Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Garden of Cardboard and Glue Update (a.k.a Oh Sweet Delicious Summer!)

I've had quite a few people ask me how the cardboard in the garden is doing now that we are halfway through the season.  I'm happy to say it is holding up really well and I'm confident it will continue to last through the rest of the growing season.


As you can see, there is some movement from the cardboard... the containers have rounded themselves out. The one on the bottom to the far right has no dirt in it at all and is of course retaining its original shape quite well.

Despite some peeling and settling, the are still quite sturdy and not going anywhere.


There were some inherent problems with the original design that will have to be modified next year.

Problem #1:  They have to be watered pretty much twice a day...I'm fairly confident this is mostly due to the sunny location I have them in.  I'll be finding a shadier spot for my green lettuce next year and perhaps try a less temperamental plant here...maybe flowers!

Problem #2: Runoff. The way they were made I end up getting a LOT of runoff off the top when I water them. I had to add additional soil and I lost a few seeds like this little guy here all alone...


So, all in all, I'd say this was a success...now if only my gardening skills were as awesome as my hanging cardboard planters.....

The rest of the garden is also doing very well this year!

Remember my futon frame trellis


My cucumbers are LOVING it!  I think I might have to learn to make pickles or something this year....
I managed to get a type of squash that wasn't vining....oops haha.  It's quite healthy and the squash are delicious anyways though!


Last but not least are my 5-gallon bucket planters.


I planted tomatoes and bell peppers in them and tried the Topsy Turvey-ish method. 


 My tomatoes are doing very well.  The peppers don't seem to be growing....but they aren't dead yet at least so I still have hope!


And this guy was originally an upside-down planter that fell off the fence and smushed the initial plant so I just decided to use it on the ground and added a banana pepper to it.


Well, it's pretty nice to report that I haven't killed and abandoned my entire garden this year.  I'm super proud of it!

Happy Crafting-- err...Gardening!





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