

[juki0h]

sucks if you dont live in a rainy place

[kiddecon]

this stuff's awesome man.

[1habicher]

I liked this, it is right on. Are you easy to live with? You are totally organised, I like to work on it sometime but like everything get the concrete base level right first up than no more cutting off that much! Great to pass all this on. I am still getting there, but than this is Australia calling, no rush, good neighbours, no frost or snow, chooks help me but so do my barrells, but 2 is only for beginners! Get it to 3000 L or more than you can still wish for more! Great show!

[TheDriverusa]

excellent job! you were very clear and understandable. thank you.

[metamech]

lol@going green

You should have used brush on paint instead of spray paint because of the eval fumes it creates.

Thanks for some ideas.

[gladtidings4all]

Great video! I love your work I wish I had a handyman like you! Thanks! YHWH bless you! Do you have any fruit trees?

[1habicher]

@gladtidings4all This guy is so particular about the set up but would he be easy to live with, not much leisure time to sit back and enjoy it all. I still think he is o.k. and good luck to you both! When gardening and the enviroment drive keek in watch out! I know!

[AnhyMedia]

Are you concerned the wood you have that's in the ground will rot eventually if it's surrounded by soil?

[cchanderson]

@AnhyMedia Yeah the wood looks like 2x4 material which is usually pine when left untreated will last about a decade before they turn into part of your garden.

Don't use treated lumber for garden boxes they use arsenic or copper or other nasty chemicals to "green treat".

I used treated lumber for my garden boxes because I lined them with thick PVC pond liner, they are water proof minus the drain holes in the bottom and elevated by cinder blocks they will literally last forever.

[vunderlin]

Like it. Thanks!

(Do you know Vince Krivda?)

[chacoal]

what wld u have 2 do to make this water usable in your home? any1 know plz message me thanks

[mommymilestones]

@chacoal You would have to filter it with a reverse osmosis system.

[bigbear822516]

very nice i like how organized it is rather than all jumbled together

[kitmao]

Thanks for being so specific! Beautiful system you have set up and lots of great ideas to get started with. I'm bookmarking this one so I can use it as an example/tutorial for when I set up my rain barrels!

[Masowai]

1:00 The windmill keeps away the squirrels? They never become accustomed to it?

[kko0219]

great job!

[PlanoPrincess]

Wow. When you do something you do it right, huh? Great job! Very pretty.

[agodsend624]

EXCELLENT BEGINNERS VIDEO!!!!  Thanks

[ajaake]

Nice setup. But I laugh to myself when I see all the money you spent on just treated lumber alone throughout your garden. I'd like to see some pictures or video of how great your garden is growing.

[madfran6]

Awesome carpentry! Great garden, will steal a few ideas for my yard work!

[Rusenmansilver]

Hi Chris , how much sun do you get during the morning and the afternoon.

[USMCCVRM]

Awesome video. Gave me a lot of great ideas, was all a clean job, and you did a great job on it, and the end calculations were very helpful. It would be great to see a video or some pictures of the new modifications.

[bradkrit]

AWESOME barrel system. Well designed and built, for real. How much water pressure do you get? Does it taper off quickly as you use the water?

[SvenHartermann]

lol I found this vid while looking for a scene from Fightclub.

[mrjon75]

nice work.

[KingSlimjeezy]

"connect it to the stick"

lol nice setup

[jdplatinum1964]

dude I like your set up Very clean and nice looking

[ilsdmspjs]

this looks great!

[Fujisuka]

I bulit two raised beds connected to my 12x24 deck. The beds are 1 foot high 4ft x 16ft each. Than I came up with the idea of making a greenhouse out of 2 raised beds. both 4ft x 16ft each with a space between them 4ft wide framed in with weather treated 2x4 with 3/4 pvc as the roof covered with 6 mil poly. Well place photos on facebook. Total cost $500 dollars.

[MrMADMOFO]

Nice set up !

[handiest1]

From a security standpoint, he mad a nice sturdy ladder for someone to use to break in. Nice job though!

[slocar1]

compost tea ingredients

Comfrey leaves (grow your own)

or sea weed solution ( liquid fertiliser) full of minerals.

