I think you may have some trouble finding folks who can comment on your plans.

What you are planning to do is more or less 'novel'. This doesn't mean it can't work splendidly, it just means you are probably more or less on your own to blaze a new trail.

Let us know what you end up doing and how it works for you please.

It seems that it would easier to cut in half vertically. A It would also be more stable but if the idea is to gain more grow space (would seem to be the main advantage to the extra effort:) then by all means give it a try. I think that almost anything that holds water can be recycled to be a SWC in some manner. Some of the plastic barrels I've seen would last longer than many of the SWC's you can buy.
Good Luck and hope others chime in their ideas.
Happy Growing David

I have a couple of reasons for choosing the drums: cost was one of the first. Rubbermaids are a bit pricey for my (non-existent) garden budget. Also, I like the idea of recycling the drums.

The second was a material that was stabilized for UV exposure.

My biggest concern is providing enough wick area. Is there a ratio of wick to surface or volume? Or do I just go by the seat of my pants?

And I'll happily keep you updated. I'm planning on trying the first fabrication this weekend: I'd like to have my bugs worked out well in advance of "Opening day". In these parts, that's about mid-May.

Wish me luck!

yes, your plan will work just fine. I have 24 totes from walmart used a design on web. and they work just fine, i did make a few changes though. I also make them out of 1/2 inch plywood lined with plastic,pvc watering pipe, a black garden gallon container for the wicker and a air shelf. the good thing about this is i can make them any size i want., your plan will work fine dont forget the drain holes. bill

I think, Liz, the area of the bucket as a wick will likely work (let us know how it works), the only issue in my mind that hasn't been addressed is the support of the aeration bench - that much soil will be quite heavy and you want to ensure support at your corners and maybe near the wick.

Have fun.

Dan

I have been wondering about the support too. I've seen some designs using PVC "legs" for the aeration bench, and I think I'll likely be going that route, or something similar.

My biggest goal is getting a working design that is "low-cost/no-cost"... which means using my brains and my scrounging abilities.

I am one of those people who may not have a lot of money, but I do have abundant time.... and you can trade one for the other if you know how. :)

What I would do is cut 1/3 off the barrel, find some plywood pieces from a construction dumpster, and cut them to match the shape of the barrell, kind of like a 1/4 moon shape. That way it will sit on the barrel bottom, and support the 1/3 that you cut off. I'd make sure that the top of the 1/3 you cut off is flush with the top of the 2/3 part remaining. Drill holes in the plywood so water can flow between it, and then use something like Dan stated, a 1 gallon nusery pot with lots of holes. Poke lots of holes in the 1/3 of the barrel as well, and then fill it with water. You could plant tons of stuff in that! It wouldn't be very pretty, but very workable.

These days - I've been dumpster diving at several construction sites lately - stick-built houses are built out of chipboard, and part of the gluing agent in these boards is formaldehyde. Unless you can get an anti-allergenic custom home's scrap, personally I wouldn't stick this stuff in water because of the chemicals.

But I like the idea and I wonder if you couldn't cut part of the barrel in the shape jleiwig described...

BTW, the 5 1/2 year old drinks a lot of juice and I'm saving her sturdy food-grade bottles for supports in my yet-unbuilt 18 gal SWCs, as well as used yogurt containers, etc. That is: looking at our recycling bins in a new way...

I sorta wish we had some 55 gal barrels laying around, if only to tweak the MIL with another crazy project!

Dan

I'm with Dan and jleiwig. It will work very well, if you can get the aeration bench worked out. One thing that might give you an idea....
Several years ago, I made a homemade smoker from a couple of drums, and I did something to the firebox that might be of some help to you. The firebox was of course, horizontal, and to keep the bottom of the barrel from deteriorating prematurely from the intense heat of the coals, here's what I did. Got a couple of oven racks from a range that someone had thrown away, and laid them inside the barrel. This would create the main frame for your aeration bench, but you would need some type of screen material to lay on top of it to keep the soil from falling thru. The racks don't need to be fastened, or anything...just laid in there.

EG

"But I like the idea and I wonder if you couldn't cut part of the barrel in the shape jleiwig described... "

Got it in one!

I've been looking at the construction of plastic barrels: And I think if I shave off the upper flanges at the top and perhaps the bottom , I should get enough wiggle room to horse it into position. As my Dad would say: "We do it the old-fashioned way: Brute force, and Ignorance!" If the shape is fairly accurate, and I have enough material, it might be self supporting. If not: I'm off the the Habitat for Humanity store for recycled pipe bits.

It doesn't have to be pretty: It has to grow tomatoes and cucumbers!

I figure if it works out, you could build a little fence/wall around it with a bench seat sorta top to hide the workins'.

I figure if it works out, you could build a little fence/wall around it with a bench seat sorta top to hide the workins'.

Or put plants by the overflow tube...