Do-It-Yourself Wall-O-Water
jkirk3279
18 years ago
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atillathepun
18 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
18 years agoRelated Discussions
Should I bother with tomatoes without Walls O Water?
Comments (8)Ashleigh - I wish we were neighbors! The community garden where I grow stuff is in Lakewood. Fun to share space with others and see what they're growing. Easy to trade with them, too. I've used lots of different materials to help with wind block like old sheer curtains from a garage sale, tulle or nylon netting from Hobby Lobby. These past years I've used sunscreen fabric from Lowe's. I use concrete reinforcing wire tomato cages and clothespins to keep the fabric on the cage. I guess you could use butcher paper instead of fabric, or even multiple layers of newspaper pinned to the cages. You might want to make slits in the paper to let some wind go through. If possible, especially if you have lots of wind, have the material go all the way around the cage/plant. That way your plants can thrive and grow without too much trouble. Best of luck in your growing of wonderful produce. Let us know how you decide to protect your plants. I love to experiment!...See MoreWall o Water AND Cold Frame...
Comments (25)A couple of questions and suggestions: (1) No one has answered the question of how to get the WOW off the plant. I am afraid that I will have to cut them off my plants. (2) I used two kinds of WOW protectors this year, both from Burpee. Some were clear and had interconnecting tubes. The others were green and had individual tubing. The clear have been the most successful, although one was punctured and the tubes on another ran together. Four, however, remain supporting fairly large and healthy plants. The green ones, however, all collapsed on days when the temperature reached into the high 70s and low 80s. (3) Instead of putting up the WOW before you plant, why not heat the soil by putting down black plastic? This seems to have worked for me, especially since early April temperatures vary so much. I just waited for a couple of warm days and then planted the plants. (4) I have heard that you are supposed to use small plants but have been most successful planting 10-week old, fairly large plants that I had started in the cellar....See MoreWall 'o Waters questions
Comments (16)Bonnie, Interesting idea about the traffic cones! I never thought of that, good idea. You can pile dirt or rocks around the base to keep them upright, and if you cut part of the top off you could cut it at an angle and face it south. Letting sun in from the south and blocking wind from the north. I got my cones from a guy who got them from a guy... so I don't really know where they came from. This will be my 2nd year with them I'm getting tired of the WOW's. They grow algae, fall over, take forever to fill... The more I'm typing the more I'm liking your traffic cone idea....See MoreWall O' Water Comparison
Comments (27)I lay black plastic down and it seems to warm the soil enough for me. I think a colder area would want to place the WOW out in advance. Advance set up will also allow the water to warm before planting. I planted on a cloudy, cold day and the WOWs were not able to adequately heat before the sun set. Those plants did not survive. I have used WOWs for 8 years now. I bought extras this year to perhaps replace the oldest ones. My garden is not as flat as it should be, so my WOWs tip from uneven ground. 2' bamboo does wonders to prevent tipping. To fill, I bought a 5 gallon bucket from HD and removed the bottom, making a "tube". I dig the hole, plant, place the "tube" over the plant and then place the empty WOW around the "tube". I found long neck funnels in the lawn mower maintenance area at HD and place 3 or 4 in the WOWs. The funnels help with the filling. Once all WOW tubes are filled, I tug the top of the WOW to insure all tubes have adequate water and then lift the "tube" bucket out. I also use this bucket to remove the WOW in the spring. The funnels also assist in watering the plants. A tomato plant top that gets chilled has never killed the plant, in my experience. If the plant is too tall at planting, I bury deeply, trenching if necessary. I never use the ice cold hose water to water in after planting. I truck warm water to the garden, so the plants do not suffer from extra stress. One year, Walmart had WOWs on clearance - $3 for a pack of 3. They had SO many packs, I think the manager has since learned how to order....See Morebrendan_of_bonsai
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