Since my fall growing season pretty much got blown out of the water by recent catastrophic weather events, I decided to look ahead towards spring and start making preparations to be ahead of the game for once. To that end, I took the high intensity compact fluorescent light fixture I bought (last year) and constructed a stand for it. Now it can be put to use starting all my spring seedlings. A quick trip to the Home Improvement Center was all it took…

For this project, you will need:

(1) Lights of America model 9266 65-watt Compact Fluorescent Floodlight
(15) feet of 3/4″ Schedule 40 PVC pipe
(4) 3/4″ elbows
(2) 3/4″ tees
(2) 3/4″ caps
(1) 3/4″ slip x slip coupler
(1) 1/2″ FPT x 3/4″ slip bushing
(2) 1″ x 1″ x 3/4″ tees
(2) 1″ lengths of 1″ Schedule 40 PVC pipe
(1) 8-foot replacement power cord with plug
PVC pipe cutter
drill with 3/8″ bit
file or sandpaper

Some stores sell 5-foot cut lengths of pipe in addition to the stock 10-foot lengths. If you have this option, all the pieces necessary can be cut from these two lengths. The hardest part may be obtaining only two inches of the 1″ pipe.

Cut the 3/4″ pipe into six pieces 22″ long each, two pieces 10-1/4″ long, two pieces 2″ long, and one piece 6″ long. From the pieces of 1″ PVC pipe, remove approximately 1/4 of the circumference of each using the PVC cutter or a hacksaw, creating two “C” clips.

Approximately 1-1/2″ from the end of one of the 10-1/4″ pieces, drill a 3/8″ hole. File smooth any rough edges, inside and out. IMPORTANT: Use NO PVC cement until you are satisfied with the fit and orientation of the entire finished assembly. Cement is optional as friction fit alone should sufficiently allow the assembly to remain rigid, and will allow disassembly for storage or later modification as you see fit.

For the main frame, assemble a rectangle using four of the 22″ lengths of pipe, two of the 3/4″ elbows, and two of the 3/4″ tees, with the elbows at the top and the tees at the bottom, oriented so the remaining openings are facing downward. Into each of the remaining tee openings, insert the 2″ lengths of 3/4″ pipe which have already been inserted into the last two 3/4″ elbows. Place the 3/4″ caps on one end of each of the remaining 22″ pipes, and insert their opposite ends into the open elbows, orienting them perpendicularly to the rectangular frame.

Next, assemble the lightbar. Insert the 1/2″ FPT x 3/4″ bushing into the 3/4″ coupler. Place a 1″ x 1″ x 3/4″ tee on one end of each of the 10-1/4″ pipes, nearest the hole on the drilled one. Insert the wires of the light fixture into the threaded bushing end of the bushing/connector assembly. Before screwing the fixture stem into the bushing, wrap it with a few turns of Teflon tape. Thread the pigtail end of the replacement power cord through the 3/8″ hole in the one 10-1/4″ pipe so it exits the pipe at the end furthest from the hole. Then thread it next in through one side of the “top” of the remaining 3/4″ tee, and out the adjacent “bottom” side of the tee. Continue threading it through the 6″ pipe. Use wire nuts supplied with the fixture to connect the wires, white to white and black to black. If the power cord has a green ground wire, it can be left unconnected, but do not allow it to contact either the white or black wire connections. Fold the wires and connectors so that they may be inserted into the 6″ pipe. Remove slack in the wiring by gently pulling the power cord back throught the drilled hole somewhat as you assemble the bushing/connector, the 6″ pipe, and the 3/4″ tee. Insert the other 10-1/4″ pipe and tee into the remaining 3/4″ tee opening.

Temporarily remove the top bar and elbows of the rectangular frame. Slide the 1″ PVC “C” clips over each of the 3/4″ uprights, positioning them each about halfway down each pipe. Now, positioning the 1″ x”1″ x 3/4″ elbows on either end of the lightbar assembly vertically, slide the lightbar onto the uprights, allowing it to rest on the “C” clips which will slide into the lower openings of the lightbar tees somewhat. The clips will provide a means of height adjustment for different stages of plant growth. Two standard 20″ propagation trays fit comfortably between the legs with the lamp centered above them.

Total cost, not including the $35 light fixture, about $15.

ADDENDUM: While disassembling and reassembling the light stand to photograph it for this article, I subsequently found the Lights of America fixture would no longer light up. After some internet searching about the unit and the company, I found that consumer research determined that the [proprietary] LOA lamps typically fall far short of their rated life and output, and that the fixture itself uses a cheap coil-and-capacitor electronic ballast. Bottom line is my light unit, even though technically brand new, is out of warranty and, after about 5 minutes’ use, is now a total piece of trash. The light stand, however, may still be of use. I’ll have to see what other light unit I can find to complete it.

