No. Using a vacuuming that is not design to for wet/dry use is very dangerous. I wish you would stop telling people to try it before hurt.

Steve i know you think im some rich stuck up snob but really im not. I Dont have a huge budget and I do things as cheap as possible. Including recycling whatever I can.

Mike I know that you are not rich And I know you are not a snob or you would not be on this forum. I am able to do about 4 rimes as much with these tricks and I do rely a lot on the food I grow. I know a lot about electric and know how to take precautions in insure no accidents.

I am asking this to determine if anyone at all gains from this. If not then I will be wasting my time and I'll cease with these kind of posts. So far It appears not. My ideas worked well for a big jump in growth the first year, but few if anyone would use them. I know that you are very knowledgeable and hear what you say. I entered this because of your statements. I do listen to others.

Steve

PS I am aware that you don't have a mansion in the woods.

The only problem I see is - what are you gonna do when the trees get really big? I started out with small 1-3 gallon pots with 18-24 inch trees, but over the years they became full sized trees that now require a ladder to prune and harvest from. It only took 5 years.

After one winter my trees grew to big and are outside in ground or in containers. I have no more trees to grow. The box will be set up next December to grow greens. I will set it up for a 4 story grow system to grow organic beet, collards, kale, turnip, and mustard greens. The bucket light I grow my starter plants of tomatoes, peppers, egg plant, kale, mustard, collards, turnips arugula, bok-choy, onions, Spinach does best between my window and storm window. All of the above goes outside in the greenhouse with the citrus and fig trees. The box and bucket lights will be used. The vacuum is no longer needed.

In 30 gallon container dormant Sweetlee tangerine from seed shares pot with lettuce.

In ground Sweetlee#3 from seed at 4 .5 feet tall. 1.75 years old.

Steve

Hi Steve. I must say your trees from seed grew so much larger than mine just being in the greenhouse and outside. So there must be something to your grow box system.

Cory

Hi Cory

someone questioned me on why I waste peoples time with these silly, ,unsafe ideas that nobody else would ever use. I have had great success with these ideas so I shared them on garden web. The electric setup I used would be frowned on by an electrical inspector. That I agree with. A shop vacuum should be used to suck out extra water or aerate roots. The bucket could be fitted with a light box and ceramic fixture and be grounded. The big box already had the wire junctions secured properly.

The question, is any one using any of my ideas or am I wasting space and time that helps no one.

You can buy a reflective 8 ft by 4 foot at 6.5 feet tall Mylar grow tent for under $200. I just happen to be under employed with a lot of scraps to use up and my box was FREE. I will continue to use my grow box and grow bucket ( after electrical safety fixes. They are FREE and very effective. I will use the vacuum system when needed for medical plant services. Its Free.

Thanks for the compliment on my trees.

steve

I commend your thinking outside of the box. And it seems to work for you.

I think your light box idea would be very useful for those who have to winter citrus inside. It's way better for the trees than just being in front of a window, even if it's a south one.

As far as the vacuum idea, it's helping you deal with a less than ideal soil.Yours seems to retain water for quite a long time and it looks like this helps dry it out sooner.

But I think for those starting from scratch, using a better draining soil would be best. A 5-1-1 mix drains very well, but not as fast as a gritty mix. If I had to overwinter my citrus inside, that's what I'd use. The vacuum would not be needed then.

But like I said above, the light box is a great idea!

This should be legal

.Hardy chicago fig rooting just setting leaves under shop lamp

I'll just stick to the act of enjoying the practice of growing. The basics maybe a bit to common for everyone. Why some people would set them selves up with the disire(or wanting) more labourus acts for some unknown results is beyound me . I find it more enjoyable growing anything including citrus when I have easy acess for the easier managment of them.

It appears that I am the only one doing the non conventional growing practices. I will refrain from posting these Ideas and stick to advice that other may actually use.

Steve

Steve, had I the room, I would definitely set up a light box. No reason to stop posting because some people won't use the ideas - there are a LOT of people who come through the forums and never post at all, taking the ideas and tips they find to use themselves, so there could be many people out there following your ideas.