Love the rain barrels idea, nice job

[LUVallova]

One must be cautious claiming water from asphalt shingled roofing.

many of the grains of roofing collect in barrels and contaminate the water with petroleum. This is perhaps another consideration for choosing eco friendly roofing materials.

[kellyfkup]

Are your sure it is safe for compost tea to hit the edible plants and leaves? I thought all compost and compost tea needed to be delivered to the roots/ground only...

[eicebleu]

I remember getting four barrels just like those white one's for 50 bucks each... something like 20 years ago now when I was a kid. We roped them to the bottom of a wooden platform and hauled it out to the lake. :) Your use is much better. Very elegant system you've got there--the woodwork is even pretty.

[shawn32067]

Good job Chris! I have been searching for ideals for my rain barrels and I think your looks the cleanest. I am building one like yours but 3 barrels high. Also I am putting a solar panel with a pump so I can use the garden hose with good psi. Harbor Freight to get a deal on the solar pnls and pump.I would like to ask if you think the cross boards with 4x4 instead of 2x4 is over kill? Just asking. Why haven't you done another vid on your setup?

[TheTruthoverlies]

nice job man. Throw in a few dwarf fruit trees and it will set it off. Checkout backyardfoodproduction It is a very good resourceful dvd and is worth every penny. I use the biointensive method by ecology action.

[zzapzzin]

Nice Water system

[Fujisuka]

Nice setup but you spent too much money on material. Your raised bed should be higher in my opinion mine are 2 feet above ground. Other than that you have a nice little setup good job.

[ChumpyChicken2]

I can see that your a tradesman gardner! great job bob! :-)

[BooKittyRadley]

What's the thing under your shirt @ 3:45?

[sdbvideo]

good job man, self sustainable!

[heathdspain]

hey where are you from in the vol state im in nashville??

[angryadrien]

In my opinion, anyone who wants to make sure that a tornado doesn't blow away their compost pile is a HARDCORE GARDENER !!!

[SJB666]

Where is the overflow going once the barrels are full?

[Iemota21]

Nice garden thanks for the ideas I am definetly thinking about the rain barrel system that thing looks solid as a rock.

[Mostlyfun]

You have a nice set up there I like the space between the beds, it’s nice to work in a garden where you’re not stepping on one thing while working on another.

I would go with carriage bolts, washers and nuts for building with 4x4's instead of the corner brackets and 2 inch screws.

Carriage bolts are stronger and more cost effective.

[Allen2045]

Chris you should market your system. I would buy this from you if you had everything I needed and a video on how exacatly to do this.

[TheLtUhura]

Dude. I'd so want to marry you. Doing it & doing it right. Your complete explanation style is just a plus.

[zombie450]

Great vid! I like your setup.

[TrashmanVT]

DAMN !!! That is awesome!! holy nuckin futs ! Talk about self sufficient, just because I'm nosey... why all the room between the planter beds? Just because I'm going to do kind of the same thing and wanted to get maximum use of every sguare inch this spring. But, seriously you have to have the best damn system I've ever seen!!!

[FluffyBalls009]

Are u going to make more videos? Update garden video would be sweet lol

[dwightdennis2010]

Hey Dwight, This looks pretty neat. Thought you might like seeing this. Love you, Sweet Man of Mine. Me

[shartne]

wonder what your garden looked like after it grew??

[cyber8000]

That thing aint going to stay in 1 place if a damn f5 tornado comes ripping through your house

[YiuTeub]

@cyber8000 The house wouldnt be there either so whats your point? It looks sheltered enough from any reasonable wind.

[okfire65]

@YiuTeub what a dumbass

[jude1c9v]

Don't really need to wait for 4 days, you can use right away, dont need a bag eather...just mix the compost with the water.

works great for me, just a thought for ya.

[happygameshow]

you should make more vids like this

[Jefferdaughter]

One huge advantage of using rainwater to water gardens is that it does not contain the toxins commonly found in municiple water sytems: chlorine & it's byproducts, flouride, and a 'soup' of chemical compounds from household cleaners, drug residues from prescription medications, solvents... etc.

Oak barrels are best for water, they hold water & are rot resistent - natrually. Most plastics leach toxins, but make sure they were not used to hold poisons before you got them!! Good video.

[TheDudeRulez09]

dude seriously DO NOT USE MIRACLE GROW for your food!!!

