Repurposing Material for Easier Vine Care

If you're like me and plant more areas than you can reliably irrigate, just haul out those old cracked tubs that leak. Position one near the base of large and thirsty vegetable vines for a slow-release feeding and watering system.



Fill each tub tub as it empties with buckets of collected rainwater, or by occasionally dragging out the hose. It takes much less time to fill the tub than it would by allowing the sprinkler to run. As an added benefit, less water is wasted due to runoff.

Composted manure or other water soluble nutrients can also be added right into the tub; producing fuss-free manure tea.

A piece of sticky tape will slow the flow from a large crack. Ideally, your tub should drain in a day or two; otherwise, bugs might become a nuisance in it.

A section of fencing material is useful as support for bug screening, or to keep the heads of your vines off the ground. It's easier, quicker and much more effective to check for squash bugs if your plants are grown through the holes in the fencing. A quick peek beneath the leaves as you fill your tub and you're done! If bugs are found, just toss them into the tub where they will quickly drown. No messy squishing required.