This PYRAMID GARDEN will double the growing space for smaller garden plants such as herbs, flowers, strawberries, and vegetables. All materials are rot resistant that includes Western Red Cedar, PVC pipes and fittings, rust resistant hardware, and pressure treated wood. The ¾ inch PVC pipes acts as the tier support system and also provides a way to irrigate the garden with water and /or a fertilizer solution without disturbing the plants. The center 3 inch PVC pipe is the center support structure but also acts as a worm cafeteria when you add your chopped-up vegetable scraps and worms by simply removing the PVC cap. Please do not add meat scraps! The basic Pyramid Garden is designed to set on level ground on a 2X4 pressure treated frame. Pictured on the top right. However, this garden can be modified by adding a Pressure Treated ¾ plywood floor along with industrial strength wheels to create a mobile unit. An optional western red cedar board can be added to cover the pressure treated 2X4 wall. This modified version is designed to be place on a deck or porch. Pictured on the top left. This garden’s weight when filled with potting soil will range between 400 to 450 pounds depending on the density of the soil so be sure your deck can support it. Prices vary according to size and design. To reduce the overall weight and to increase the nutrient level of the soil of the finished garden, I would suggest using a blended mixture of top soil, mushroom soil, composted manure, and peat moss. This unit will hold ~9-10 cubic feet of the potting soil mixture. Your plants and the worms will be very happy living in this mixture along with regular watering. Here is more information about your worm colony. Earth worms are very unique creatures that provide many different benefits to the overall health of your garden. Earth worms have a piggish appetite for a variety of food sources. The Red Wiggler worm is the best worm to use for this purpose. Some of their food would include greens from vegetables, squash, cucumbers, lettuce, fruits, organic cereal grains, apple and potatoes peelings, coffee grounds, and even small amount of ground up egg shells. To speed up the digestion process of the worms, keep the particle size of the organic waste as small as possible. Professional worm farmer put these scraps in a blender before feeding their worms. But, remember not to add any meat scraps, acidic foods, and other heavily colored or preserved food scraps. **At the end of the growing season to extend the lifetime of this garden, remove all dead plants, allow the soil to dry out, and cover or place the garden in a protected area to keep all moisture from entering the soil. Appling an annual coating of boiled linseed oil to the inside and outside surfaces of the frames will also extend the lifetime of the cedar boards. However, the oil will darken the boards. |