[AManfromGoljota]

very good creativity!

[solvssod]

nice work guy

[HungryVermilingua]

If the top tank is full with water, the 2in PVC pipe will be under pressure.

PVC pipe, even with the PVC primer and cement are not made for hold back pressure. You will eventually have a leak where the joints with the PVC cement.

[spinningwheel8]

Great video Thank you!

[ciceromatrix]

YOU CAN ALSO GET FANTASTICS RESOLTS WITH AQUAPONIS

[venuebien]

Great video, thank you!

[TheCraisyDaisy]

dispersing some of your herbs throughout your veggies will help naturally repel bad insects and attract good pollinating ones! I recommend vietnamese coriander because it has a very fragrant scent, colorful foliage, and runs like a vine to act like a natural "growing" mulch!

[bfenti]

String up the tape from an old video tape with a few twists in it to repel birds. They don't like the flashes of light as the wind blows it.

[apauln]

silicon would work fine. i'm trying to figure out what the small hole you drilled in the top back of the barrel is for... can't be for venting, because there is a giant hole for the down spout which of course would also vent...

[hangover71]

loved the rain barrels

[MandLVideo]

I must say, you made a beautiful system. It is a very nice back yard setup. You should be proud.

[antonios1024]

try using a piece of plexiglass for the top with a hinge. I used that and the same barrels for a tumbler composter.

[MZMStudios]

I LOVE your set-up!! How is the gardening going this season?

[chrismoss8]

the rain barrels were from a food distributor, so they were safe. this year we have expanded the beds, reducing the size of the pathways. we have added a garden table between the two barrel setups. a nice organized space for starting seeds and keeping pots/tools, trays. we are hoping to add a greenhouse in another part of the yard so we can start seeds sooner. its all a learning process!! but so much fun!

[gary77777778888888]

@chrismoss8 Do you know whats so sad is that your rain watter catcher is Illeagle look it up no joke and also check out prop s510 its a bill thay passed already its the food safty moderation act it will piss you off. Im not trying to piss you off its just i think you should know a bout it.

[davidesposito1]

@chrismoss8

Thanks for such a quality video! Its nice to see people put the time into organizing a nice informative video as you have.

Power to you chrismoss8

[mysteek29]

i love the organization and neatness of his set up...great job

[terrymccuaig]

Excellent video, Chris! I have an urban Canadian garden of the same size and you've given me many great ideas for developing a small space cheaply and neatly. Thanks!

[TheMysteryGardener]

I was given 2 plastic barrels that were used to store diesel fuel. Is there a way to completely clean the diesel fuel out of these barrels?

[websuspect]

@TheMysteryGardener No there contaminated. If you use them everything will be contaminated.

[TheMysteryGardener]

@websuspect I recently learned that the barrels contained only detergent. So can't they just be rinsed out with boiling water?

[who885]

im new at making my garden compose tea seems like a good idea ill try it

[Snurdgerbly]

Nice work. Love your garden. Neat rainwater tanks. Down here in the driest inhabited continent on earth, rainwater tanks are a common feature. Google "rainwater tanks Australia" and you'll find a lot of useful design ideas and information. Have fun, and happy gardening!

[robreye25]

Excellent design and build. With your wooden frame enclosing the barrels, it allows you to build a surrounding to enclose the structure. Keeping your water out of the sunlight would keep it cooler in temperature.

[oldchimpdotcom]

Excellent video on rain barrels - frame and construction! Question: for the first two pieces of 2" pvc...Why didn't you attach the pvc on the top barrel to the top of the face of the top barrel? I'm thinking It would work better as an "overflow" this way. I'm also going to build a sq ft garden up here in Boston this year. I'm using your layout as a model! I've still got a few weeks before the last frost. Thanks Again!

[Bonstergirl]

Thanks for the great ideas. You have a beautiful garden. Lots of hard work, but it really paid off, didn't it?

[GB434]

Smart guy! Heed his warning about making the frame heavy enough to hold all that weight. With 110 gallons of water, the water just weighs 918.5 pounds. So be careful out there building this.

Compost tea works wonders on your veggies and other plants. Fish emulsion is a good fertilizer too. Tomatoes love it!

I love your garden space. Very nice!

