This is the
SIPer (Subsurface Irrigation Planter) that Jim Schwai has developed.
It is a bucket inside a bucket with a water reservoir in the bottom bucket and soil in the top bucket.
The water is wicked up from the bottom bucket and into the soil using strips of heavy fabric to provide the perfect amount of moisture.
The white tube allows you to pour water into the water reservoir in the lower bucket.
The white tube also has a floating dip stick that tells you how much water is left in the reservoir.
The SIPer bucket allows complete control over irrigation, plant spacing, nematodes and other soil problems
such as the different pH / minerals / fertilizer needed for each type of plant.
The SIPer allows for the easy replacement of older plants with newer plants.
The SIPer bucket is the perfect solution that makes gardening easy in a difficult situation.
John,
We put the dome up. All went smoothly.
The blue barrel is imbedded in the ground to collect rainwater.
Have 18 vegetable plants (6 types) in the dome but could hold up to 30.
Jim
The dome is working great. Starting to get many vegetables without any animals getting to the produce. They stand next to it and just look at all those treats!
I showed the dome to TIDE, an eco nonprofit, in Belize who we would work with on this project. They also liked the dome for a family using 1 “ pvc from Belize and your kit for the hubs.
Their major concern is protecting the vegetables from very heavy rain downpours between May and September when they get over 100 inches in southern Belize.
They have to buy vegetables due to the rain and drought which precedes the rain.
John,
Wanted to share a couple of photos of the dome now that the original objectives have been met- keep out animals and birds, provide water during the dry season, and protect the vegetables during heavy downpours.
Your suggestion of covering the upper portion works great by allowing air circulation and heat from clear upper covering.
Instead of the clips we are using 1 X 3 wood channels to direct the rainwater to a holding tank or a sunken grow bed which in turn feeds other grow beds.
Jim
The wood channels direct the rainwater to fall into the bucket.
This is a new concept developed entirely by Jim Schwai.
Closeup of the wooden channels for rainwater harvesting.
Jim's creativity - and his engineering background - are both evident here.
Jim uses a plastic bottle buried next to the plant to irrigate the tomato plant.
The bottle has small holes in the bottom for slow and effective irrigation.
Another tomato plant with a bottle buried next to the plant for irrigation.
This is an inexpensive and effective way to put water next to the roots of the plant where it makes a difference,
and not put the water on top of the soil where it runs off and waters the weeds and not the plant.
John,
I forgot to mention we started growing cucumbers, beans, and tomatoes vertically using the struts to tie jute string to which allows the string to be used as a trellis.
Jim
Jim Schwai's Domes in Belize
The vegetable dome is doing great and the attached pictures show them tilling the soil so more peanut grass can be planted in preparation for the chicken dome that will circulate around the bigger vegetable dome.
Sr. Ester told me she got some tomatoes that weighed almost a pound.
Other picture is Marco holding some peppers.
Friends,
Built the second dome in the background on Sunday.
Billy (pictured) and Betty where the first residents and were joined by 13 other chickens today. They like to eat the wild peanut grass.
The vegetable dome is doing very good with the SIPers and raised growing beds growing peppers, callaloo, herbs, box choi, cabbage,....
Been in the low 90’s, looking forward to cooler temps stating 2/1!
Jim
