Rainwater Collection Project

This is where my rainwater collection tanks are going. I currently have sprinkler pipes running under the spot for the tanks. I am digging those sprinklers out before I build the foundation.

Starting the process of digging out those sprinklers and installing them further from the house.

Laying the new sprinkler pipe down around the location for my water tanks.

I installed the new pipe and removed the original pipe near the wall. I also recovered the trenches and sprayed water over the trenches to help with settling.

These are the cinder blocks I'm using to build the foundation.

This is the Rain water diverter. I cut out 6 inches from my gutter and inserted this really cool device.

I found it on Amazon.com

Oatey 14209 Mystic Rainwater Collection System

1 Inch PVC pipe connects the diverter to the water tanks.

Each tank was a manual shutoff valve. I connect a 2 inch female adapter to each tank with a 2 inch elbo. This way I can choose to fill one tank or both from the same rain water runnoff.

I also added a water spigot so I can use the water when I want to. Notice how I can empty one tank at a time or both tanks for more pressure.

I placed some cloth between the outside and the water tanks. This is meant to keep bugs from contaminating my water.

Update 7/20/2014 - Mittleider Garden and Backyard Homestead

Chicken Diapers

Here are some benefits of having chicken diapers:

• Easy Clean Up!
• You chickens become house pets, that's pretty neat!
• You can watch chicken YouTube"s with your favorite poultry friend. "Probably not the slaughter house one's"
• Find eggs around the house instead of in the coop

The above video explains how the chicken diaper works. enjoy:)

Learn how to build a Grow Tower

Products used in these videos:

• 1 inch thin wall pvc pipe
• 3/4 inch pvc pipe
• 1/2 inch conduit (Optional, This adds rigidness to the structure from wind)
• Styrofoam buckets (Walmart's Styrofoam coolers will work fine)
• Coco Fiber (Growing Media)
• Metal Electrical Box
• Metal washer (This rests on the 1 inch thin wall pvc pipe. The first bucket rests on this washer.)

Grow Tower Construction Video:

Benefits of Grow Towers:

• The tower keeps the plants off the ground (protects from disease and some bugs).
• Grow more produce per sqfoot.
• Less water usage, Install 1 drip line into the top bucket and the water drips through all the buckets below.
• No weeds.
• Quick setup and tear down.
• Fruit hangs from the buckets and does not lay on the ground. Prevents early stage fruit rot.

Grow Tower Tear Down Video:

Chicken Habitat

Mittleider Method of Gardening

Building the Fence

Here is an update of the fence project. I hired a local landscaper guy to dig all my holes for posts. He charged $5 dollars a hole. Great deal!

Each hole was about 12 inches in diameter and 2.5 feet deep. This way I could add dirt to the hole to adjust height instead of trying to dig dirt out. Much easier this way.

I used string as a guide to help me make a straight line. I used a string on top for post height and one on the bottom side for the straight line. worked pretty well. I kept all post approximately half inch to an inch from the string.

Setting the post in a straight line. Look how perfect this is. I used 2x4's to keep the post perfectly level while the concrete cures. Each hole took about 2, 80 pound bags of concrete.

 

 

What is the Mittleider method of Gardening?

Things you need to start your mittleider plant food mix:

 

Help, My Plants Are Dying! Week 8 of seedling

Here are my tomato and cucumber plants. I think they are having problems. I'm not sure what to do.

Backyard Homestead - Update