[camochannel1]

great ideas really good job

[sndd0138]

i'd be covering the sides with panels and i'd be building a door for the front. but, regardless, great work - looks good

[fatturdburger]

Just stand the barrels on the floor save a lot of work.

[mukwah1111]

Beautiful rainbarrel system.Super organized gardens. What is the mulch that you are using between your beds? Is it dried leaves? Could you have made your actual growing beds a little bit bigger? Its a grea self sustaining setup that you put a lot of thought, hard work and planning into. Nice job ! Thanks for sharing it with us.

[couchfighter]

type a persona...........very sad indeed. way to much time and energy.........like those guys that build train sets lol

[jemc17]

You have a very nice system, Chris. My question is about all the shade in your yard. Is it sunny at other times of the day? Good luck with your great set up. Very inspiring.

[Hollyhocks0]

Well done Chris. Not prissy at all as someone posted. I was going to use trash cans till I watched this. Made to last and I can tell you took the time with pride to build. Not like some of the others. Well maintained home & yard too. I also live in Tennessee...howdy.

[TULFO0210]

Too high tech chris, actually, since you have a 45 degree bracket support on the water tank rack frame , if you reverse your rack frame upside  That will hold your barels solidly in place w/o stabiliser bar. keep posting on good ideas

[ArashiNage]

VERY NICE SET UP! Gardens not lawns! You rock Chris! \m/

[barryrbarber]

Cool. Add some bees, a cold frame, and a still and you'll be set!

[Marist83USA]

The only video so far I've seen that dealt with both subject matters I'm looking for: Raised bed vegetable gardening & rainwater harvest. Thanks for posting your video. Great job.

[sausagenpeppaz]

to complex! these are systems for prissy people!

keep it simple!

[shadowgames824]

@sausagenpeppaz i agree :) lol

[dsarti1]

Well thought out!! You may even think about putting in 2 or 3 honey bee hives in the back... If everyone in the suburbs did stuff like this FEMA would be out of business

[Imaroughboy2]

You are the man !

You have given me so many ideas to intergrate into my own garden.

Well done !

[liabatud67]

5/5 and fav'd. Thank you very much for the invoice at the end. That alone makes this video a very good learning tool.

I appreciate you sharing your ideas.

[ecosutra]

make sure not to kill the organisms by spraying with strong pressure. Drip apply compost tea

[photoxpress]

Great job thankyou.

[marioismo]

Thank you for sharing.

[richallenmusic]

nice set up

[deemortiz]

you are a source of pride and an inspiration. your family should be proud of you. I am copying your work. good job...

[graphicsprincess]

You did such a wonderful job! Thanks for sharing :)

[magylyn]

Make compost tea instead of miracle grow. Take your composted material and make a tea with it. Let is set in your bucket for a few days before you pour it on your veggie plants.

Make sure your barrels are food grade as not to contaminate your garden with chemicals.

[selder03]

Great video!!! Gave me plenty of ideas. BTW, what do you use for the walk ways between the beds? Looks like river rock?

[baggysmells1975555]

Great set up! Are you an Engineer? That is the cleanest garden I have ever seen. I was just going to use 2x12's as my walkways to get as much crop as possible. But seeing how clean this is I think I will go with raised beds. Excellent job.

[renshy84]

Good job. I really like that double barrel system.

[wbinwv]

GREAT handywork!

[DJMovit]

Great Job on the Garden and layout. Nice rain water collection system. With that much water you could add a soaker hose to keep your beds watered too.

Good job. Maybe delay the time for your price sheet at the end...goes by quickly...pause works great too :-)

Good Job!

[shillelaghslaw]

bravo, you got a great little slice of heaven there

[pamelawalker1]

You are the bomb man! Absolutely beautiful!

[stymye]

excellent setup ! however that would be a leachate rather than tea... also by spraying with your garden hose you are introducing chlorine back into the tea that you so caringly used the rainwater for. overall great video !

[PackRat556]

Awesome! Obvious that you take a lot of pride in this, as well you should!

[galerienature]

Tenessee best handyman at work ;)

Very interesting, thanks!

[mkblumberg]

Ooh...Aahhh.......When is Chrs coming to my house to buld all this stuff?

Maybe he can come help Mark build the Garden shed/chicken house and then come back and build yours!! Hah!

Kathy