May 30 SIP Workshop in Chicago

Ten days after our first SIP workshop we did it again.

On May 30th another great group of people came to Art and H2's place to learn how to make a sub-irrigated planter out of two 5-gal buckets.

We drilled and filled, and then we planted. A look back:

Using a hole saw is the easiest way to create the cut-out
for your wicking chamber...

...but not the only way.
Here, one participant uses a drill to outline the hole before cutting it out with a utility knife.

Identifying the position of the overflow holes is easy:
visualize and mark the bottom of the top bucket by holding the set up to light.
Then drill about 3/4 inch below.

Now for the fun part:
Bruce offers his array of seed-started heirloom tomato plants so class members can choose which they'll plant.

And plant they did.
The portrait gallery

How many pounds of juicy heirloom tomatoes will this group harvest later this summer? Possibly more than 100. Thanks to our great group of SIP-makers!

While you're dreaming about BLTs to come,
go have a look at this video and tidy list of the benefits of using SIPs to grow food.