If you do a lot of gardening, you know how valuable compost can be towards enriching the soil and improving plants. Rich in organic material, compost acts as a soil conditioner and nutrient source, and also contains beneficial microbes that assist in making those nutrients
more readily available to your plants.

Commercially-available compost making units seemed rather costly to me, so I decided to build a one out of an old trash can. Holes had been worn in the bottom of the can over nearly two decades of use, but I figured it could continue to be of service in a different way.

All the necessary materials: One old 32-gallon RubberMaid trash can with lid, and a length of 4″ diameter corrugated, perforated plastic drainage pipe (available from most home improvement centers).

Necessary tools for the project include a cordless drill, a 4″ hole saw, a 5/8″ wood bit (the kind with points at the outer edges), and a pair of heavy kitchen shears.

A length of the pipe was cut 33″ long, to the next nearest widest corrugation at each end. Rough edges were cleaned up, but the kitchen shears do a reasonably neat job, anyway. The flanged ends were cut perpendicularly 1/2″ deep at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions. 4″
holes were sawed in the bottom center of the can and center of the lid– it was easiest to center the holes by drilling from the inside surfaces in both cases. Since the pipe is 4″ in diameter at the narrowest point of the corrugations, these were necessary to pass the
pipe ends through the 4″ holes, but then “lock” the pipe in place. This task was more difficult at the bottom end, as the can is thicker and less pliable than the lid, but the tightest fit possible is preferred.

5/8″ holes were then drilled in a regular fashion all around the can– 24 all total. 4 additional holes were drilled in the lid as well.

Conveniently, the yard man chose not to use the mulching mower this week. Lots of starter grass clippings, leaves, pine needles. Kitchen waste and shredded paper will be added also.

Total project cost: an amazingly low $3.48! Actually, only $1.16, as there is enough pipe left over from the 10 ft. length to make two more. If you wanted to make one out of a brand new can: $13.08.

Funny part of the story: As I was completing the project, my neighbor came out to wash his car and asked what I was doing. When I told him I was making a composter, he said he had one he didn’t use and I was welcome to have it– for free. Turns out it’s an Earth Machine,
which the local municipality gave out free to residents several years ago in an effort to reduce landfill waste. Seems they normally sell for about $60-70. They appear to be nothing more, really, than an eye-pleasing way to make a compost pile, but include venting, an
adjustable-vented lid, and a door to remove compost. It may well not work any better than my can project, but, for free, I’ll give both a try. I can see already, however, that my design has one advantage– all I will need do to give the pile a stir with mine is lay it on its side
and roll it around the yard a bit. Between the lid’s built-in clips and the chimney flange holding it, the lid should, hopefully, stay firmly in place. The good news is that the compost that was left in the bottom of the Earth Machine will make a fine inoculant for both compost piles.

Now that all danger of frost has passed– 5 weeks ago in fact– it’s time to plant some tomatoes. The bucket containers from last year got a thorough cleaning and disinfecting and are ready to go…

The bucket containers sat out on the patio all winter, and they ended up turning themselves into four foot potted night-blooming jasmines.

For those unfamiliar, night-blooming jasmine is really great in the summer. Throw open the patio door after dark and their fragrance fills the house, and the neighborhood as well. They grow ten feet tall, and propagate themselves at the drop of a hat. Don’t worry about winter freezes with this stuff– you can’t kill it, and it will be back with a vengeance next year.

Anyway, after extracting the jasmine from a couple of the bucket containers, and getting them scrubbed out and disinfected with a spray bottle full of hydrogen peroxide, it was time to plant.

This year, after the dismal results last year with creole tomatoes, I went an entirely different direction. I chose the Celebrity hybrid for its disease, drought, and heat resistance. This variety is also a determinate, which means it will grow to a fixed height– about 3 feet– and stop. It also means it will set its fruit almost all at once. Fortunately, it is quick to maturity, so I should have something to harvest within about 60 days.

I buried about 50 percent of the plants in the soil– this will increase rooting, and help the plants to develop strong stalks.

I also added one more thing over years past, which was to place a large handful of cypress mulch around the base of the plant. This should help preserve moisture even further than just the bucket lid, and will keep soil-borne pathogens off the lower leaves of the plant. Once these starts get about a foot and a half tall, I have some cages to support what I hope will be lots of tomatoes.