cbdhemp808
Well-Known Member
For anyone having trouble sourcing 1 gal buckets or perforated drain pipe for the "dome" of a DIY grow bucket...
I just realized that (3) inverted 1qt plastic yogurt containers could be used for the "dome". Each would have holes in the base, and holes down the sides, for air flow (air contact w/ soil). Best to make with a hot soldering iron, but a drill if you don't have that. Put the drain hole in the 5 gal bucket at the usual 3.5" from bottom of bucket. If you want a drain tube, it can be inserted into one of the 1 qt containers. Cut a hole in the base of one of the containers for the fill tube to enter.
This design would provide plenty of air space, good wicking, and lots of "R"—i.e. where the roots have direct access to saturated soil. The "dome" only uses up 3/4 gal of space, so 4-1/4 gal left for soil.
The containers are #2 food grade HDPE plastic.
EDIT: I have A LOT of these 24 oz yogurt containers... a bit less that 1 qt. They are 4-1/2 in tall, which is perfect for a 1" air space at full reservoir. Normal 1 qt. container is 5-1/4" tall, for a bit more air space. The rim diameters are the same. The 24 oz. one is about 0.8 qt, so 3 of them are 2.4 qt = 0.6 gal, yielding soil volume of about 4.4 gal. For the 1 qt. containers, soil volume is about 4.25 gal.
Behold the Triforce Dome... comes in 2 sizes, the regular 1 qt. yogurt container (5.25" tall), and the 24 oz. yogurt container (4.5" tall). Just add holes in the bases, down the sides, and add filler tube hole in one of them, and drain tube hole in another one.
I just realized that (3) inverted 1qt plastic yogurt containers could be used for the "dome". Each would have holes in the base, and holes down the sides, for air flow (air contact w/ soil). Best to make with a hot soldering iron, but a drill if you don't have that. Put the drain hole in the 5 gal bucket at the usual 3.5" from bottom of bucket. If you want a drain tube, it can be inserted into one of the 1 qt containers. Cut a hole in the base of one of the containers for the fill tube to enter.
This design would provide plenty of air space, good wicking, and lots of "R"—i.e. where the roots have direct access to saturated soil. The "dome" only uses up 3/4 gal of space, so 4-1/4 gal left for soil.
The containers are #2 food grade HDPE plastic.
EDIT: I have A LOT of these 24 oz yogurt containers... a bit less that 1 qt. They are 4-1/2 in tall, which is perfect for a 1" air space at full reservoir. Normal 1 qt. container is 5-1/4" tall, for a bit more air space. The rim diameters are the same. The 24 oz. one is about 0.8 qt, so 3 of them are 2.4 qt = 0.6 gal, yielding soil volume of about 4.4 gal. For the 1 qt. containers, soil volume is about 4.25 gal.
Behold the Triforce Dome... comes in 2 sizes, the regular 1 qt. yogurt container (5.25" tall), and the 24 oz. yogurt container (4.5" tall). Just add holes in the bases, down the sides, and add filler tube hole in one of them, and drain tube hole in another one.